By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The Representative Town Meeting brought its budget season to an end Tuesday night by unanimously passing the Board of Education spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The school district budget for 2022-23 stood at $129.5 million, the amount approved last month by the Board of Finance. That’s $3.9 million, or 3.1 percent, more than the current budget.

That finance board approved the plan with the hope that $800,000 in savings would be realized by switching health plans after negotiations with several unions.

On Tuesday, education officials had good news — all the bargaining units were on board with the switch, keeping the budget increase at 3.1 percent.

With other related budgets added in, the total ’23 education spending approved Tuesday was $138,654,768.

“We are so happy to say we have reached agreement with all seven of our bargaining units to leave the state partnership and go into a private, high-deductible plan,” Board of Education Chairwoman Lee Goldstein told the RTM.

She credited John Bayers, assistant superintendent of human resources and general administration, and the rest of the team for making it happen.

Goldstein also said that by switching health plans, the district avoided a 10.5 percent increase the state plan would have imposed.

Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice called that “a significant avoidance … measured in millions, with an ‘s.’ ” 

Elio Longo, chief financial officer for the Board of Education, said the increase avoided was $2.3 million.

Unanimous support

No one from the public spoke on the education budget, which had already cleared many hurdles before arriving before the full RTM.

“I think that the Board of Ed has done a remarkable job,” said Seth Braunstein, District 6. “Managing the health expenses in particular. They’ve sort of charted a course through what are certainly unsteady waters … job well done.”

The vote was unanimous to approve the school funding, 30-0, and unanimous again to pass the overall town budget, $222 million (the town side of the budget was passed Monday night). 

RTM Moderator Jeff Wieser, District 4, thanked the Board of Education, the Board of Finance, which gave a presentation the night before, the first selectwoman and all her department heads, “and everyone who worked on these budgets in a very trying time.”

“You’ve done a great job,” Wieser said. “And to the RTM I thank you again for a very positive approach, your in-depth, factual questions. It’s a tough time, a time when asking hard questions is important, and you’ve done just that.”

“FitCore” playgrounds, modular classrooms OK’d

Next on Tuesday’s agenda came an appropriation for $439,000 from federal American Rescue Plan Act money for construction of “FitCore Extreme Playgrounds” at Bedford and Coleytown middle schools.

The adventurous playgrounds will be used by students at recess, gym classes during the day, and will be open to the community, like ballfields and playgrounds, outside school hours.

The relatively small appropriation led to a discussion just as long as the education budget presentation.

It began with Jack Klinge, District 7, questioning whether that amount of money was worth it so students who get just about 12 or 13 minutes outside after lunch. He noted that he’d been a substitute teacher for 20 or so years.

“I’m just not sure we’re going to get enough bang for our buck …” he said. “Are we really going to get enough value out of this amount of money, benefitting enough kids or people in Westport over a long enough period of time?

Lori Church, District 9, was strongly in favor.

“I have two children and 11 nieces and nephews in Westport, and I can absolutely guarantee that every single one of them have been socially and emotionally affected,” she said of the pandemic. “They’ve lost hours and hours of unstructured time with their friends, and to socialize, interact, face to face. 

“And we won’t know, for years and years really, the ramifications of that,” she said. “Will this particular playground or playgrounds immediately solve all of that trauma for every single sixth-grader? Absolutely not. 

“I disagree with Jack that this is too expensive, I think that this is one way, one piece, an opportunity to give these specific students a chance to have a destination to go to that they can then hang out with their friends,” Church said. “Sort of like you need an excuse to chat, you can’t just sit across the table from each other at that age.”

A dozen or so members spoke on the issue. Almost all felt the project was worthwhile, and in the spirit of ARPA funding. Klinge spoke a second time, saying he hoped he was wrong, noting with humor he’s been wrong before.

He and Don O’Day, District 3, voted against. 

Finally, the RTM quickly approved $148,656 for two modular classrooms outside Coleytown Elementary School. The vote was unanimous.

Thane Grauel is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Westport Journal. Learn more about us here.