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Politics & Government

Amity Schools Hold Budget Hearing

Handful of citizens turn out; All encouraged to vote today

Amity Superintendent Dr. John Brady held the annual District Budget Hearing on May 3, the day before the Amity Budget Referendum. Brady explained that next year will be even harder of a budget year.

Brady began by showing the Board and community members the Advanced Placement (AP) test statistics. He explained that in 2010, the State of Connecticut created a list of the schools, public, private, and parochial, that took AP exams. Amity placed number 6 out of close to 500 schools. He also highlighted Amity’s major accomplishments, including AP, athletics, arts, theater, and community service.

Amity has worked to go ‘green’ which involved the expansion of Naviance to the Middle Schools, use of iParent and iStudent, and replacement of lighting. Brady announced that the report cards students received last week was the last time that a print progress report (report cards and mid markers) will be printed. 

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Brady explained that the this budget is “…consistent with BOE goals but not taking any great leaps forward during the hard economic times.” Budge drivers include $428,000 increase in medical insurance, $770,000 in contracted salaries ($638,000 in contractual teacher salaries), and $178,000 in special education tuition. While there are contract negotiations next year, the Amity Administrators Group (union covering BOW administrators) agreed to no increase. Combined with that and a low administrator to staff ratio, there is a less than 3% increase in the budget.

There is an incorrect rumor spreading among the community that there is a $1 million surplus in the budget. Brady said that this is incorrect. The surplus from the 2010-2011 budget was applied to this budget. Michael Luther, who is the former chair of the Amity Finance Committee, said that this position will not exist next year. Brady agreed that there was money left over in the budget, but they are not reoccurring costs. Some cuts include the elimination of a $15,000 currier service, $19,000 paraprofessional position, and money left over the construction project. The cuts total nearly $1 million, Brady argued, but they are not reoccurring so the budget should not be lowered because of them he said. Once saving that the High School students will notice is that an administrator’s position will be reduced to a 200 day position, which eliminates several vacation and summer work days.

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There are purchases, which Brady calls a, “modest request.” These requests are:

  • 1 Biology Teacher because the 8 period schedule at the High School
  • 1 Building Maintainer (a Maintainer is an individual who works on the building maintenance)
  • Expansion of Naviance to the 7th graders (Naviance is a student profile, college management, personality inventory program)
  • Redesign of Amityregion5.org to a searchable user-friendly site
  • Restore membership to CABE (Connecticut Associations of Boards of Education)
  • Replace art tables and risers at Amity Middle School-Orange

 

Citizens in the Town of Orange are concerned with the budget because of the amount of money Orange pays to the budget. The reason why Orange pays more is because there are 1,217 students or 48.4% of the District from the town.

Luther made several recommendations to the Board including a reduction in the debt service, citing that 12% of the budget is spent on that. Brady said that the debt service is dropping; Luther said that it should lower to 3% or it can cause trouble down the road.

Zeoli said that the ‘rolling of money forward’ must stop or it will cause problems when the money runs out. He suggested even in hard years dropping it before a ‘million plus’ hole has to be filled. Zeoli and Luther both agreed that the fiscal year 2013 will be ‘beastly.’

Zeoli asked that the SRO (Student Resource Officer) be paid for the school and not the three communities. He said that when Amity was in tough financial times, the towns agreed to pick up the bill, but now that Amity is in good finances Zeoli would like the school to reassume the bill.

When asked, Zeoli said that the Amity budget is responsible, but “when the town of Orange BOE had to cut right to the bone to make sure this is something we can afford. I’m not quite sure I felt the participation fro the ABOE that I’ve felt from or. Elementary Board of Education. As we move forward, next year may be more difficult. I don’t have a crystal ball.”

All officials in attendance encourage all voters to vote today. 

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