Residents tour school, hear about budget

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Naugatuck High School senior Kyle Gunnison points out some of the details in one of the school’s newly-renovated science classrooms to Board of Education Vice Chair Dorothy Neth-Kunin during a tour of the school on April 29. The tour was followed by a presentation on the Board of Education’s proposed 2015-16 budget. –LUKE MARSHALL
Naugatuck High School senior Kyle Gunnison points out some of the details in one of the school’s newly-renovated science classrooms to Board of Education Vice Chair Dorothy Neth-Kunin during a tour of the school on April 29. The tour was followed by a presentation on the Board of Education’s proposed 2015-16 budget. –LUKE MARSHALL

NAUGATUCK — When Superintendent of Schools Sharon Locke was hired last year, her goals included building a better relationship between the school system and the public.

In an effort to reach out to the community, tours of the newly-renovated Naugatuck High School were given last week, followed by the first presentation by a borough superintendent on the school budget.

Naugatuck High School students led about 50 residents, broken into groups of 12, on tours of the school April 30 to show off newly-renovated classrooms, the gym, and offices. The school is currently undergoing an $81 million renovate-to-new project that is expected to wrap up this autumn.

After the tour was over, residents headed to the cafeteria for a presentation on the budget.
The Board of Education is requesting $62.14 million from the borough, an increase of $1.23 million or 1.83 percent over the current budget. The total proposed operating budget, which includes grant revenue and supplemental income, is $68.9 million.

“We have all worked really hard to put forward a request that represents what we think our kids need,” Locke told the audience.

The budget request, which was approved by borough officials Monday to send to a public hearing, was reduced by $364,000 since the board proposed it in February. The reductions include $175,000 in health benefits, which came after the district received an updated renewal rate, $28,000 for a contracted rate decrease for gasoline and $25,000 for teacher aide substitutes.

Resident William Hulbert asked why the Board of Education couldn’t just continue with the same funding it received this school year. He said the increase is more than residents would accept.

“If I had to go back and sell this to the taxpayers out there, they won’t go for it,” Hulbert said. “I don’t want to cut education. Don’t get me wrong. But, the taxpayers won’t go for it.”

Locke said officials designed the budget by assuming they were starting with a blank slate. District administrators worked with each principal to craft a budget that gave the students everything they needed, she said.

“How much would it cost us if we didn’t consider what we were already paying? And that’s how we built this budget,” Locke said.

The budget proposal includes $5.4 million for transportation, an increase of 3 percent. Other increases include $541,000 more for health benefits and a $278,444 increase in the school board’s pension contribution.

The spending plan also cuts the equivalent of 21.5 full-time positions, including one administrator, 6.6 teachers, five paraprofessionals, 1.5 instructional aides, 3.5 secretaries and 1.5 security personnel.

Former Mayor Joan Taf asked how the reduction in teaching staff would impact class sizes.

“I know Cross Street [Intermediate School] is saying almost 30 kids to a classroom. That’s a lot of kids in one classroom,” Taf said.

Locke said the budget includes a teacher being added to Cross Street to help mitigate the large class sizes. Most of the reductions in teaching staff come from Naugatuck High, Locke said.

Locke said class sizes at the high school will increase by three or four students per class.
Board of Education Chairman David Heller explained that the board typically assesses each school throughout the year and adds staff as needed. However, due to the ongoing referendum process that took place with the current budget the board wasn’t to add staff to alleviate class sizes at Cross Street.

Locke said she and the rest of the administrators feel the budget is fiscally responsible and provides the students what they need.

“Our job is to ask for the money we need to provide adequate education for the students. We built this budget and we believe it is fiscally responsible,” Locke said.

A public hearing on the entire proposed Naugatuck budget is Monday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hill Middle School. Answers to frequently asked questions about the school budget are available at the district’s website, www.naugy.net.