Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
July 10, 2014
GOP stakes an awful lot on privatizing school cafeterias
March 21, 2014
Full-day kindergarten has some support at City Hall
Following a budget hearing Thursday, city leaders expressed some support for the Board of Education’s bid to switch to full-day kindergarten next fall.
“It’s absolutely worth the money,” said city Councilor Calvin Brown. “It’s like making a choice between the 21st century and the Dark Ages.”
The school board is seeking an extra $1.9 million as part of its spending requests to fund a changeover from half-day to full-day kindergarten, a move that would triple the current two hours a day of instructional time, according to Superintendent EIlen Solek.
“We have to understand that’s a very, very small portion of the budget,” said city Councilor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, a proponent of the move.
But it’s not clear that the proposal will win over a majority of city councilors and Board of Finance members who have to weigh the idea as part of a proposed $111.4 million education budget that would cost taxpayers $7.1 million more than the schools received this year.
“That’s a lot of money,” said city Councilor Eric Carlson. “The numbers kind of scare me a little bit.”
Derek Czenczelewski, a finance commissioner and former councilor, said he’s sure that a lot of young families would like to see the city adopt full-day kindergarten.
But, he said, officials “have to weigh it carefully” given the high cost and the impact on the minimum budget requirement that makes it nearly impossible for the city to reduce education funding from the previous year’s total.
Solek said the school budget as a whole was developed “thoughtfully, carefully and slowly” to cover rising costs and essential needs.
It includes some money to add middle school sports back into the mix, but at least two city leaders expressed frustration that it couldn’t also find money to restore the music and arts funding that was chopped during the recession.
Both Carlson and Finance Chairwoman Cheryl Thibeault said that children with an artistic bent should also have opportunities.
The main new initiative, though, is the school board’s call to join 77 percent of Connecticut districts by offering full-day kindergarten.
Solek said it would be “the most important thing that we can do for the city itself” because it would spur young families to move to Bristol who might otherwise go elsewhere.
“We need to stay competitive,” she said, and to keep educational achievement on the rise in a district where half the children in first grade or younger are eligible for free or reduced school lunches.
Brown said he also believes the kindergarten change is “one of the most important investments the city can make.”
He said it will help families who are trying to decide “where to plant their roots and build their lives.”
March 19, 2014
Mayor to schools: Don't expect more
August 27, 2013
Cockayne says to preserve drug-free zones
COCKAYNE WARNES OF DRUG FREE ZONES
(Bristol) City
Councilman Ken Cockayne, the Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of
Bristol today issued a statement on the eve of Bristol schools opening tomorrow
regarding the recent proposal in the General Assembly regarding the issue of
drug free zones.
Currently, state statute dictates a 1500 radius around our
schools as drug free zone. Anyone caught
selling or using drugs within these zones are given harsher penalties. Near the
end of the last legislative session, the Democrat majority amended a bill that
would have reduced this radius from 1500 feet to 300 feet. The bill ultimately failed.
“This bill would have
thwarted our local police department in their efforts to arrest many drug
dealers in town,” Cockayne added “This bill is just bad public policy.”
The Republican nominee stated that as our next Mayor he
would “Lend his voice to the growing opposition to this proposal and work
diligently within the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to see that this
proposal doesn’t become law.”
“Our children deserve the comfort of having the best
protection from drug dealers peddling their goods within the 1500 radius of a
school and parents deserve the same comfort level,” Cockayne added “I, for one,
would like to see the 1500 radius increased rather than decreased.”
Our city along with many other urban areas in our state are
seeing a spike in drug related crimes and as we all know this can lead to
increased crime rates and blight within our community. “As Mayor, I have vowed
to take a strong stance on blight and graffiti, and bills such as this one from
the Legislature do nothing to help local officials,” Cockayne said.
Cockayne calls for unified opposition amongst all elected
officials regarding this proposal should it surface again. (Democrat Chris Wright supported the bill
before it ultimately failed.)
“I am asking all elected officials and candidates,
regardless of their party affiliations, to join me in opposition to this
proposal. Surely this is an issue that
all of us in Bristol can agree on.”
