UPDATE: Board of Education Proposed Budget Increase Gets Cut in Half

After three hours of discussion, 700 petitioners and numerous residents who spoke in favor of the Board of Education's proposed $2 million budget increase for the 2010-2011 school year, the board was only granted half that request Wednesday night at the Board of Finance public hearing.

The Board of Education budget now totals to $95.6 million — a $1 million cut.

Though the Board of Finance's decision is not final until April 7, known as "The Day of Restoration," some members told school officials that the town could not afford the requested $2 million increase. The board voted 4-3 to approve the motion of Allyson Stollenwerk. The motion passed according to party lines with Democrats Kenneth Wirfel, Stollenwerk, Helen Garten and Brian Stern voting in favor of the cut while Republicans Ed Iannone, Charles Haberstroh and Avi Kaner opposing it.

Kaner had proposed a $197,000 cut and Iannone had proposed a $600,000 cut — neither of which were voted on since Stollenwerk's motion passed. Iannone's motion was proposed just before the vote in an effort to reduce the larger cut.

The $1 million cut would affect staffing and programming, said Board of Education chairman Don O'Day. With an average teacher salary of $68,000 that includes benefits, O'Day said the reduced budget would equate to 12 fewer teachers.

"I think it is short sighted," O'Day said of the Board of Finance's decision, adding that it's likely the BOE would return on April 7 to seek restoration.

In other action, the board voted at 2 a.m. Thursday to fully fund the annual pension contribution, which is necessary to keep the town on track to pay the unfunded pension liabilities.  Avi Kaner moved to add $2.8 million more to the pension fund. The board approved the decision 6-1 with Allyson Stollenwerk opposed.

By 3 a.m., the board voted to approve a town budget of about $62 million, which is about a net $1.1 million cut from Gordon Joseloff's proposed budget.

The official numbers were not tallied Thursday due to the late/early hour that left the board deliberating the budget for nine hours. The budget becomes official April 7.