Schools
School Committee Approves New Budget, Silva Remains Head Football Coach
In an eventful and sometimes confusing School Committee meeting, Ron Silva maintained his job as the Mt. Hope High School football head coach, and the new budget was approved.
In a tension filled School Committee Meeting Monday, big decisions were made as Ron Silva was awarded the head coaching position at Mt. Hope High School, and the new budget was approved unanimously.
The meeting began with the committee moving the Executive Session -- a closed door meeting between Committee members that Chairperson John C. Bento described as for discussing "sensitive material" -- to the front of the agenda because the results of it would "affect some decisions." The results of the session were sealed.
The committee returned from the closed doors and passed a motion, without discussion, awarding numerous coaching positions, an action that initially confused attending parents, as many said it was unclear who had been hired.
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Ron Silva, whose job was being challenged by freshmen football coach Bryan Travers, had numerous supporters at the meeting despite Travers' exceptional record as coach of the freshman team. One supporter, Dot Valenzuela, cited Silva's coaching abilities "on and off the field," arguing he better supported children in schooling and other endeavors, not just football. It is unclear whether or not Travers will return to coach next year.
The Committee also approved the 2011-2012 Bristol Warren Regional budget unanimously. The budget, which featured significant cuts to Mt. Hope High School (with four positions being eliminated out of eight total), and a majority of additions going to Hugh Cole School (three of the six), was not an easy decision to vote upon.
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"We do not take this lightly" Bento said in the meeting. In fact, to balance the budget there was some necessary shifting including a transfer of $400,000 from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2012.
"This gets us by this fiscal year" said William O'Dell, treasurer of the Committee, warning that next year, the same type of transfer wouldn't be possible.
Still, the budget was passed with a sense of urgency. Committee member Paul Silva explained at the meeting, "This budget is something we have to pass tonight."
Cuts to the budget include a reduction in out of disctrict special education placements, and a reduction in unemployment reimbursement to the state, in addition to the positions being eliminated.
