May 6, 2008

Schools absorb another $200K cut

As part of a bid to lower the 6.5 percent property tax hike included in the Board of Finance’s approved spending plan, the Board of Education will have another $200,000 lopped off its budget.
That means the schools will make do with $5 million less than administrators initially figured they needed.
Even so, Superintendent Philip Streifer said Tuesday that he anticipates that there won’t be an impact on children in the classrooms across town.
To make the cuts, Streifer is eyeing a range of reductions in everything from custodial supplies to athletic uniforms.
Among the cuts is a reduction in the number of school employees. The equivalent of four full-time positions will likely be cut, Streifer said, though only by attrition.
Those positions can be eliminated, he said, because this year’s kindergarten class is unusually small.
He said, though, that any greater reduction in the proposed $101 million school budget and he’ll have to look into layoffs and cuts that might hurt the education students receive.
As it is, he said, there won’t be any margin of error in the budget that city councilors and the finance board are examining now.
If there are more special education students than expected or if student numbers rise above expectations, Streifer said he’d have to go to the finance board for more money to cope with the extra costs.
Barbara Doyle, who chairs the school board, said officials have “worked very hard over the last several years” to ensure Bristol’s schools were making required yearly progress in boosting tests scores.
If cuts are made, she said, there will be an effect on achievement.
“We don’t want to be taken over by the state,” Doyle said, so continuing to make progress is a necessity. Bristol is the only major urban district in the state that’s not in imminent danger of a takeover.
Streifer said that the legislature could worsen the situation if a $600,000 reading improvement grant doesn’t get funding, which would cost Bristol the money for six instructors and others who are focused on helping elementary and middle school students learn to read better.
Streifer said the cut is “irrational” and perhaps “the craziest thing” the state could cut given the success the program has had in Bristol.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are we still getting that extra money from the state that Klocko said we would

Anonymous said...

The BOE is in a position that forces them to consider layoffs, but the lazy City employees we have (not all city employees) will still have their jobs. I guess our kids education is less important than the guy that learned how to lean on a shovel or sit at his desk and browse porn sites.

There is no justice in the City budget system.

Anonymous said...

Then ask Mike Rimcowski why he said at the city council meeting last month that he wants the politicians to decide who gets hired to lean on that shovel. You can bet it isn't so that the most qualified guy gets the job.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe after 4 years of working together to fully fund education - with results no less - that we are taking this step back-WARD.

Anonymous said...

This is moving Bristol forWARD????

Anonymous said...

This angers me. The Mayor should have had the City departments cut everything they possibly could, includng enduring layoffs or early retirement packages, BEFORE the BOE had to endure cuts.

Our children's education should be the last thing that sacrifices.

Anonymous said...

The reason Bristol is the only "urban" school district not taken over by the state is because Bristol in 90% white. Therefore it doesn't have the problems of the other "urban" areas. Actually half of Bristol (or more) is sub-urban.

Anonymous said...

Glenn???

Anonymous said...

I see the B.O.E. has sent out their henchmen to conceal the FACT that the teachers are the largest obstruction to a fair and balanced budget in Bristol.

And if you think the city workers don't do anything and can't be brought under control , you better not look too closely @ the school 'teachers' / administrators .

Want to give the kids a REAL education ???

REQUIRE DRUG TESTING OF THE TEACHERS ....

Anonymous said...

This is a classic example of a vicious circle. Liberals like Barbara Doyle and Saporito pushed for programs to cater to the growing hispanic minorities and for more special education programs. Now "their chickens have come home to roost". We have an ever-growing community of hispanics and the welfare class compounding a need for these programs. Now Doyle insists we need more money for the ghetto that liberals like her created here.

Anonymous said...

Time for Barbara Doyle to get out and support the elks.

Anonymous said...

We have an ever-growing community of hispanics and the welfare class

May 7, 2008 12:46 PM
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Have no fear ..... the blight nazi's are diligently moving forward on their ethnic cleansing of Bristol .

Anonymous said...

Did you see this e-mail Steve? Glenn really outdid himself this time. Interesting that not all BOF are on this info. Sincerley, President of the Klocko Fan Club.

