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BOARD OF FINANCE W0RKSHOP
MINTES
APRIL 10, 2003
I. CALL TO ORDER – Chairman Harrison called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Avon Room, Town Hall. Present were Messrs. Gugliotti, Hooper, McGuff, Monts,
Speich and Zacchio
II. OLD BUSINESS
02/03-03 FY 2003/2004 Budget
A. Discussion of Budget adjustments
Mr. Harrison indicated that the Town Council has already reduced their original requests, perhaps we will hear from the Council first and then we’ll hear from the Board of Education.
Mr. Hines feels they have made substantial cuts and complied with the Board’s request for a budget request of less than 6% increase over last year’s budget. He reported the Debt Service is pretty solid because all the items that have been approved at Referendum have interest payments to be made, and there is not much in the Capital budget that is not already committed. So if additional reductions are required, the Council would like to have the option to decide whether reductions are made to the Operating Budget or the Capital Improvement Budget.
Ms. Friedman reported it must have been a mistake when the Board of Finance indicated the Board of Education had not taken any cuts. The Board of Education in fact cut $900,000 out of the money that was requested originally. They cut 5 teachers, critical development items, maintenance, $200,000 out of the library books, equipment and technology areas. So. we actually took $900,000 of reductions and Ms. Friedman just wants the Board of Finance to be aware of this. Also, the Board of Education lost $142,000 out of the Capital budget.
Mr. Toyen reported that the Board of Education has developed a power point presentation that will illustrate where Avon stands with regard to per-pupil expenditures. The presentation will show our standing, how we were rated and what calculations were used. The SBE (State Board of Education) calculates only the actual cost for education taking out such things as cafeteria, transportation, other numbers that are not really involved with instructional issues whereas OPM (Office of Policy and Management) uses the budget number by the Town; so that’s why the rankings are different. The lower the number means the more you’re spending per child in the district in relation to the other 169 towns. He also listed a comparison of Avon, West Hartford, Simsbury, Canton, Farmington using the ERG
Average. In order to reduce the 9.81% to 9.22% it would mean taking $40,000 from Magnet School Tuition, $17,812 from Maintenance, $64.778 from new equipment and $55,130 from Level Fund Budget Accounts. To reduce to 8.53% it would be necessary to reduce $43,139 delaying proposed maintenance projects, $38,000 to delay computer repairs, $23.322 to reduce instructional time or exceed limits for class size. $11,764 would reduce .20 Social Worker for the high school, $18,657 would reduce .40 speech pathologist, $18,156 would mean no supervision for computer lab, $10,296 would eliminate a Guidance Clerk Typist at Avon High School and $46,643 would delay 5th grade World Language at Thompson Brook. To reduce to 7.98% would take $96,905 from replacement of equipment, $35,000 for computer software, $10,000 reduced from software instruction at all schools, and $23,698 from multi-media materials. To attain 7.44% would mean reducing $37,354 for .80
World Language Teacher at Avon High School, $23,332 for .50 ESL teacher, $10,526 for .30 custodian, $46,643 for 1 music teacher and $46,643 for 1 World Language Teacher at Avon Middle School, while increasing class sizes. To reduce to 6.94% would require reducing $92,895 from textbooks and supplies for the new K-4 math program to K-2. $18,913 from school supplies and $40,266 from library books. To reduce to a 6.04% increase we would eliminate 2 classroom teachers at Roaring Brook School exceeding maximum class size in two grade levels, $46,643 to reduce 1 science teacher in earth science sections, reduce 1 guidance teacher which would increase counselor/student ratio and $38,000 from computer software for the 2nd year. The last slide indicates Avon’s cost per pupil rate decreasing over the last 10 years. Mr. Toyen indicated that these reductions may not take place because of situations that may arise at any given time during the
year.
Each member questioned parts of the presentation in an attempt to understand why such a large budget increase cannot be reduced to a point where all the citizens in town would accept the increase that this would create in their tax outlay. Dr. Kisiel reported on the numbers of students that will have to be educated. In the discussion following, several suggestions were made by Board members, some were considered, some were rejected.
In response to a question from the Board regarding the Town budgets, the Council Chairman, Mr. Hines reported no new monies were projected and expenses have already been reduced to a reasonable increase. The only outstanding question that could affect their budget expenditures would be the sprinkler system at the Senior Center. However, he reported since the system is operating effectively at this time, the Council decided to try to get this into next year’s budget. No additional adjustments were made to the budget the Council presented at the Town Meeting.
Mr. Harrison indicated that since there are no further questions for the Board of Education or the Town Council from the Board of Finance, he would open the meeting for comments and/or questions from the audience. Several of the residents asked questions mainly for clarification of comments made. Mr. Santos submitted results of research he had done with regard to budgets and equalized mill rates, expenditures per pupil and the equalization education tax rate.
Mr. Harrison asked if the Board was comfortable setting recommended numbers tonight or if they would like to think about it until our next scheduled workshop on April 15th. The members agreed they would like to defer making a decision until next week.
There being no further business, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas A. Gugliotti, Secretary
Attest: Elinor Burns, Clerk
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