Region 15 Superintendent Proposes No Increase in Budget

The Region 15 Board of Education convened on the Region’s snow days, PTO deliberations, pension plan performance, policies proposed for deletion and academic year’s 2011-2012 (Fiscal Year 2012) proposed budget.

Student Representatives Mr. Michael Davis, Ms. Melissa Windover, Mr. John Ceccolini and Ms. Victoria Madsen commenced deliberations. Pomperaug Gymnastics won States. Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track performed well at their State meets. The Pomperaug select musical groups performed melodiously on February 10^th. Data Match, Pomperaug’s Valentine’s Day special, is successfully out-doing rival dating sites. The Senior Semi-Formal has been postponed from February 5 to March 11. PGA is sponsoring Donate-A-Dress, looking for dresses fit for middle and high school girls, semi-formal and formal.

Snow days have pushed Region 15 last day to June 22 from the original date of June 10. Superintendent Dr. Frank H. Sippy disapproves of pushing the school year beyond June 24, the last Friday of the month, mentioning summer heat concerns. Graduations would take place that Friday. In the event that snow days push the calendar beyond the June 24 threshold, Dr. Sippy cited the June 6 teacher workday as a possible instructional day and April break as the last resort. The calendar establishes fall-back position for April break. After two or three more snow days, that may be the way to go’. In regards to athletics, make-up games have been authorized by the state to take place on Sundays and spring sports have not been the slightest deterred.

Ms. Janet Allen Butkus presented on PTO activity. On February 8, they commenced work on their ‘Get Out to Vote’ campaign. They also are planning a winter festival, complete with ice-skating, ice sculptures and snowman construction.

Board Treasurer Mr. Joseph Rock stated a 14.4% return on the 2010 pension plan, outperforming 96% of similar funds nation-wide. The equivalent Connecticut fund returned 10.1%. The Pension Plan Committee will be taking on a new manager with bond fund experience to further ‘diversify the portfolio’.

Secretary Ms. Patricia S. Perry proposed the following policy deletions with their respective numbers, citing that CT regulations or the school handbook already addresses them, or they are unnecessary: 5119 Transfer Student Registration, 5120.1 Students Dropping Courses, 5131.4 Dismissal of Students, 5132.2 Physical Education Clothing, 5147 Locker Use and Inspection, 5148 Disturbances and Disruptions, 5152 Educating Special Education Students in the Least Restrictive Environment, 6114.1 Fire Drills, 6172 Driver Education, 6225 Continuing Education Programs.

In an hour long presentation Dr. Sippy proposed a budget for the next academic year with no increases from this year’s. The budget is proposed at $60,251,578. Salaries are to increase by .13% to $36,326,394 of the total FY2012 budget; Insurances by .83 (half the increase of FY’11’s) to 10,910,345; Transportation by .44 to 3,630,559; Instructional by .08 to 1,547,000; Rentals and Advertising by -.24 to 1,101,000; Facilities by .05 to $3,242,301; Tuition by -.24 to 1,189,000; Debt by -.84 to 2,429,979. Less $125,000 by forwarding supplies from this year to next and $50,000 decrease in the special services account, the budget is trimmed to a 0% increase upon this year’s.

In a year with the Consumer Price Index increase of 1.4%, this budget beats consumer price trends. Dr. Sippy pointed to bond finance restructuring and effective insurance negotiations as significant contributors to austerity efforts. He is confident the budget meets his six main goals, those being to set a strategic plan, support the Scientific Based Intervention Program (SRBI), foster 21^st century skills, support the implementation of the Language Arts curriculum, address Secondary School Reform (SSR) mandates and keep all costs affordable.

With $181,000 in federal grant money, what would be 8.5 jobs cut are now 3.75, resulting in $326,224 savings. The jobs saved will go to bolstering SRBI. How those jobs will be released has yet to be determined.

SSR, Public Act 10-111, will impact the graduating class of 2018 and the following thereafter. To graduate high school, those classes will need 25 credits, rather than the current 23. End of year exams in Algebra, Geometry, Biology, American History and 10^th grade English must be passed to graduate. Middle school coursework and online course credits may be applied to the credit fulfillment. Advanced Placement courses, a Senior Demonstration Project and a Student Success Plan will be required. In the event that any child needs help completing these tasks, adequate support and remedial services must be available.

The class of 2018 is currently in 5^th grade. In 7^th, they will develop their Student Success Plan, an AP course will be mandated, high school credit in Algebra will be available and students may be eligible for World Languages. In 7^th, Exam Support Services will be administered, individual student school career data will be collected and online course credit policy will take place. In 8^th, exams may be approved, there will be an increase in online course options and additional courses may be determined. As freshmen, they will start a Senior Demonstration Project and more courses may become available. Administration of the mandated tests was not provided on the schedule.

Going forward, March will be consumed by budget workshops and community feelers to the budget. The Board of Education will present its recommended budget on April 11. The following meeting is scheduled to adopt the budget. That budget goes to referendum on May 4. If the referendum fails, referenda must wait two weeks before the next referendum, when the Board of Education will present a new, presumably slimmer budget. Going below a zero increase may result in a state penalty of two dollars for every dollar below.