October 28, 2012
Sandy shuts down Bristol schools for two days
Bristol schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
Superintendent Ellen Solek decided Sunday morning that forecasts justified the closure of the schools for two days.
The city plans to open its emergency shelter at Chippens Hill Middle School at noon Monday.
Mayor Art Ward said Sunday that he intends to open an emergency operations center at 9 a.m. Monday to coordinate Bristol's response to Hurricane Sandy. The shelter would open three hours later, he said.
Ward said that he expects heavy winds to start Sunday night and to see a prolonged storm during the next couple of days that could bring power outages, flooding and other woes.
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| Chippens Hill Middle School |
Ward said that plans could shift if there is new information about the storm. He said city crews are getting ready to cope with the problems they anticipate after seeing what happened during several major storms a year, including the pre-Halloween snowstorm that knocked out power for many residents for as long as a week and a half.
Ward said one thing he won't do this year is declare Halloween cancelled.
If that happens, he said, it's going to be Solek's call. It's a school night after all, the mayor said.
Anyone who thinks they may need to use the city's emergency shelter should make preparations ahead of time.
If it's possible, bring clothing, bedding, sanitary supplies and other necessities. It's especially important to bring medications, oxygen and other critical health-related supplies that are not available at the shelter, officials said. The shelter will have cots, food and water.
The city's backup shelter, at the Beals Senior-Community Center on Stafford Avenue, is not available this month because of ongoing construction there. Only Chippens Hill Middle School is ready to handle residents seeking shelter.
One thing that officials hope people will do to help themselves is to clear leaves and debris from storm drains. That will allow storm water to flow off the roads and prevent some flooding and keep streets open that might otherwise be unavailable.
They also urge residents to check on elderly and frail neighbors if the storm gets bad. They may need help.
April 27, 2012
Cockayne: Some on Board of Ed not truthful
As a resident of Bristol in your district, a voting taxpayer and a former school board member, I want you to vote in favor of the budget request presented by the BOE. That is, I want your approval for the fully funded budget to the level of the $105 million request made by the Board of Education.
And Cockayne's response the next day, which he shared with the other Republican council members:
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately I will not be supporting the full budget. I believe the BOE must do a much better job managing the money. I believe the BOE is very top heavy with Administration and the money does not make it to the teachers and students. I also have a problem with the Minimum Balance Requirement. Any increase we give the BOE will now be the new minimum for the following year.
I also don't believe some on the BOE are being truthful with the parents. For example....I was at the Feb 14th meeting for a bit before I had to go to City hall for a meeting of my own. During that meeting, the BOE when through a presentation explaining why they were cutting band and choirs...( my son who is in 6th grade is in both). The presentation when on to explain that it was not about the money but that the curriculum was changing, doing away with flex and making each period a bit longer. However, a few weeks later after pressure from the parents, the BOE now said if the city gave them the money they would put back the music and choirs. When I asked point blank to a BOE member why they would tell the parent this since I was at the Feb 14th meeting, they could not answer the question. So I ask......are they changing the curriculum or is it about money?
Yet another example....The BOE has told the lacrosse parents if the city gives them the money... I believe its about 50k... they will put in Lacrosse. So again, I asked a BOE member (veteran member) if I make a motion to increase whatever the number is for BOE by the amount lacrosse needs will they put in Lacrosse as was stated at the BOE meeting to the parents. I was told in no uncertain terms NO! Again, when I asked why then are they telling parents one thing at the BOE meeting and have intention of following through. The answer I received was this is not the place to talk about it!
The BOE has also said publicly they cannot take another flat budget....how quickly they forgot about the extra 2.5 million dollars the city was forced to give them last year.
Hopefully you can see why I will not fund the BOE in full. In my opinion some on the BOE can not be trusted to do as they has said they would do. The BOE needs to do as many households have had to do and thats tighten the belt and start managing the buget. The city can no longer be a open checkbook.
