Vernon Patch Poll: Is Education or the Budget More Important?

So the Town Council is sending to the annual town meeting a budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year of $80,599,160, an increase of $1,305,411 over the $79.2 million budgeted for the current fiscal year.

General government has been set at $26,172,367, an increase of $599,988.

Capital improvement and debt service has been set at $6,245,796, $13,216 less than this year's total.

Education is being sent to the town meeting at $48,180,997, an increase of $718,639. The council made that budget $220,000 lighter on Monday after a insurance agreement came in saving about $290,000.

That is in addition to the initial cut of $120,000 made by Mayor George Apel.

Apel had proposed an $81,346,432 budget. The council took out $747,272.

The budget proposal would force taxes to increase from their current level of 29.9 mills to 33.63, an increase of 3.73 mills.

But this week, before the council entered its final deliberations, no one spoke at a public hearing.

It was quiet at the meeting before that.

So what gives? Apathy?

Another issue, Deputy Mayor Brian Motola said.

"My supposition would be that the timing of the education issue/situation is overshadowing the issue of the budget, he said. "I think it shows people are more concerned about education than a relatively small increase in their taxes."

Motoal added that "There is still plenty of time to hear from residents. There is always plenty of public comment at the annual meeting. And I look forward to hearing what the residents think."

The public hearing is scheduled for April 24 at 7 p.m. at Rockville High School.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Schools Mary Conway is hosting focus groups at  each elementary school regarding potential school reconfiguration:

• April 16, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Lake Street School.
• April 17, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Northeast School.
• April 18, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Maple Street School.
• April 19, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Center Road School.
• April 24, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Skinner Road School.

The sessions will feature an overview, questions and answers and opportunity for comment, Conway said in a letter to parents dated April 4.

Conway said any plan must benefit learning before anything else.

Here is one possibility for reconfiguration:

• Three pre-k through grade 2 schools housing 1,015 students - Lake Street, Skinner Road and Northeast schools.

• Two schools - Center Road and Maple Street - for grades 3, 4 and 5, a total of 766 students.

The other option includes:

• A single pre-K and kindergarten school with 449 students - Maple Street.

• Three schools for grades 1 through 3 - 818 students - at Lake Street, Skinner Road and Northeast schools.

• One grade 4 and 5 school - Center Road.

So what's more important school issues or the budget?

Or should we be concentrating on both?

Tell us in the Vernon Patch Poll.