Board of Education Adopts Brighton Area Schools' Budget for 2011-2012

The Brighton Board of Education approved its 2011-2012 spending plan Monday night.

It passed 4-2, with Secretary Beth Minert absent. Trustees John Conely and Miles Vieau dissented.

cut $8.6 million from the schools' expenditures, which will allow the district to whittle down its deficit to $4.6 million by the end of next year, a decrease from the $7.9 million hole the district is in at the end of this year.

After an hour-long closed session meeting to discuss strategies for the ongoing negotiations with the Brighton Education Association teachers' union, the board came together to approve the plan, but not without some protests from Conely and Vieau.

Conely argued that the district should start spending money on technology upgrades for the schools. Superintendent Gregory Gray said that the district's first priority is taking care of the deficit before it starts spending more heavily in technology.

"You're trying to decide, 'Do I put food on the table, or do I get cable?'" Assistant Superintendent of Finance Maria Gistinger said.

Vieau said that the students have had to pay the price as a result of the tight budgeting.

"Many businesses are running in a negative cash flow every day, and you have to, if you don't run in a negative cash flow ... you won't be able to put out a product," Vieau said, adding that a school district is no different.

"Except that it's against the law," Trustee William Anderson replied.

Shortly after, President Cheryl Leach halted the discussion and put the budget, which had already been motioned and supported, to a vote.

The board will meet again on Monday, July 18 at 7 p.m. at the to consider a proposed donation of 200 used computers from Plymouth Canton Community Schools and switching the district's pooled utilities provider.

Other action by the board included:

• Approval of a shared services program with , and Holy Spirit Roman Catholic School. The program will send Brighton teachers to teach in those private schools, which will net a combined profit of $126,175 for Brighton Area Schools for the students that will be added to the district's pupil totals.
• Approval of bids for three construction projects: $119,000 for new carpets for  and Scranton, $43,800 for resurfacing the gym floor at  and $47,500 for new exterior doors at the high school,, , and .
• Approval of switching the district's property casualty insurance from Middle Cities to SET-SEG, with estimated savings of $14,000.
• Approval of a $2,000 donation for a landscape project to be done at .