Brittingham Warns Of Major Cuts

March 18, 2010 by Josh Morgan

Facing the reality of a slashed budget, a decline in state aid, and ballooning costs in salaries and benefits, Board of Education Chairman Gerald Brittingham said drastic changes would be needed to make the school budget work, including the possibility of closing Chapman Elementary School.
After a special budget meeting of the Cheshire Town Council, Brittingham said, "We all know what's going on" with the economy and the budget, insisting that further cuts from the Town Council to the education budget would require “drastic” changes to the district. Almost $1 million has already been removed from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Greg Florio's proposed budget by the Board and now it sits with the Town Council, where further cuts could be made. Brittingham believes that, financially, last year could be considered okay while this year is “bad.” Next year, he stated, is expected to be “horrible,” meaning that serious changes would need to be made.
According to Brittingham, those changes could include the closing of Chapman School as early as the end of this school year, reducing Cheshire High School department heads and hall monitors, and a 20 percent reduction of extra curricular activities.
"That's how we'll have to make it work; we will have to close a school. We need to eliminate all the positions, across the board." Brittingham said. "Redistricting cannot save positions. Everything's on the table."
During Monday night's Budget Committee meeting, Brittingham asked Budget Chairman David Schrumm whether the Council was going to recommend a zero percent budget increase for the Board. Schrumm said he didn't think "it was in the cards" but, after the meeting, Brittingham said his impression was that, if it wasn't a zero percent increase, "it'd be pretty close." Florio recommended a $61.7 million operating budget, which was reduced to $60.7 million by the Board of Education. Town Manager Michael Milone did not alter the Board's request when he formulated the Town's $95.9 million budget. A zero percent increase would leave the Board with a $59.5 million budget.
The "600-pound gorilla in the room," according to Schrumm, was the $1.8 million increase in certified teacher salaries and benefits for next fiscal year. He called it a "salary issue" and said that, over 15 budget preparations that he has been a part of, this was the first time he was "worried about the financial future of my hometown."
"I don't see us bouncing back," Schrumm said. "Once the stimulus money runs out, that'll be a pretty big cliff."
Schrumm explained that he would not tax the citizens to support the increase in teacher salaries and benefits because of the teachers union's "intransigence."
"We are facing 4.4 percent increases when the economy isn't producing that," Schrumm said. "Everyone knew (the contract) was unsustainable and that's where it lies. This isn't a philosophical issue. They can fix it, if they want."
During the meeting, Democratic Councilman Michael Ecke chimed in, stating that he believed it had become "Schrumm versus the teachers union and the students lose." Republican Councilor Andy Falvey shot back, saying it's "the union against everyone else, and the children lose."
Florio had stated that as many as 10-15 teaching positions could be eliminated within his proposed budget. As a result of last year's budget crunch, a total of 17 teacher positions were eliminated, but no one was laid off, Florio said, as there were enough retirements and leaves of absence to make it work. However, there are still 17 less teachers this year, and Florio said the retirement pool is shrinking, as only two teachers have submitted their retirement letters.
"The top step teachers used to be around 73 percent. Now, it's around 50 percent," Florio said. "The $1 million in cuts will have to come from staff and it will affect instruction and affect all grade levels."
Schrumm asked members of the Board of Education where their cuts were coming from and Tod Dixon, a member of the Board's Finance Committee, said they would cut discretionary spending, such as travel and training expenses, but the majority would have to come from salaries and benefits.
Budget Committee workshops will continue on Monday, March 22, at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
The budget is tentatively scheduled to be adopted on April 13.