Schools likely to see hefty spending hike

The Board of Education's preliminary spending plan seeks 7.1 percent more funding, with the vast majority of the extra money needed for the schools to keep doing what they’re doing now.It is eyeing $103.3 million in the next fiscal year instead of the $96 million it received this time around.
School officials said they push pretty hard to get City Hall to go along with the spending hike.
“It isn’t a wish list. It’s an actual need,” said Tom O’Brien, who chairs the school board’s finance committee.
As part of the proposed increase, the finance panel is considering the creation of a handful of new positions, including two psychologists, four assistant principals, a math coach and a special education teacher.Its members are also eyeing a part-time communications coordinator, an online substitute teacher program, more after-school help for students, classroom libraries for O'Connell School and other initiatives aimed at improving the district's educational offerings.Nothing has been approved by the committee, the school board or the city's Board of Finance yet.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said the initial spending plan “really sets the stage” to improve on the district’s already admirable performance in educating students who often come from impoverished backgrounds.
“What’s been put in place has worked,” he said, adding that the programs in place should be rolled forward.
Just staying in place, though, would require about $5.9 million more, officials said. That’s enough to push up the budget by 6.2 percent.
The problem is that special education costs are expected to rise 20 percent or more, the tab for health insurance may rise by 10 percent, transportation expenses are soaring, utility bills are likely to go up by 19 percent, and other items are also increasing.
So bolstering the district’s education efforts means even more spending.
Streifer said with No Child Left Behind standards getting more strict and poverty rising among students, the district has “this huge hill to get over” that requires more services.
“We don’t have a choice anymore” except to hike the budget, O’Brien said.
Streifer said that state education aid has gone up enough to cover most of the extra money needed – if city leaders agree not to use the education aid to hold down property taxes.
One of the items that board members hope to fund is the addition of four assistant principals at some of the larger elementary schools, a move that would cost $500,000.
Streifer said that the principals of those schools spend far too much time dealing with discipline problems and special education issues rather than overseeing instructional efforts.
O’Brien said that the assistant principals at the middle and high schools spend 90 percent of their time on discipline issues. Principals shouldn’t to do the same, he said.
The new positions are important, O’Brien said.
“I don’t know how the people at Stafford and Hubbell can deal on a day to day basis,” O’Brien said, citing two schools that might get assistant principals if the budget passes.
The committee intends to take action at its next meeting at noon on Monday, Feb. 25 at the Board of Education building.



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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com