By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT — Hours spent reviewing a proposed $130.3 million Board of Education operating budget for 2022-23 has resulted in shifting priorities, but so far, no significant reduction in the plan’s 3.78 percent increase.

Some board members are fine with that.

“My inclination would be to keep things the way we have it,” board Chairwoman Lee Goldstein said Tuesday as the board pored over additions and deletions that barely moved the bottom line.  

“I would recommend … to not make big changes now. Let’s get back to the baseline. Let’s get back to a normal and then change things,” she said.

Goldstein called the budget request reasonable. The current education budget is $125.6 million.

Demonstrate a different perspective to Board of Finance

Others said it is important to show the town’s Board of Finance, which earlier this year signaled it wants a spending increase no more than 2.5 percent, that the school board is doing more than making trade-offs.

Board member Robert Harrington said the panel is missing an opportunity if it doesn’t identify two or three focus areas that, down the line at least, will have a structural impact on budget pressures.

“With a new chair and a relatively new superintendent, I think showing the Board of Finance that we are not just expanding but looking at … things differently is really important,” Harrington said.

There are no guarantees that savings can be found, but Harrington said the effort has to be made.

Presented with administrators’ spending plan earlier this month, the board held a full day work session last Friday and had some of their questions answered Tuesday.

Most spending linked to salaries, benefits

Eighty percent of the proposed $4.7 million increase is tied to salaries and benefits. As proposed by the administration, the plan would maintain existing programs, fund 6.42 more teaching positions, add five additional special education paraprofessionals and keep up with rising special education costs.

 On Friday, board members suggested some trade-offs:

• Adding a paraprofessional to keep middle school libraries open longer.
• Delete a paraprofessional at the high school, but add a couple of grade level assistants.
• Re-allocate 480 Chromebooks now in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms to upper grades.

Those shifts would total less than $200,000 in savings.

There was also talk of adding assistant principal positions where needed. The push for that was not universal.

Board member Neil Phillips, meanwhile, spoke in favor of adding back two grade-level assistants at SHS.

“That is non-negotiable,” he said, suggesting there might be other areas to trim and efficiencies found.

“How do we feel about 3.78 percent as our number?” board Vice Chairwoman Liz Heyer asked. “Are we looking to try to bring it down more, at all or not?”

“This is what we need”

Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice said he wants a reasonable budget adopted.

“I want to look the community in the face and say this is what we need,” he said.

Board members said they still want a clearer picture of spending for consultants. Further review of the spending plan also is planned in the areas of special education, transportation and facilities.

Enrollment in special education programs has increased from 13.4 percent of the student population to 14.6 percent, according to district officials. A slightly larger percent of that population, however, is being educated within the district, which is more cost effective than out-of-district placements.

Heyer said she would fully support a vote to explore ways to save money on transportation. This year, the district is spending $5.5 million to transport its 5,200 eligible students to and from school. Another $390,000 is spent to transport 283 students to private schools, as required by state law.

Parents weigh in on budget proposal, priorities

The board have yet to take votes on the budget plan, but several parents commented after the presentation, which took place in the Staples High School cafeteria.

Camilo Riano, a parent often critical of the board’s strategic planning, called the discussion refreshing.

“I also want to agree with chair not to make fundamental changes,” Riano said. “My hopes are up. The board is asking the right questions.”

Tami Benanav, co-president of the Staples High School PTA, said she came prepared to offer the board a plan, but after listening to the discussion thanked the board instead for its consideration of grade-level assistants.

“It sounds like you heard the message,” Benanav said. She said the high school has already lost four teachers making it harder for students to take all the classes they want.

“Cutting anything else at the high school should be off the table,” Benanav said.

Becky Martin, co-chairwoman of the district’s special education PTA, said she expected the board to gravitate toward special education programs to potentially make savings. In this case, however, Westport’s programs can perhaps be a tuition draw for families outside of town.

Amy Ferrera, a parent at Saugatuck School, put in a plug for restoring assistant principals. Her school feels the absence of one, she said.

The entire school benefits from a well-resourced front office, she said.