MINUTES
PUBLIC HEARING
BOARD OF FINANCE
MAY 4, 2004
A PUBLIC HEARING was held in the City Hall Auditorium by the Board of Finance on Tuesday, May 4, 2004, on the proposed budget for the Torrington Public Schools for the fiscal period July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.
Those in attendance included Mayor Owen J. Quinn, Jr., members of the Board of Finance Daniel Farley, James Zeller, Joseph Nader, Roger Dickinson, and Bruce Cornish, Comptroller Alice Proulx, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gregory Riccio, Asst. Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Elaine Coffin, Administrator of Business Services James Gaskins, Director of Human Resources Gary Lambour, Board of Education Chairman Ronald Bourque and Board of Education members Kenneth Edwards, Robert Kelly, Elinor Carbone, Dawn Lambert, Douglas O’Connell, Bates Lyons, and Hans Reichardt.
Mayor Quinn called the public hearing to order at 7:18 p.m.
Assistant City Clerk Joline LeBlanc read the legal notice.
Chairperson of the Budget Committee Dawn Lambert gave a brief overview of the proposed budget. Handouts were available for the public.
The strategic plan included the following:
To continuously improve student performance.
To attract, develop and retain the best and brightest individuals who reflect the diversity of our community.
To ensure safe, stimulating and welcoming school environments.
To enhance and expand community connections.
To utilize all resources effectively and efficiently.
The board established parameters for the process. This was a change from their budget process in the past. The parameters included the following:
Target reasonable increase and establish a limit of 4%.
Target change initiatives.
Pilot project based budgeting. (This process will begin after the budget process is done.)
Mrs. Lambert named the major cost driving factors as 1) level funding from the state for the third year in a row, 2) cost of living increase, 3) insurance costs, and 4) salary increases from labor negotiations.
The board approved four key change initiatives which they have funded and will be monitoring throughout the coming year. They included the following:
1) An annual yearly progress, mainly driven by the “No Child Left Behind Act.”
2) Reorganization of grades 9 through 12.
3) Early interventions for reading by Grade 3.
4) Address students at risk for dropping out.
Mrs. Lambert pointed out that the change in enrollment for the next year was insignificant.
Dr. Riccio stated, that even though Torrington’s budget was lower than the state average, it was doable and wouldn’t negatively impact the students.
Director of Business Services James Gaskins reviewed the budget summary.
The increase in the salary line item was mostly due to contracts and seven new positions, but offset by sixteen retirements which generated vacancy savings. Projected medical costs for next year will be increased by 11.73%, however, the overall benefits category will increase by 10.03% due to other accounts within the category that will remain stable, i.e., life insurance, worker’s comp. FICA, etc.
Professional & Technical services have decreased by 20.54%, primarily from the elimination of the Gateway Program and the modification of professional technical services at a reduced cost.
Mr. Gaskins pointed out that the Board of Education was proposing a 4.6% budget using a net to gross basis, or a 3.9% budget using a gross to gross basis.
Mrs. Lambert stated that questions asked during the public hearing will be addressed on the Board of Education’s web site to the best of their ability. She assured the public that any key concerns would be considered in a thoughtful manner.
In anticipation of being asked about the $25,000.00 cut to athletics, Mrs. Lambert informed the public that the cut was due to an increase in gate receipts.
Dr. Riccio explained they reinstated four professional teaching staff members at the high school due to the growth of more than 100 students that occurred over the past two years.
Dr. Lambour made a brief presentation on staffing levels that totaled an overall increase of six full time staff members.
The meeting was turned over to questions from the public.
Skip Page, President of the Torrington Citizens’ Action Coalition, stated that the Coalition supported the Board of Education’s hard work and dedication for putting this budget together, noting that there was a combined effort to keep the numbers down.
He pointed out the Coalition’s concerns:
1) Current levels of administrative salaries, which include the addition of what they believe to be non-essential personnel.
2) Tuition reimbursement expenses.
3) The amount of funds allotted for educational supplies and textbooks.
Mr. Page asked Mr. Gaskins if the bottom line of $612,925.00 for the Southeast School was the figure given, assuming Southeast was to remain open. If not, what savings would result? He also inquired whether the closing of the school would result in a need for out placing any special education students.
Mary Bucaccio said she supported the $49.5 million budget for the Torrington Public Schools and thanked the participants who volunteered their time to prepare it. She thought the increase was reasonable and necessary, however, she preferred seeing more dollars directed to students. The Board of Education should suspend and reallocate the $27,000.00 in tuition reimbursement for administrators, along with other administrator expenses, to lower the student to teacher ratio and increase funding for supplies and materials. It was her belief that the students and not the administrators should benefit from the funding of our public schools and we should do all we can to support the funding of textbooks and supplies for teachers and students. She asked what percent of the total budget represents
administrators’ expense.
Hans Reichardt spoke as a private citizen and not as a member of the Board of Education. He criticized Administrators for completing their doctorates at the public’s expense, and requested that it be stricken from the proposed budget. He expressed his disappointment on how few people attend this public hearing.
Anthony Basso stated that the cost for education was getting totally ridiculous in Torrington, noting salaries and benefits as the major cost drivers, and leaving very little for the education of the students. He pointed out that many residents in Torrington were on fixed incomes who couldn’t continue to pay ever increasing taxes. He stated that the Board of Education is elected by the people to obtain the best possible education for the children at the most reasonable cost to the taxpayers and it doesn’t appear that this is happening.
Bill Knight asked the Board of Finance to adopt the Board of Education budget as proposed. He stated that when he ran for a spot on the Board of Education in 2003, his platform was the preservation of quality education for our city’s children. He expressed his concern over Administrators’ costs which ultimately take away from resources available to our teachers and students. He would like to see the budget contain more money for supplies and give teachers as many resources as possible so the students have the best opportunities to learn. He was pleased that teachers had been hired at the high school in order to alleviate some of the problems that have arisen from the block scheduling. He wondered if the move of the southeast students to the high school really will enhance
their education in the most appropriate and least restricted environment, or whether it has to do with the budgetary concerns which have to be taken into consideration, seeing that the federal level wasn’t picking up it’s promise to fund 40% of each special education dollar, which shifts the rest of the burden onto the Board of Education.
Having no more questions or comments, Mayor Quinn called the public hearing to a close at 7:58 p.m.
Board of Finance member Bruce Cornish thanked everyone for taking time out of their busy schedule to attend this hearing and for their thoughtful comments which will be helpful as they deliberate the overall budget and set the mill rate.
Mayor Quinn also thanked everyone for attending. He thanked the Board of Education for their due diligence in this process and commended Mr. Cornish for acting as the liaison between the Board of Education and the Board of Finance.
On a motion by Mr. Dickinson, seconded by Mr. Cornish, the board voted to adjourn the public hearing at 8:00 p.m.
ATTEST: JOLINE LeBLANC
ASST. CITY CLERK
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