From: "Glenn Klocko"
Date: May 6, 2008 3:23:40 PM EDT
To: "Ed D'Amato" Neil Fries, "Art Ward", "Clifford Block" "Craig Minor" "Frank Nicastro" , "John Divenere" "Ken Cockayne" "Kevin McCauley" "Mike Rimcoski" , "William Greger" , "Ray Lambert", "Laurie.Scotti"
Cc: "Cynthia Smith" "David Bertnagel" "Robin Manuele", "Ron Messier" "john smith", "Rich Mize"
Subject: Re: Fwd: budget issues


John: excellent management and support of your ranks. I will show this to Rich Mize and other BOF members that I'm meeting with tomorrow morning. You make the rest of the FAB 5 proud!!!! GK

John Divenere 5/6/2008 3:02 pm >>>
Mayor, Council and Police Board, I sent the following to my staff to address the recent budget issues following the Mayors staff meeting today. This will coincide with recommended 2008-2009 budget cuts which I have already forwarded to the Comptrollers Office.
jdivenere

John Divenere 5/6/2008 2:53 pm >>>
as you have probably heard, the city, as with most cities in the state, is facing a dire budget year> we have been asked to reduce our expenditures and better manage our funds. As such we have already canceled our staff meeting for the 7th as well as some training schools and meetings. We are also asking that whenever possible e-mail or MDT's be used instead of hard copies that also require ink cartridges and that any other reports be double-sided if possible. We must also lower our staffing levels. On both 1st and 2nd shift if an ATV is assigned and there is no certified ATV rider working or available, that position will not be filled with an SD or beat assignment. The same applies to bike patrols. The assignment will not be filled just to fill the required #, it is an assignment not a number.
Also we have to begin reducing our gas consumption. Recently we have begun assigning two officers to zones using codes such as 7a or 7b. We will allow this when the staffing allows as long as the other positions such as the ATV, bikes or beats are filed. We must 1st fill the west end beat and then assign any "SD" positions to an extra zone car. We wil also allow one extra zone car per side of town, ie 7a/7b and 1a/1b. No others. Assign anyone else to double-up a zone or to a foot beat. I cannot impress upon you enough the importance of trying to reduce our costs. either we do it ourselves as best we can or cuts will be forced on us were we may not want them. This is everyone's duty to make this work. Keep an eye on OT, don't let people hold over if you can get someone to relieve them and manage your personnel and their associated costs better. Unless otherwise stated in the staffing level I issued for may and June the minimum on 2nd shift is 13, not counting csu. On thurs thru sat there will be a minimum of 2 csu officers working, they will not all be allowed weekends off.
as supervisors I expect you to support this to your troops and not be openly critical. I don't like it either but it is what it is. If you have concerns or criticisms direct them to me, not your subordinates.
thank you
jdiv

Anonymous said...

2:53, Tighten up your little tinfoil hat ~ it'll make the blight nazis go away!

Anonymous said...

Glen Klocko is a BIG part of the problem.

Anonymous said...

"Have no fear ..... the blight nazi's are diligently moving forward on their ethnic cleansing of Bristol"

May 7, 2008 2:53 PM:


It's not about ethnicity. It's about the way people raise their children.

Personally, I won't be looking into moving to or recommending anyone I know a move to the "Frog Hollow" area of Hartford (for example) or the north end of Hartford.

Perhaps you will? Have a nice time.

Anonymous said...

Klocko having an illegal meeting?

Anonymous said...

What is the Fab 5? His staff? He is certainly not "Fab" in my book.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, Fab 5 = wasn't that what the dept heads scared of Zoppo called themselves last year when they were campaigning to make sure Ward got elected and thus they wouldn't have to do crap? VERY interesting that he would put that in a public e-mail.

Anonymous said...

Fab 5 = wasn't that what the dept heads scared of Zoppo called themselves last year

No, that was what Ellen called them. It was her favorite pet name for the 5 department heads that she vowed to have fired when she became Mayor. They are the 5 department heads that wrote a letter to the Personnel Director regarding Ellen's constant abuse.

Anonymous said...

May 8, 2008 7:55 AM:

YOU are right. "Fab 5" is the term little obnoxious Ellen used to describe the department heads. They did not call themselves that. It was all in the Bristol Press.

Anonymous said...

I doubt Ellen ever called them that esp. knowing her relationship with Chief John Pose and the fact that he is a huge pathalogical liar 99.9% of the time, who bragged after the election about how he swung it for Ward.

Anonymous said...

Ellen is not a factor now, KLOCKO is !!!

Anonymous said...

Yessir, we are working overtime to attract a higher level of people to Bristol, aren't we?