Danehy asks for budget increase

WINSTED — A public hearing on the Winchester School District’s proposed budget for fiscal 2013-2014 is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at The Gilbert School.Superintendent of Schools Thomas Danehy presented the proposed budget at the Board of Education’s regular meeting, which was held at Town Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 12.In his presentation, Danehy proposed a budget of $22,199,590 for the upcoming school year.The proposed budget is a $750,711 increase from the fiscal 2012-2013 budget of $19,958,149.“If you go back all the way to fiscal 2007-2008, you will notice that school funding has remained at a flat line,” Danehy said. “The district has not had a substantial funding increase over the years. We are due for that. This financial request is well below what is happening in other districts now. It also addresses the needs of the town as demographics change.”As part of the proposed budget, Danehy outlined eight initiatives which total $301,000 altogether.Danehy’s first initiative is to hire a classroom teacher to reduce class sizes in lower grades to approximately 18 students.The total cost of hiring a teacher would be $50,000.According to school statistics, the district currently employs 63 teachers throughout its three school buildings.The second initiative Danehy proposes is to hire a library media and technology teacher for $60,000.Danehy said, thanks to state Alliance District funds, the school district already has a technology teacher.However, the district’s sole technology teacher divides his time between all three of the school district’s buildings.“This is a lot for one person to manage, especially when it comes to classroom instruction,” Danehy said.If the school district hired a second technology teacher, Danehy said the teachers could split up teaching assignments between all grade levels.The third initiative as proposed by Danehy is to hire an English learner teacher to support non-English speaking students. The position would cost $50,000.If hired, the teacher would develop alternative support structures and instructional support for non-English speaking students as they acquire proficiency skills.The fourth proposed initiative is for the district to purchase new teacher evaluation plan software for $15,000.Danehy said the software, Teachscape, would help the school district meet state mandates for educator evaluation.The fifth proposed initiative is for the district to purchase SubFinder software for $6,000.The program is used by other school systems to help find substitute teachers when needed.“Currently when the school district needs a substitute teacher we have to use an old fashioned telephone and get someone to work that phone,” Danehy said. “WIth SubFinder, if a teacher is going to be absent they can file it into the system. A substitute can go right into the system and apply to fill in that day.”As for curriculum development, Danehy is proposing $30,000 in order to help the school district integrate Common Core State Standards into school instruction.Danehy said the funds would be used to develop data teams at each grade level in order to support learning.“Curriculum development is really the essence of a school district,” Danehy said. “If teachers don’t have a good curriculum and are not experienced in using a curriculum, the actual instruction may falter.”In order to provide transportation for special education students, Danehy is asking for $30,000 in the proposed budget in order for the district to purchase a van.If purchased, the van would provide travel for students who are currently placed out of district.Finally, Danehy proposes $60,000 in order to fund technology upgrades for the school district, including the installation of Wi-Fi Internet in the three school buildings.“Some people may think $60,000 is a lot of money, but it is really a drop in the bucket,” Danehy said. “None of our schools have Wi-Fi access and the number of student to computer access is far below what it needs to be for Smarter Balanced Assessment exams.”Smarter Balanced Assessments are scheduled to replace State Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance Tests (CAPT) in March 2015.The tests will be administered on a computer as opposed to printed paper.“When Smarter Balanced kicks in, we’ll have 12 weeks to administer the exams to all of our students, but we will need up to eight computers in order to make it happen,” Danehy said.Danehy also included a number of initiatives he said should be funded by the town, including $97,800 in order to rectify fire code violations at The Hinsdale School.He said the funds would go to door replacements, and the repair of the building’s fire alarm system, the walkway in front of the building and a railing.As for school safety, Danehy is requesting $78,000 in funds in order to hire a school resource officer.If hired, the officer would work half-time at The Gilbert School and half-time throughout the school district.For infrastructure improvements in the district’s three school buildings, Danehy requests $250,000 in order to make boiler repairs and $45,000 for roof repairs.While the proposed budget is for $22,199,590, Danehy said the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) set by the state is $19,958,149, which is the same level as last year.Board member Carol Palomba asked Danehy if he has any fear the town would try to underfund the MBR.In 2011, town residents approved a budget set by the previous Board of Selectmen which underfunded the MBR, setting off several months of controversies and a lawsuit filed by the previous Board of Education.“If we didn’t get the MBR, maybe the Board of Education would want to consider suing the town again,” Danehy said. “But would you really want to open that story up again? I am hoping town residents would want to fund education.”