This is nothing I take lightly. I have a son who is currently in 6th grade at Chippens. I'm also engaged to a teacher..not Bristol...so I see first hand what the teachers are dealing with.
Please feel free to call with any questions.
May 27, 2011
Streifer: School cuts will have "a dramatic and negative impact"
Press Release – Bristol (CT) Superintendent of Schools
Philip A. Streifer, Ph.D.
May 27, 2011
This budget year is a difficult one for everyone in city/school governance and we recognize the need to make tough choices. The current fiscal pressures are not of our making, but of the national/global economic downturn and the State’s failure to meet its constitutional responsibility to properly fund public education. Until that issue is fully resolved, local officials must deal with the fallout.
While the Board of Education is constitutionally responsible for deciding what is actually funded and what is cut, the Board can only operate within the scope of funds provided by the State and City. The bottom line is that when funding is cut – programs must be reduced or eliminated. The scope of the cuts required by the Bristol Board of Finance is significant – requiring a reduction of $5,002,000 for 2011-2012. As a result of reducing the Board of Education’s base budget from $102.5M in 2010-2011 to $100M in 2011-2012, the School Budget begins 2012-2013 needing to eliminate an additional $2.5M at the minimum. Let me restate: The proposed budget takes the school current base of $102.5M and reduces it for 2012-2013 down to $100M. Reductions of this scope over the next two years will have a dramatic and negative impact on programs and students, and sets back the progress Bristol has made over the past several years in becoming the most successful urban district in Connecticut.
Members of the Board of Finance have made suggestions as to where they felt the Board of Education could reduce its budget. These proposed reductions do not add up to the $5M cut (falling a full $2M short) and they rely largely on salary/benefit givebacks which require negotiation and are not assured. In another example, it was cited that the Board of Education budget includes $200,000 for School Board members to attend a conference on the west coast. Bristol Board of Education members do not attend conferences out of state and when they do attend a rare conference locally, it is to learn about new Connecticut laws and policies needed to fulfill their responsibilities. A training program that some of our staff attends (which is on the west coast) is for a very successful program designed to help students not normally thinking about college to do so. It is called AVID – Advancement Via Individual Determination – and participation is required at this training session to provide a certified program. We paid for this from two sources, Title I Federal Dollars and current surplus dollars – the local cost of which is 10% of the $200,000 figure cited. Focusing public attention on Board of Education members for this issue, which is both inaccurate and which is a part of the Board of Education’s mission statement, is undeserved and unfair.
The major issues facing Bristol focus on whether they want their schools to remain the most successful urban district in Connecticut where all students receive a quality education. Taking $7,500,000 out of the school’s current budget over the next two years (which amounts to a 7.3% reduction) dramatically reduces our ability to provide students with the educational programs needed to prepare them for success in college or other post secondary education.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Philip A. Streifer, Ph.D.
May 27, 2011
This budget year is a difficult one for everyone in city/school governance and we recognize the need to make tough choices. The current fiscal pressures are not of our making, but of the national/global economic downturn and the State’s failure to meet its constitutional responsibility to properly fund public education. Until that issue is fully resolved, local officials must deal with the fallout.
While the Board of Education is constitutionally responsible for deciding what is actually funded and what is cut, the Board can only operate within the scope of funds provided by the State and City. The bottom line is that when funding is cut – programs must be reduced or eliminated. The scope of the cuts required by the Bristol Board of Finance is significant – requiring a reduction of $5,002,000 for 2011-2012. As a result of reducing the Board of Education’s base budget from $102.5M in 2010-2011 to $100M in 2011-2012, the School Budget begins 2012-2013 needing to eliminate an additional $2.5M at the minimum. Let me restate: The proposed budget takes the school current base of $102.5M and reduces it for 2012-2013 down to $100M. Reductions of this scope over the next two years will have a dramatic and negative impact on programs and students, and sets back the progress Bristol has made over the past several years in becoming the most successful urban district in Connecticut.
