School Board Approves Budget It Wants To Have

Thursday night, the Board of Education approved the budget it would like to have, a $44.22 million plan for 2012-13 that brings back , the , and reemphasizes the learning through service program.

The only problem is it might all change in about a month.

“This is the budget the board feels is necessary,” Board Chairwoman Kathleen McCarty said. “But when we get the health care numbers back, we will have to make decisions then on what to cut or what to keep.”

The budget, which is a 3.04 percent increase over current spending, factors in a 10 percent increase in health insurance, a number Superintendent Jerome Belair described as “optimistic.” In early March, the Board of Education will get the real health care numbers, and if it increases more than 10 percent, the board will have to rework the budget. The amount is $645,000.

“This is the budget the board supports,” Belair said after the meeting. “But it all could change and likely will change.”

Freshmen Sports

At the beginning of the meeting, the administration handed out information to the board including a recommendation by Athletic Director David Sousa to bring back . In the recommendation, Sousa encouraged the board to bring back freshmen sports in a different way than last year.

Instead of freshmen softball, which does not draw well, Sousa encouraged the board to have freshmen girls’ volleyball instead, which is a much bigger draw. He also encouraged the board to bring back freshmen baseball and freshmen boys’ and girls’ basketball because both draw well. Sousa said 19 freshmen were cut trying out for junior varsity teams this year, while that number would only be two if freshmen sports existed.

The total cost of the four freshmen sports would be $25,455.06, according to Sousa's recommendation.

The board mostly agreed that freshmen sports should be brought back, with the exception of John Taglianetti. Taglianetti argued that while freshmen sports are good, there are other more pressing needs in the budget.

However, board member Kevin Brunelle said the Board of Education needs to listen to the people. Several parents have argued to bring back freshmen sports at Board of Education meetings, and the board should listen to them, he said.

“We are representatives of the people of Waterford, and we have to react to (their pleas for freshmen sports),” he said.

To Cut Or Not To Cut

The biggest debate was to approve a budget without freshmen sports and some extra dollars toward the learning through service program, and then add later if possible, or to add them now and then potentially cut later when the health insurance costs come in. The board, after a lengthy debate, decided on the latter.

Members Taglianetti, Cote and Tim Egan all argued that the board should add them later, if possible, once the health care costs come in. But McCarty, Brunelle, David Kenney, David Campo and Anne Ogden, who argued it was easier to take away later than to add, overruled them.

Bad News

The bad news at the board meeting was transportation costs came in much higher than expected, School Business Manager Ron Melnik said. The school district had to go out to bid for a new contract for transportation this year, and despite seven companies bidding, the cost of transportation will be $197,000 more than expected next year, Melnik said.