Parents and teachers make budget plea

WINSTED — Faced with state budget cuts that could result in widespread layoffs or as much as a 10-percent budget increase for the Winchester school district, more than 50 community members flooded the P. Francis Hicks Room at Town Hall Tuesday night to call for adequate school funding.

Several parents and teachers spoke in favor of retaining individual programs and in general support of the overall budget proposed by Superintendent of Schools Blaise Salerno, who gave an impassioned plea for his recommended budget of $21.4 million.

Salerno presented three different proposed budgets to the public Tuesday night. In addition to his recommended budget, he offered a scenario in which the budget would be capped at a 5-percent increase (totaling $20.48 million) and another in which the increase would be limited to $275,000 or 1.4 percent (totaling $19.77 million).

Under the leanest scenario of the three, there would be significant layoffs in the school system — at least 18 teachers and staff members but possibly 28. The school system’s Family Resource Center would be closed and there would be reductions in school nursing staff and substitute teachers. Maintenance and repair projects would be postponed and instructional and non-instructional equipment would be entirely eliminated.

Salerno has noted that state and local grants to Winsted are scheduled to drop 30 percent, from $1.87 million to $1.32 million in the upcoming school year. Local taxpayers are left with the task of addressing the shortfall.

And with the recent electrical mishap that burned a Pearson Middle School teacher still fresh in everyone’s mind, the superintendent has said it’s time to take school repairs more seriously by fully funding them. Board members noted that repairs to the electrical system at Pearson were completed but the money to pay for the work still needs to be found in the current year’s budget. At the same time, infrastructure, maintenance and repair projects have been put off for several years.

“We were asked by the town to provide them with a five-year capital plan,� Salerno said. “This is daunting work because the needs in this district are significant. The thing that is troubling is that we have provided this plan to the town for a number of years. What happens is we present these plans and, no matter what anybody’s good intentions are, it gets put off year after year after year. These are massive numbers of dollars and they’ve got to be approved sometime. I only have one vote when I go into the voting booth.�

Elementary School PTO President Julie Rego said Salerno’s recommended budget is actually not that much of an increase, considering the state revenue shortage. “Our biggest obstacle is the state funding shortfall,� she said. “Why do the children of Winchester have to bear the burden? The town should pick up what the state’s not giving us. For us to be talking about between 18 and 28 teachers being cut is ridiculous.�

Rego added that she believes budget cutbacks will result in drastic changes. “If we’re going to cut $1.2 million out of this budget, I don’t know what we’re going to do other than close a school,� she said.

Geri Caplinger, lead nurse supervisor of Winchester’s public school nurses, was flanked by her nursing staff, and told the board that a reduction in nurses “represents a step backward� for the school system. She implored the school board not to accept reductions in Salerno’s recommended budget.

After hearing the comments of parents and school staff, it was Salerno himself who took the floor, telling the crowd that his job has been exceptionally difficult when it comes to budgeting.

“I have never had an opportunity to put forward a budget that had any flexibility in it since I have been here,� the superintendent said. “It has always been scraping to get things done.� Salerno compared problems like the Pearson electrical issue to a pipe that burst in his own home.

“The fortunate thing is when I put my own house budget together I do build in a cushion,� Salerno said. “In three and a half years, I have never had a cushion in this district. The day I walked in I had to cut $586,000 out of a budget. We had to deal with a fuel tank that the town wouldn’t end up covering. And then the following year we didn’t have the budget until the middle of January, and this year we finally got a budget and we came up with a budget below last year’s expenditures by almost $700,000.�

Building to a crescendo, Salerno conveyed his exasperation. “You keep on pointing, and I feel the responsibility. I will never put kids or staff in danger. But it cannot continue. You can nickel and dime this budget to death. You are not going to come up with $1.9 million that you need to run this district next year. It can’t be done. I’m sorry, but it’s important that people hear that and they hear it with passion because, damn it, that’s where we are.�

A round of applause erupted for the superintendent as he caught his breath. Salerno’s next task will be to present his recommended budget to the Winchester Board of Selectmen.