Danehy proposes $22.2M

WINSTED — Winchester Superintendent of Schools Thomas Danehy proposed a budget of $22,199,590 for the upcoming school year during a public hearing Monday, Feb. 25.The proposed budget is a $750,711 increase from the fiscal year 2012-2013 budget of $19,958,149.“This is a total increase of 3.5 percent from the last fiscal year which is below what other school districts have asked for,” Danehy said at The Gilbert School. “The actual dollar change is around $750,711, which may sound like a lot. But the state and federal governments will be paying for 42 percent of the school budget and taxpayers will be paying 58 percent. The state’s Excess Cost Sharing is set at $7,823,991 and will pay for needs in the district at all different levels.”Danehy said the state’s Excess Cost Sharing funds are used by the town to help fund the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR). Therefore, the town appropriation for 2013-2014 is estimated at $12,989,000, or $855,000 more than the current fiscal year.Danehy said the school district is scheduled to get $9,568,440 in state and federal revenues in the next fiscal year, with $563,280 coming from federal funds and $9,005,160 coming from state funds.However, Danehy said due to the potential federal budget sequestration, some of the funds may be in jeopardy.“I don’t know where it’s going to land,” Danehy said. “For us, it might mean some reduction in Title I funding funding from the federal government. With this funding we pay for three reading teachers who are in each of our schools.”Danehy outlined eight initiatives in his new budget, which total $301,000 altogether.One of the initiatives is $50,000 in proposed funding to hire a new first-grade teacher.“We have 117 students enrolled in kindergarten this year,” Danehy said. “Normally our class enrollment is around 86 to 94, but this year we have had a bubble in our kindergarten class. Next year I’m expecting 115 students in kindergarten. Maybe it means the demographics in town are changing, or maybe it means that younger families are moving to town with younger students.”Another initiative is $60,000 in proposed funding to hire a library/media specialist.“I don’t know if you have gone and taken a tour in any of our libraries, but I’m embarrassed about the library at Pearson Middle School,” Danehy told the audience. “When you go look on the shelves, you will find books about countries in Europe that no longer exist. The books are outdated. We did a little analysis, and we did spend a little bit of money to purchase books last year. But the last time the Board of Education purchased books for the school libraries was 1993. We need some work in our library.”Danehy said his proposal to spend $34,000 for a School Resource Officer is important to help keep schools secure.“This has been a very hot topic since what happened in Newtown,” Danehy said. “You may be saying, ‘What is the likelihood that what happens in Newtown happens again?’ Who knows. But I don’t want to be on the other side of the fence if we have another tragedy and we didn’t prepare for it.”As for technology, Danehy is requesting $60,000 for technology upgrades, including the purchase of hardware and Wi-Fi Internet hardware in order for students to access the Internet.“When it comes to technology, we have to keep it up to snuff,” he said. “We have to make sure we have enough hardware for students to keep up with things. None of our schools have Wi-Fi Internet access. It’s 2013 folks. We have to become modernized with technology so students can make it in the world.”Gilbert proposaltotals $7.2 millionAfter Danehy completed his presentation, representatives from The Gilbert School spoke about Superintendent Anthony Serio’s proposed budget.Serio has requested a budget of $7,232,866 for the next fiscal year, which is an increase of $408,379 from the current 2012-2013 fiscal year. The $7.2 million request is included in Danehy’s overall proposal of $22.2 million for 2013-14.Superintendent Serio was not present at the hearing.Gilbert School Corporation Chairman Steven Sedlack presented the proposed budget to the audience, with comments from school Principal Alan Strauss.“A lot of good things have happened in the school this year,” Sedlack said. “There is a buzz in the community, and I hope you have all heard it.”Sedlack noted that during the current school year a grant allowed the school to purchase iPads for all school faculty and students in the 11th and 12th grade classes.“In the future, we will be buying fewer textbooks and instead be putting money into technology,” Sedlack said. “Ultimately we hope it will drive instruction to the point to what the public wants, which is better test scores. We think we are on the road to doing that.”Sedlack said the budget proposed for 2013-2014 is calling for an increase in expenditures, which he said has not happened since 2010-2011.“Our international students program, which will start next year, will be bringing students to the Gilbert School from far-flung places such as the Pacific Rim, China and South America,” he said. “We already have students committed to this program starting in the fall. This will make a significant difference in how we approach the finances at the school.”English language teachers neededBoth Gilbert and Winchester’s public schools are in need of English teachers for non-English-speaking students, according to officials.In Danehy’s proposed budget, there is $50,000 to fund an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher for the district to support non-English speaking students.Similarly, in The Gilbert School’s proposed budget, Serio is proposing to hire a part-time ELL teacher.“The same needs for ELL students kindergarten through sixth grade exists at The Gilbert School,” Sedlack said.He added the international student program would cause no expense to taxpayers.“If students need further ELL services, those services would be paid for by The Gilbert Trust Corporation,” Sedlack said.