Members of the Board of Finance have made suggestions as to where they felt the Board of Education could reduce its budget. These proposed reductions do not add up to the $5M cut (falling a full $2M short) and they rely largely on salary/benefit givebacks which require negotiation and are not assured. In another example, it was cited that the Board of Education budget includes $200,000 for School Board members to attend a conference on the west coast. Bristol Board of Education members do not attend conferences out of state and when they do attend a rare conference locally, it is to learn about new Connecticut laws and policies needed to fulfill their responsibilities. A training program that some of our staff attends (which is on the west coast) is for a very successful program designed to help students not normally thinking about college to do so. It is called AVID – Advancement Via Individual Determination – and participation is required at this training session to provide a certified program. We paid for this from two sources, Title I Federal Dollars and current surplus dollars – the local cost of which is 10% of the $200,000 figure cited. Focusing public attention on Board of Education members for this issue, which is both inaccurate and which is a part of the Board of Education’s mission statement, is undeserved and unfair.
The major issues facing Bristol focus on whether they want their schools to remain the most successful urban district in Connecticut where all students receive a quality education. Taking $7,500,000 out of the school’s current budget over the next two years (which amounts to a 7.3% reduction) dramatically reduces our ability to provide students with the educational programs needed to prepare them for success in college or other post secondary education.
April 20, 2011
Schools face 'devastating' budget cut
Determined to freeze property taxes this year, Board of Finance members are eyeing a $175 million spending plan that would allocate $2.5 million less for education than it got this year.
The move would “devastate education” and leave the school system unable to cope with the needs of a growing number of low-income students, said Tom O’Brien, a longtime Board of Education member.
Neither O’Brien nor other school officials could say Tuesday what cuts the proposed reduction would mean for the education system other than trimming the number of support personnel working with needy children.
While fiscal overseers said they don’t want to hurt education, they also declared strong support for freezing property taxes this year if it can possibly be done.
“We’re trying to be fair to everyone,” said Finance Chair Rich Miecznikowski. “The taxpayers are falling off the cliff right now.”
The finance board is pondering $4.3 million in cuts suggested by the comptroller’s office in order to reach a budget for coming fiscal year that would hike property taxes less than 1 percent.
But finance commissioners said they’d like to see more cuts in order to freeze, or even lower, the mill rate. Click here for the full story.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The move would “devastate education” and leave the school system unable to cope with the needs of a growing number of low-income students, said Tom O’Brien, a longtime Board of Education member.
Neither O’Brien nor other school officials could say Tuesday what cuts the proposed reduction would mean for the education system other than trimming the number of support personnel working with needy children.
While fiscal overseers said they don’t want to hurt education, they also declared strong support for freezing property taxes this year if it can possibly be done.
“We’re trying to be fair to everyone,” said Finance Chair Rich Miecznikowski. “The taxpayers are falling off the cliff right now.”
The finance board is pondering $4.3 million in cuts suggested by the comptroller’s office in order to reach a budget for coming fiscal year that would hike property taxes less than 1 percent.
But finance commissioners said they’d like to see more cuts in order to freeze, or even lower, the mill rate. Click here for the full story.
January 12, 2011
No school in Bristol on Thursday.
Another day off for Bristol's students already decided.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 21, 2010
School panels say no to unions
Leaving scores of union workers who packed the Board of Education Tuesday frustrated and angry, both of the city panels overseeing construction of two proposed schools gunned down a request to mandate the use of union workers on the project.
Though the construction managers on both the Forestville and West Bristol schools each said the enacting a project labor agreement would add little or no cost to the $110 million project to add classrooms for 1,800 students, members of the panels said they didn’t want to shut the door on bids from non-union construction firms.
Board of Finance member John Smith, who serves on both school building committees, said he did not believe officials should cut a deal with unions that would ice out companies and workers who also pay taxes and have a stake in the community. CLICK HERE FOR STORY.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 17, 2010
Streifer deal saves city $30K a year
I heard from quite a few folks today about the deal that school Superintendent Philip Streifer struck with the Board of Education last fall.
