Board of Education to Vote on Budget

The Board of Education will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at 6PM on Tuesday, June 9th, at the Schools Administration Building at 311 Hunting Hill Avenue. The only item on the agenda is "Adoption of the 2009-2010 Budget." The meeting is open to the public, but the Board has not scheduled any time on the agenda for the public to comment.

The School Board has struggled this year with the budget, because increases in salaries and benefits would have required a 5.6% increase just to avoid cutting any staff (Eye story). The most recently available budget came in with a 2% increase, but only by cutting 13 elementary school positions (March 3). Even that increase was unacceptable to both the Mayor and the Common Council, who ultimately determine the funding for the schools. In the budget that was passed last month, the Council cut the Board's request by $1.2M, providing only $69.5M.

Neither the superintendent nor the Board of Education has given any indication to the public what further cuts it will be making.

Editorial Comment:  This meeting is NOT a regularly scheduled meeting. It is a special meeting called specifically to vote the budget.  It is open to the public.