Winchester superintendent discusses school budget woes

WINSTED — Responding to repeated complaints from the Board of Selectmen that the Winchester School System overspent its budget in 2009-10, Winchester Superintendent of Schools Blaise Salerno outlined his views on the budget, reiterating his point that the budget was not overspent.

“A lot of the controversy comes from the perception that the district overspent during the 2009-10 school year,� said Salerno, who is in the fifth and final year of his contract with Winchester Public Schools. “But we received a letter from the state Commissioner of Education stating that we did not overspend.� The Board of Education and the town had been advised of the minimum budget requirement (MBR), Salerno said, which was and is $20,159,746 for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

“The original budget proposal sent to the Board of Selectman around March 15, 2009, was $35,000 less than the approved budget for the 2008-09 school year,� Salerno said. “The Board of Selectmen removed $225,000 of capital work planned to renovate rooms at Pearson Middle School and placed that money in the town’s Capital Fund.�

According to Salerno, “Then the town imposed a further reduction on all town department budgets by approximately 1.6 percent to end up with an overall no-mill increase for town residents. This approximate 1.6 percent reduction dropped the proposed school department budget by another approximately $365,000. At that point we were $616,000 below the MBR for the school district.�

Salerno noted that the school budget had been dropped from $20,159,746 to $19,492,000. All of this occurred before the start of the fiscal year July 1, 2009.

The state received federal money and had determined that it would use that money to stabilize the state’s share of the educational costs, known as the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant. But because of the federal requirement, the state had to channel those funds directly to the school district.

“The amount the school district received was $1,116,210,� Salerno explained. “The state then cut the amount of ECS going to the town by $1,116,210. The town and the school board were notified of this change in November of 2009.�

That November also coincided with municipal elections, which resulted in a new Board of Selectmen, a new Board of Education and a new town manager, which, Salerno noted, “clouded the communication between the Board of Education and the Board of Selectmen.�

Realizing that the town now had a revenue shortfall, the Board of Selectmen directed the school district to spend no more than $18,376,000, including the $1,116,210 they received through ECS stabilization, Salerno said.

“This was requested knowing the MBR was $20,159,746, putting the district in a tough spot.�

This left the district hurting and facing a lot of cutbacks, Salerno said.

“We did everything we could to hold back costs. We didn’t have any substitute teachers, we’d have other teachers cover for them. We did everything we could.�

Salerno reported that the district’s overspending in the past was due to capital improvements such as the replacement of the fuel tank at Pearson Middle School during the 2009-10 school year.

Also, Salerno said that during the 2009-10 school year there was an increase in the number of special education students whose IEPs required them to be placed in outside institutions, a cost the district is required by law to cover.

“Our special education costs exceeded our line item by over $500,000,� Salerno said. “To make matters worse, in January of 2010 the state changed the amount given to districts for dollar-to-dollar spending on high-cost special needs students from the original dollar-for-dollar amount down to 80 cents on each dollar spent.

“At this point, the projected loss of revenue to the district was $164,000. Every school district in the state experienced this reduction to a greater or lesser extent,â€� he said. “Then in March of 2010 the state realized that they were not meeting federal regulations to support special education and changed the rebate from 80 cents  up to 83 cents on every dollar the district spends on special needs children.

“Although this gave the district $73,000 of anticipated revenue returned, the state took the money to support that increase from the town’s transportation aid. Ultimately the town and district still ended up being $164,000 in the hole due to the state’s handling of its financial crisis.�

Salerno said problems were compounded when a teacher was burned by a bad lightswitch at Pearson Middle School. The district had to pay for the numerous initial costs and inspections to correct the problem. Salerno said the district was told by the town manager, “Just get the work done, we will worry about finances later.�

Once the bills started coming in, the position changed to placing the costs of the inspections and repairs in the school district’s budget, even though these expenses would be classified as a capital project. Such projects are not the responsibility of the district to finance. The town owns the buildings and Salerno said he believes, just like any other landlord, a major repair of this nature should be the landlord’s — i.e., the town’s — responsibility.

Salerno also provided The Winsted Journal with a copy of a letter from the State Education Commissioner stating that the district was not overspending and that it was required to keep its MBR.

Salerno came out of retirement in New York state to take the job in Winsted in 2006.

“I knew this was a troubled district,� he said. “I came out of retirement, wanting to help. I absolutely love this community. I love my staff, I think they are undervalued, I think they work very hard in a not particularly friendly climate.

“I am trying to be an agent of change for the better in this town, and I really think I can and have moved the district forward,� he added.

As far as the future goes, Salerno said, “I don’t have another superintendency in mind. I will be 71 very soon. So with the support of the Board of Education, I will stay here. I think all of the problems we are dealing with are solvable and we can tackle them together.�

Salerno also invited anyone who has a question about anything he’s said to call him at home or on his cell phone, 860-238-7174 or 860-921-3579. He also encouraged everyone to attend his Parent Teacher Advisory Forums on the third Thursday of the month.