I'm not going to try to sort it all out, except to pass on that school board member Tom O'Brien said that by rehiring Streifer after his retirement takes effect this summer, Bristol taxpayers save about $30,000 annually.
It's probably important to make clear that Streifer didn't do anything wrong. He followed the rules and was free to take a job anywhere as a retiree.
He chose to stay in Bristol for a couple more years, as he promised. But he could have moved on to Fairfield County, where they pay superintendents something akin to what Third World dictators earn.
Bristol taxpayers actually gain a little from the deal, but, of course, it's fair to criticize Streifer and anyone involved if the thought of Bristol's superintendent raking in what amounts to two big salaries is a little too much to stomach.
A November 5 press release was also waived in front of me -- the first time I've seen that -- that laid out the deal struck with Streifer. I'm not sure why it slipped through the cracks back then, but these things do happen.
Believe me, there are always stories we'd like to do and some we should do that just don't get done. There are too many stories and too few reporters to make sure everything that ought to be printed is written.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
I'm not going to try to sort it all out, except to pass on that school board member Tom O'Brien said that by rehiring Streifer after his retirement takes effect this summer, Bristol taxpayers save about $30,000 annually.
It's probably important to make clear that Streifer didn't do anything wrong. He followed the rules and was free to take a job anywhere as a retiree.
He chose to stay in Bristol for a couple more years, as he promised. But he could have moved on to Fairfield County, where they pay superintendents something akin to what Third World dictators earn.
Bristol taxpayers actually gain a little from the deal, but, of course, it's fair to criticize Streifer and anyone involved if the thought of Bristol's superintendent raking in what amounts to two big salaries is a little too much to stomach.
A November 5 press release was also waived in front of me -- the first time I've seen that -- that laid out the deal struck with Streifer. I'm not sure why it slipped through the cracks back then, but these things do happen.
Believe me, there are always stories we'd like to do and some we should do that just don't get done. There are too many stories and too few reporters to make sure everything that ought to be printed is written.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 23, 2010
New schools likely to open in 2012
It looks like city officials will agree to speed up the construction timeline for the proposed new schools. See the story here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 18, 2010
Build the new schools now?
The timetable for the school construction project may be moved up so the two new schools could open in 2012. It's a decision city leaders will likely make soon.
Here is the story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Here is the story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 20, 2010
School superintendents to state: Raise taxes
Here's a missive sent out today to the entire state legislature by Joseph Cirasuolo, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents:
Beginning with the deliberations by the State Legislature and the Governor regarding the State budget for FY 2010, continuing through the current deliberations with respect to how to address a mid-year a projected State budget deficit and sure to continue regarding deliberations with respect to the State budget for FY 2011, there has been, is and will continue to be strong arguments for cutting State spending. The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), along with every other organization that represents institutions that are largely dependent upon State funding for operational and capital expenses, has been and will continue to be advocating for no reductions in State spending for these institutions which in the case of CAPSS is public education.
· Would a reasonable increase in taxes hurt or hinder a recovery from the current recession? The conventional wisdom indicates that an increase in taxes would hinder a recovery but this wisdom appears to ignore the negative economic impact of the layoff of public employees at the state and local levels that would be the result of reductions in State expenditures.
· Would reductions in State expenditures actually balance the State budget? If state and local employees experience either a reduction in wages and salaries or a total loss of wages and salaries, the State revenue that is derived from the income tax would decrease. So, reductions in State expenditures would result in further losses in State revenue. If this process were to be repeated enough times, it could constitute a fiscal death spiral.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Beginning with the deliberations by the State Legislature and the Governor regarding the State budget for FY 2010, continuing through the current deliberations with respect to how to address a mid-year a projected State budget deficit and sure to continue regarding deliberations with respect to the State budget for FY 2011, there has been, is and will continue to be strong arguments for cutting State spending. The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), along with every other organization that represents institutions that are largely dependent upon State funding for operational and capital expenses, has been and will continue to be advocating for no reductions in State spending for these institutions which in the case of CAPSS is public education.
