Community Corner

Council Keeps Vernon School Budget Request at $48.4 Million

The third time was a charm for motions.

After a detailed presentation by the superintendent of schools, a debate on the floor of the council chambers for about 90 minutes, two failed motions, a 10-minute recess, a caucus during the recess and a passed motion, nothing changed on Thursday regarding the proposed education budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

Its bottom line remains at $48,400,997.

The Town Council can - and likely will - revisit the school budget at its final deliberation on April 9, but for now the bottom line stays.

Mayor George Apel has submitted an $81,346,432 budget to the Town Council for 2012-13, an increase of $2,052,683 over the current year's spending plan. The budget carries a proposed mill rate increase from its current level of 29.90 to 34.05.

The council can discuss line items but cannot adjust them individually. Only a lump sum for education can be approved.

The proposed school appropriation is $120,000 lighter than what the Board of Education presented to Apel. School officials have factored that in but have not implemented any adjustments, pending finalized insurance costs and a new bus contract that should save money because it is being negotiated with Manchester, Ellington and Somers.

In her presentation to the council, Superintendent of Schools Mary Conway was adamant that there was no "fluff" contained in the spending plan. It was a point the entire council seemed to believe.

Thus, the monetary wrestling match became what works and what does not, considering Conway spent about an hour outlining reform plans that are being generated both internally and with a big nudge from the state.

Salaries are slated to go up from $30.2 million to $31.04 million, raises of 2.6 percent.

Among the positions school officials want to add are two teacher-coaches for $102,000 a gifted and talented teacher for $62,000 and a painter for $59,000. Council member Marie Herbst said the painter is absolutely needed.

She also made an impassioned speech on the value of keeping the talented students in the system.

The faculty at Rockville High School is slated to go down by four positions, but Conway said no one would likely get a pink slip after retirements and shuffling. That is a savings of $205,000.

Another new increase is $143,124 for technology infrastructure, including a new wireless system to complement a Bring Your Own Technology program. Conway said that in the system 155 computers are more than five years old and the majority of those are more than nine years old.

"It used to be that the students would run to school to have access the the best computers, but now they run home to get the faster equipment," Conway said.

She also said there would be a pool of "high-end technology" items for use by students who cannot afford the equipment.

An extra $50,000 is also in the education request for magnet school tuition. With a preface that the council does not have line-item veto power but with a mention of that account, council member Bill Campbell moved that the budget be reduced by $50,000.

The motion failed 9-2.

Herbst, who insisted the system maintain a truant officer in addition to hiring a painter and gifted and talented teacher, later moved to add $100,000 to the bottom line. That motion was defeated 7-4.

Finally, after the recess, council member Michael Winkler moved that the budget number be endorsed as presented by Apel.  

It passed 8-3 with Herbst, Thomas DiDio and Thomasina Russell voting no.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here