Board of Ed. Approves $30M Budget for 2011-12

 The Suffield Board of Education heard new business and old business last night but its most important action was the unanimous approval of the education budget for 2011-2012.

The panel approved a 1.83 percent increase in the budget to $30,961,551 for the coming fiscal year. This is an increase of $556,414 from the previous year. The budget will be sent to the Board of Finance for its approval or rejection. A final fiscal portfolio combining the school and town expenses will then be put forth for approval from Suffield residents.

Board of Education Chairman Mary Roy said the budget was tight.

“He does a good job,” she said of Business Manager Ed Basile. “I am hopeful we will get residents' approval.”

One board member, Michael Smith, was absent for the vote, hence the 7-0 unanimous count. Smith gave his verbal endorsement as he left the meeting before the vote.

In a related issue, the Board approved a revised job description for the position of assistant high school principal but with one objection. The approval allows Interim Superintendent of Schools Mary Greenlaw-Dixon to post the position and a candidate search can begin.

Smith voted against the job description and posting, noting that with a budget approval process looming the board might want to reconsider a full-time second assistant principal in case cuts are necessary.

“I just think we need to look at some creative options here,” Smith said. “Did we look at all the options available such as a part-time position or a dean of students position?”

“If the budget were not to hold up as it is now, I would bring up this position in discussions for cuts,” Smith added. “In a situation where we might have a trade off of having to fire someone or reworking this position, I think we need to look at this job in that context.”

“I was anxious listening as I know we need this position,” said Suffield High School Principal Donna Hayward.

She reported that Suffield High School is home to approximately 877 students and 76 teachers, 45 staff members but only three key administrators; herself and two assistant principals. The revised job description comes at a time when current assistant principal Ed Garvey is retiring and the position “constantly changes roles on a day to day basis… and gets more demanding from year to year," according to Hayward.

“We are a building that needs three full-time administrators," she said. "No one has accused me of reducing their workload and I’m proud of that. We all work very hard in a lot of areas that aren’t in our job descriptions.”

The updated position calls for, among other duties, more interaction with the Agriscience program and also requires an administrator-level certification. This certification will bring in a highly qualified professional at a higher salary. The increased cost spoke to Smith’s point about fiscal care given the current budget.

“It was important that we got this approved today,” Hayward concluded. “There is a huge shortage of qualified administrators in this state and we need to get this job posted as soon as possible to get a pool of good candidates.”

During public session, the Board received a report presented on behalf of a group of concerned citizens from resident Jonathan Metcalf about special needs students. He spoke to the board, asking for a review of the document and discussion in executive session.

The group, however, was not able to provide that opportunity tonight as the report was not on the agenda. Several members indicated they would review the document and add discussion of its contents to the agenda for the April 5 meeting.

Metcalf summarized the report, noting “it has to do with communication, communication, communication.”

The major topic is how Suffield school staff interacts with and communicates to the parents of special needs children within the system. Metcalf has a five-year-old autistic child and was asked to be a spokesperson for the group to convey the concerns of approximately 20 families.

"We have found a number of educational struggles interacting with staff and we are not getting the velocity of results,” Metcalf said.

The issues have been brought to the attention of teachers and administrators through the proper channels. He said his group felt this matter needed to be brought to the board’s attention as well.

Board member Jeanne Gee concluded the board’s view, saying “everyone will read this with great care but we are not going to read this for the sake of expediency.”

She added that the concerns can be addressed at an upcoming meeting.

The Board of Education set its next official session as April 5, 2011 with a special retreat session slated for March 29, 2011.