Weston Board of Education Announces Budget Cuts

that was was delivered by the Board of Education at Monday's meeting at .

The cuts that were suggested by and Finance Director Jo-Ann Keating passed unanimously.

"We get paid to find problems, address them, and find solutions," Reed said. "We feel as administrative staff [that] it is our responsibility to take adjustments such as this and do our best to make them work."

The biggest cut comes from the board's central office, where funding for an administrative support position was removed for one year, resulting in a total savings of approximately $43,000. The total includes $6,000 for the summer months.

The total does not include associated health insurance savings, at the recommendation of Keating. Savings that do accrue will be put into the internal services fund.

The second biggest cut includes a "true savings" of approximately $27,000 for Microsoft software licensing, according to Keating. 

Other cuts include $5,000 each for training (including conferences) and leases. Several facilities maintenance projects, including eliminating the plan to put security cameras in the high school parking lot, make up the balance of the total at approximately $20,000.

In other news:

• The board voted unanimously to opt out of the state's healthy food incentive program, with board member Richard Bochinski noting that Weston exceeds state standards, saying "Chartwells has been a marveous change and has become a model for other districts."
• Aside from the energy charge, facilities fees will remain unchanged for the 2011-2012 school year.
• The board will bring back for a second reading a change to policy 5112, that permits a student to enroll in kindergarten early if he meets educational and emotional readiness standards, as well as pass principal muster. March 31 is the new cutoff date. "The impact is minimal," Reed said. "Maybe one child per year."
• An update to the breathalyzer policy will also be brought back for a second reading. Current policy states that testing is done at the suggestion of a chaperone; the new policy would force all students to take a breathalyzer at the beginning of a school function like the prom. Vice chairman Ellen Uzenoff suggested that two administrative personnel should be there when the tests are administered. "I want a witness there for the process," she said.
• The board passed the new district policy on personnel usage of social networking websites such as Facebook.
• Teacher Erin Merrifield was named "Teacher of the Year" in recognition of her excellent classroom skills. Assistant Superintendent Tom Scarice said, "you see kids engaged and excited about learning." He added, "it's been an honor to work with Erin."
• WIS students were recognized by the governor for being a top performing school in 2010's summer reading challenge.
• Several Weston students were recognized for oustanding achievement in extracurricular honors music programs.