Glastonbury Superintendent Wants Increase

Jan. 04--Citing contracted faculty raises, healthcare costs, and reductions made in previous years, Glastonbury School Superintendent Alan Bookman proposed a budget of $109.2 million for the 2019-20 fiscal year -- a 3.6 percent increase over the current year.

Bookman pointed out that the last four budgets have seen increases near 2 percent, but that an increase that low would not work for next year.

"Now, we have left ourselves no flexibility in next year's budget," Bookman said. "If staff add family members to their healthcare plan, we have no additional funds to account for this. We have cut our utility budget so that we expect we will have to find some savings during the next fiscal year to pay for all of the bills for our utilities. Any reduction to the 3.6-percent will result in not only cutting corners, but also raising class size at the elementary and high school levels, coupled in reduction of supplies for everyone. None of this is good for our school system."

Enrollment projections, Bookman said, would not call for any changes in classroom teaching staff. While enrollment was actually up slightly at the elementary level, the expectation is that there will be increases, albeit small ones, over the next several years.

"We've tried to build just a bit of flexibility in our elementary class sizes, to give us some room for growth," he said. "We think we're going to need it next year."

High school enrollment is expected to drop by 24 students.

"We're not asking for any change in the number of teachers at the high school level," Bookman said, adding that no changes were made to staffing for this year, despite an uptick in enrollment. "We'd like to bring it back to the norm of where it should be."

Salary increases account for 2.04 of the 3.6 percent.

"That's the largest number that we have, as far as increases to the budget next year," he said, adding that health insurance projects to be increased by 6 percent, and all benefits together add up to .6 percent.

Special education needs will add .22 percent. Five full time paraprofessionals are to be hired, replacing 10 part time positions.

"It is much more expensive," Bookman said, "but the truth of the matter is, part time people are not available in the numbers that we need for those positions. We are required to have those positions for special education."

"When we have increases in fixed costs -- areas we have no control over -- and they add up to 3 percent or more, a 2 percent increase is not sustainable without negatively affecting the education of our students," Bookman said, adding that the past several years have had lower increases because of reductions -- including the closing of Eastbury School -- and defended the proposed increase.

"The budget we are requesting will allow our students to appropriately benefit from their education," he said.

The Board of Education is expected to finalize its budget request at its meeting on Jan. 8.

Steve Smith can be reached at ssmith@courant.com.

___

(c)2019 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)

Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.