This is all well and good but as long as CAPSS and others engage in a struggle to keep as much as possible of a State budget that gets adjusted only on the expenditure side, all of us are in the position of trying to keep dry our own particular sections of a ship that is sinking. In other words, to address only the expenditure side of the State budget with no attention being paid to the revenue side of the budget is to engage in an effort that is doomed to failure before it even begins.
CAPSS recognized this in the early 1990s when the State faced a budget situation that was similar to the one that the State currently faces. At that time, CAPSS was among the first educational organizations that called for the institution of a State income tax in order to bolster State revenues so as to avoid reductions in State expenditures. A State income tax was established and this made possible the avoidance of a major reduction in State financial support for public education and other publicly provided services.
Since the State faces today a budget situation that is in many ways similar to the one that it faced in the early 1990s, CAPSS has decided to call for a reasonable increase in State taxes as a portion of the effort that the State should make to resolve the current and near future budget problems. If the State were to do this, it would re-employ the approach that worked well in the past whereby the solution to similar problems depended on a balance between reduced expenditures and increased revenue.
By deciding to call for a reasonable increase in State taxes, CAPSS hopes to focus attention on the following questions.
· Would reductions in State expenditures actually balance the State budget? If state and local employees experience either a reduction in wages and salaries or a total loss of wages and salaries, the State revenue that is derived from the income tax would decrease. So, reductions in State expenditures would result in further losses in State revenue. If this process were to be repeated enough times, it could constitute a fiscal death spiral.
CAPSS believes that a candid and comprehensive discussion of these and other related questions would lead to a resolution of the present fiscal problem and would also foster a cooperative spirit among all state leaders, a spirit that would enhance the State’s ability to address similar problems in the future. CAPSS stands ready to participate in these discussions and to do so in a responsible and cooperative manner.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 18, 2010
Mandates cost city schools more than $14 million annually
Superintendent Philip Streifer outlined all of the partially funded and entirely unfunded mandates that weigh down the city’s $100 million education budget.
In testimony he offered to the legislature, Streifer said the tally for educational mandates alone come to more than $14.7 million annually.
That includes nearly $1million yearly to pay for transportation for students who don’t attend public schools.
Among the many other mandates are $130,000 in drug education required for health staffers, $500,000 annually for evaluations of teachers and administrators and $700,000 for special education.
See the entire list starting on page 3 of this link.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 7, 2010
Bingham School may close this year
City education officials are talking about shuttering Bingham School at the end of this school year to save money, according to this story in The Hartford Courant. They think it might save as much as $1 million annually.
Bingham is already earmarked to close when the two new K-8 schools are built. They are expected to open by the fall of 2015.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
December 21, 2009
Bristol schools score high on teaching minority kids
Nice to see that Bristol's two high schools are among the best in the state at making sure minority children are learning at a high level. See ConnCan's rankings.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 25, 2009
Schools eye early retirement incentive program
In a bid to shave costs, the Board of Education plans to offer an early retirement program soon that would allow schools to replace higher paid older teachers with cheaper young ones.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said Tuesday the early retirement plan he intends to announce shortly would be in place for those who retire before next July. He did not disclose details.
The school system, which spends $100 million annually, is taking steps to try to hold down expenses.
Streifer told the Board of Finance he is attempting to “save out of the gate” by holding back 20 percent of all the money in non-salary accounts in hopes that it won’t be needed.
During the last fiscal year, which ended in June, the schools wound up with a $650,000 surplus because of a spending freeze and a successful effort to cut cafeteria costs.
That money will be returned to the city’s general fund soon, officials said.
“There’s a lot we didn’t do,” he said. But, the superintendent said, “We educated the kids.”
Streifer said he’ll ask for the cash back when next year’s budget is prepared because he’ll need it to cope with rising costs.
The school board will likely consider the early retirement program at its next meeting.
The city faces an $8.6 million budget gap for the 2010-11 budget even before school spending is included.
“We have a monumental task ahead of us,” city Comptroller Glenn Klocko said.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said Tuesday the early retirement plan he intends to announce shortly would be in place for those who retire before next July. He did not disclose details.
