Residents urged the Board of Education to add a guidance counselor at Darien High School, retain instructional aides in the elementary schools, and add foreign language instruction in the elementary schools, at a public hearing Thursday night.

In January, Superintendent Stephen Falcone asked for a $77.2 million spending package for 2011-2012, which would be an 8 percent increase from the current $71.5 million budget. The projected increase would add about $1.9 million in teachers’ salaries; more than $1.2 million in teachers’ health insurance, and nearly $1.1 million in new special education expenses. Additionally, it would add one teacher at Darien High School; one guidance counselor at the high school; 1.25 teachers at Middlesex Middle School; five foreign language teachers across the five elementary schools; one elementary school level social worker; one secondary psychologist; one aide; and two budget control posts, which can be used for special education or for regular education.

Board of Finance members critiqued the spending plan as excessively high at an earlier meeting. In turn, Falcone trimmed his request to about $76.5 million, which would be an increase of 6.9 percent from current spending.

On Thursday, Darien residents who spoke at a public hearing overwhelmingly supported this proposed spending package. Tammy Sload and Laurie Orem, co-chairwomen of the Council of Darien School Parents, compared the Darien school district with its district reference group: New Canaan, Wilton, Weston, Westport, Ridgefield, Redding and Easton.

Asking the board to approve the budget with minimal reductions, Sload characterized special education costs as an unfunded state mandate, as the state imposes requirements but does not allocate enough money to the districts.

“Darien schools have been excellent, but maintaining excellence in any endeavor requires continued investment of time, energy, or in this case money,” Sload said. “We recognize the difficult economic situation all around us, and in Darien. “However, it is time for the town to reassess its commitment to education.”

Orem also compared Darien with its district reference group towns, as well as Connecticut overall. In terms of per pupil expenditures, Darien spends about $1,000 less than its district reference group towns. Of the 169 municipalities in Connecticut, Darien ranks third in its ability to pay for a public education, based on property values and income, she said.

Darien High School guidance counselors each currently work with 220 students, whereas the district reference group towns average 188 apiece. If Darien were to hire another guidance counselor, it would result in each counselor working with 191 students. Toward this end, Orem supported adding another guidance counselor, as well as teaching positions at the high school.

Relative to the number of students per classroom, Darien is slightly higher than the district reference group average.

“We are very grateful for the Board of Education’s commitment to its class size policy, and we hope this continues,” Orem said. “We must point out, however, that our class size policy and our class sizes are larger than our peer towns.”

In a similar vein, Orem distinguished between Darien taxpayers funding a public education versus individual residents who privately donate money to improve educational opportunities in Darien.

“Parents are asked to fund more. In addition, the PTOs in Darien have gone far beyond the usual enrichment programs and field days,” Orem said, citing out-of-town field trips, access to ice rinks, access to tennis courts, and music education. “PTOs have paid for everything from playgrounds and stage floors to common room renovations. This is not happening in other towns.”

Susan Vogel, the Middlesex Middle School budget representative, urged the board to support adding a psychologist, because more students are experiencing traumatic losses in their personal lives.

“At the high school and middle school, there have been a growing number of students in crises,” she said, citing a parent’s death, divorce or loss of a job.

In addition to working with students, a school psychologist works with families to refer them to outside mental health professionals.

Colleen Lyons, the special education budget representative, requested the board leave all current special education staffing positions in place. More special education students are experiencing emotional issues, including crises that require the child be treated by outside mental health care professionals.

“When a student is in crisis, many staff members are involved,” Lyons said. “…This takes our staff members away from their regular duties.”  

Three Darien students have undergone forensic psychiatric evaluations at Yale University this academic year to determine if they pose a threat to themselves or others, she said. “We in Darien are not immune to the ever-increasing challenges,” she said.

Jennifer Montanaro, a co-chairman of the Hindley School PTO, opposed reducing instructional aides, and supported adding a foreign language program in the elementary schools.  

“In the past, the elementary schools have benefitted from many new initiatives, and for that we are very grateful,” she said. “Adopting full-day kindergarten was a big positive.”

Instructional aides perform vital tasks, Montanaro said. From supervising children while the teacher provides individual help to struggling students, monitoring the playground to preventing bullying, to leading instruction when a teacher leaves due to illness during the day, instructional aides are irreplacable.

“The slightest amount of time being cut from instructional aides cannot happen in a class of 25 students in elementary school,” Montanaro said. The instructional aide seamlessly leads the class if a teacher is dealing with a student in crisis.

Two instructional aides supervise 100 students in the cafeteria. “With the increase in food allergies, proper supervision is needed more now than ever,” Montanaro said.

The public hearing gave Darien residents a chance to address the board of education about the spending package, board chairman Kim Westcott said. As such, board members listened, but did not address questions.

The board will vote on setting next year’s budget at its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 8, at its office on the lower level of Town Hall.