Town of South Windsor, CT Agendas & Minutes Archive

Pulbic Hearing BOE 4/10/02


	PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES APRIL 10, 2002 SOUTH WINDSOR HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM 7:30 P.M. PURPOSE: TO RECEIVE CITIZEN INPUT ON THE PROPOSED BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002/2003. The Public Hearing was called to order at 7:37 p.m. The Clerk of the Council read the Call of the Meeting (copy attached). The following Town Council members were present: Mayor Aman, Deputy Mayor Streeter; and Councillors Barbour, Burnham, Delnicki, Havens, Lassman Fisher, and Pelkey. (Councillor Fine was absent.) The following Board of Education members were present: Chairperson Kathleen Soucy Daugherty, Patrick Hennessey, David Joy, Thomas Reale, Antoinette Rodrigues, Janice Snyder and David Wilson. (Victoria McCulloch and Judith Paquin were absent.) Also present were Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Wood and Board of Education Business Manager Donald Neel. There were approximately 80 individuals in the audience. A presentation of the Board of Education Mayor Aman asked if there were members of the public who wished to speak, and the following individuals spoke in support of the SWEPT program: Nancy DeMay, 69 Charing Road John Ross, 155 Talcott Ridge Road Denise Pantason, 40 Perrin Lane Debbie Kasevich, 55 Juniper Lane Charlene and Robbie Switech, 106 Farnham Road Karen Richerd, 172 Pheasant Way Jack Tran, 62 Talcott Ridge Road Mike Braddock, 37 Greenfield Drive Ellen Pelan, 11 Paper Chase Athena Loukellis, 135 Ridgefield Drive Rob O Louise Evans, 1678 Main Street Jacqueline Smith, 185 Valley View Drive Carmela Ross, 155 Talcott Ridge Road Tony DiStefano, 68 Autumn Drive Karen Sheehan, 236 Kent Lane Sylvia Burke, Connecticut Association of the Gifted Gerald Boisvert, 18 Alexander Place Neil Nadel, 135 Edgewood Drive Barbara Hoff, 200 Lefoll Boulevard Karen Morris, 200 Lefoll Boulevard Ashley (Third Grade Student) Holly (Third Grade Student) Stephanie Tran, 62 Talcott Ridge Road Tony Fornuto, 17 Gully Drive Dan Abrahamson, 83 Morgan Farms Drive Kathryn Hale, 54 Orchard Hill Drive Alex Goldberg, 54 Paper Chase Keith Abrahamson, 83 Morgan Farms Drive Tony Russo, 145 Neiderwerfer Road Thomas Berstene, 95 Rimfield Drive, specifically noted that programs which affect all students (rather than a portion of students, as is the case with the SWEPT Program) are at risk of being cut. He didn't feel it was appropriate to tax citizens to support one program for 150 students when there are over 5,000 students in the entire system. He suggested the possibility of SWEPT being a pay-as-you-go program, or the possibility of some form of tuition for the program. In addition to speaking in support of the program, Barbara Hoff, 200 Lefoll Boulevard, questioned the budget process. Correspondence was also submitted for the record and is attached hereto. Mayor Aman called for a straw vote, the results of which were as follows: Those in favor of a Board of Education Budget lower than $44,884,496 - 0 Those in favor of a Board of Education Budget at $44,884,496 - 0 Those in favor of a Board of Education Budget higher than $44,884,496 - 43 The Public Hearing was closed at 10:13 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Merlyn P. Guild Assistant to the Clerk of the Council Attachments