The school system, which spends $100 million annually, is taking steps to try to hold down expenses.
Streifer told the Board of Finance he is attempting to “save out of the gate” by holding back 20 percent of all the money in non-salary accounts in hopes that it won’t be needed.
During the last fiscal year, which ended in June, the schools wound up with a $650,000 surplus because of a spending freeze and a successful effort to cut cafeteria costs.
That money will be returned to the city’s general fund soon, officials said.
“There’s a lot we didn’t do,” he said. But, the superintendent said, “We educated the kids.”
Streifer said he’ll ask for the cash back when next year’s budget is prepared because he’ll need it to cope with rising costs.
The school board will likely consider the early retirement program at its next meeting.
The city faces an $8.6 million budget gap for the 2010-11 budget even before school spending is included.
“We have a monumental task ahead of us,” city Comptroller Glenn Klocko said.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 29, 2009
CAPT scores appear good
I haven't had a chance to analyze them, but it appears that Bristol students did well on last spring's CAPT tests.
The fourth and seventh grade classes posted particularly solid gains in every subject (math, reading and writing).
Only third graders, who saw math and writing scores sink, failed to show overall improvement.
Of course, details matter so we'll know more as the results are broken down by race, sex, individual schools and more. At first glance, though, it looks good for Bristol.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The fourth and seventh grade classes posted particularly solid gains in every subject (math, reading and writing).
Only third graders, who saw math and writing scores sink, failed to show overall improvement.
Of course, details matter so we'll know more as the results are broken down by race, sex, individual schools and more. At first glance, though, it looks good for Bristol.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 14, 2009
Councilors OK school construction managers
City councilors agreed unanimously Tuesday to spent more than $4 million to hire construction managers for each of the new schools proposed to house half of Bristol’s elementary and middle school students.
The Torrington-based O&G Industries is slated to collect $2.15 million to oversee the work on the Forestville school project on Pine Street.
The West Bristol project off Matthews Street would be overseen by the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. for $2.31 million.
Each of the firms will be responsible for keeping an eye on the $130 million project to build two kindergarten to eighth grade schools. They are to advise the building committees set up to handle the construction of each school.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said it is possible to hire construction managers that guarantee that the price of projects won’t go higher than anticipated, but that costs substantially extra up front.
Since the current schedule calls for finishing the new schools in 2015, he said, it’s almost impossible to know for sure what they’ll cost so no firm will lightly or cheaply offer any guarantees.
But there is a chance the timetable will be moved up so that major construction would begin in 2011 instead of 2013. Officials have discussed the possibility in hopes of getting lower overall prices while economic times are tough.
If the city opts to change the schedule, the construction managers would earn about $200,000 less between them.
Gilbane is part of a privately held company that’s been in business since 1873. It prides itself in advising clients on how to lower energy costs and holding down carbon emissions.
O&G has been around since 1923. It touts its experience and expertise in the field.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The Torrington-based O&G Industries is slated to collect $2.15 million to oversee the work on the Forestville school project on Pine Street.
The West Bristol project off Matthews Street would be overseen by the Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. for $2.31 million.
Each of the firms will be responsible for keeping an eye on the $130 million project to build two kindergarten to eighth grade schools. They are to advise the building committees set up to handle the construction of each school.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said it is possible to hire construction managers that guarantee that the price of projects won’t go higher than anticipated, but that costs substantially extra up front.
Since the current schedule calls for finishing the new schools in 2015, he said, it’s almost impossible to know for sure what they’ll cost so no firm will lightly or cheaply offer any guarantees.
But there is a chance the timetable will be moved up so that major construction would begin in 2011 instead of 2013. Officials have discussed the possibility in hopes of getting lower overall prices while economic times are tough.
If the city opts to change the schedule, the construction managers would earn about $200,000 less between them.
Gilbane is part of a privately held company that’s been in business since 1873. It prides itself in advising clients on how to lower energy costs and holding down carbon emissions.
O&G has been around since 1923. It touts its experience and expertise in the field.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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