Glastonbury School Board Searching for Budget Reductions

The Board of Education met Monday night to discuss $800,000 in cuts to they 2013-14 school year budget.

Though the school board had not reached any final decisions by late Monday night, the discussion on proposed cuts centered on limiting the effect on the district's schools.

"We are trying to mitigate the hurt in the classroom," Board Chairwoman Susan Karp said.

"Everything we talk about is a bad idea," Board Member Douglas C. Foyle said of the discussed cuts. "But we are at that point."

The board discussed several cuts during the lengthy meeting, including not replacing two retiring teachers at Glastonbury High School and Smith Middle School. Downsizing the schools by not replacing those retiring teachers would save the system $140,000.

Also discussed for the chopping block was $120,000 from the school system's retirement benefits.

The board also considered reducing security staffing costs by $185,000. Those cuts would likely represent the elimination of guards for before- and after-school programs for the town's six elementary schools and sixth-grade Gideon Welles School.

Also up for discussion was whether the school board would reduce the estimate for the schools' health insurance costs, resulting in a $365,000 assumed savings.

Superintendent Alan B. Bookman said that the school system has had several "good years" in terms of health insurance costs, though cautioned that it was always possible to have a bad year.