Board projects 15 school layoffs to reduce budget deficit

$400,000 still needed to balance budget

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

WARE – Prior to the March 2 School Committee meeting, the Budget Subcommittee met with Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach, Andy Paquette of the Management Solution and the district’s principals to review the draft budget for fiscal year 2012. While the budget is still in its preliminary stages, Budget Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Sawabi warned, “It’s not looking good,” and announced that the district was anticipating 15 layoffs.
Paquette said the district initially expected to have a $1.9 million deficit, based on projections that the state would be reducing Chapter 70 funding by five percent. When that didn’t happen, the budget was left with a $1.4 million deficit. By factoring 15 proposed layoffs into the equation, the district has been able to reduce that to $400,000. Paquette explained that over the past two years, the district enjoyed grant funding that is no longer available. Growing expenses and a lack of revenue also contribute to the deficit.
Stanley M. Koziol Elementary School Principal Marlene DiLeo shared how her school has been impacted by budget concerns. She said over the past two years, programs such as the Education Express school points program at Big Y helped her school save “a significant amount of money” on office supplies such as paper and glue sticks. However, Big Y has temporarily suspended that program while it is redesigned. “That missing paper needs to get added to the budget for next year,” said DiLeo. DiLeo said in order to help fill in the gaps in the budget, SMK has been participating in several programs to increase revenue including collecting Box Tops for Education, empty ink cartridges, and empty Capri Sun packets and hosting a magazine drive.
Sawabi said the budget group is moving forward to reduce the remaining $400,000 deficit. By adjusting the district’s current insurance policies, he anticipated that deficit could be reduced by as much as half. All district employees will be completing a survey about insurance that will help determine which policy changes would make the most sense. Sawabi also said union negotiations will start soon and there may be some variables there to consider. According to Sawabi, the main consideration when choosing where to make these difficult budget cuts is to try to keep them as removed from the students as possible.
Budget Subcommittee member Brian Winslow said he hoped the layoffs and other budget cuts would only be for one year. “We’re just looking at 2012,” he said. “It’s hard to predict 2013, 2014 and beyond.” He noted the district is in the same situation as many other districts across the state and across the country. He mentioned the gains the district has made in terms of School Choice and expressed concern that by making “the wrong cuts,” the district could see those numbers slip. “Let’s not go backwards,” said Committee member Danielle Souza.
Paquette noted the district’s current budget freeze might help to recoup some of the $400,000 needed for next year’s budget. He added that because the district locked into a low rate for oil, it might not spend as much as budgeted for heating. Paquette said it’s too early to project how much money might be saved by the end of the school year, but it could be as much as $200,000.
Sawabi said the public would once again have the opportunity to review the proposed budget and offer their input. “If anyone has any ideas on how to generate revenue or ways to save, we want to hear it,” said Winslow.