The Darien Board of Education unanimously okayed a $76.1 million budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year Tuesday night, pruning the district's original request but endorsing a 6.38 percent increase over current spending levels.

The item now moves to the Board of Finance, which can adjust the total size of the budget before it eventually comes before the Representative Town Meeting.

Board Chairman Kim Westcott said the process had been a balancing act between being fair to Darien taxpayers and “funding a budget the administration can work with.”

Among other reductions to Superintendent Stephen Falcone's proposed spending package, the board scrapped a plan to hire one foreign language instructor for each of the town's five elementary schools and another to hire an elementary-level social worker. 

A proposal to hire an additional guidance counselor for Darien High School was approved, however.

When Falcone unveiled his $77.2 million plan on Jan. 13, he explained that the unusually large increase — 8 percent in all — was chiefly needed to cover special education costs and contractual salary and health care obligations. 

But the plan was roundly criticized in mid-January by Finance Board Chairman Liz Mao, who argued that the previous year's increase of 6 percent was already too high a benchmark given the state of the economy. That sentiment was later echoed by RTM Finance Committee Vice Chairman Jack Davis.

During a series of budget meetings held over the past month, the board explored many ways to bring down that figure, such as deferring capital projects, delaying new hires, and reducing existing budgets.

Not all were adamant that cuts be made. Many parents spoke out in support of a robust school budget at a public hearing held last week, calling attention to Darien's comparatively low per-pupil spending among similar towns in the state.

Despite support from members Susan Perticone and James Plutte, the proposed launch of an elementary-level foreign language program — which netted vocal public support — was voted down Tuesday, 7-2.

Plutte cited a desire to keep Darien schools competitive with peer districts and emails from residents who supported the plan.

“Reasonable people can disagree,” Plutte said. “I am not indicting anyone who does not agree with me.”

The decision to remove the program shaved $325,000 off of the final budget. Each elementary school would have added a teacher at a salary of $61,097 on top of $20,000 allocated district-wide for supplies.

Several board members who voted nay said it had been a difficult decision.

“I changed my mind a few times today on this decision,” Secretary Clara Sartori said. 

"I got a lot of emails too," Sartori added. "The community is divided. ... I would like to support this, but maybe we should hone this program more over the next few months.”

Others found the decision to be more clear-cut.

“We cannot operate in a vacuum within the Board of Education,” George Reilly said. “We are a larger community than this. ... We have to deal with salary raises in the faculty of 4.2 percent."

The board removed a number of other sizable expenses from the budget:

• $444,963 for health benefits
• $81,000 for 1.33 full-time equivalent staff positions at DHS
• $36,600 for 0.5 full-time equivalent art positions at DHS
• $30,142 for a new paraprofessional position in special education
• $20,000 for maintenance via the facilities manager
• $16,347 related to the Holmes School principal’s pending retirement
• $10,000 for family studies supplies at Middlesex Middle School
• $9,700 for adding rugby as a varsity sport

Though members also rejected hiring an elementary-level social worker, they approved a plan to add a high school guidance counselor for $78,385. Sartori called this a wise investment, citing administrators' earlier presentation about counselors handling more students per capita than peer districts.

The board retained a number of sizable expenses that they had previously considered cutting, including $60,000 for computer servers and $61,097 for a budget control post.

Several additional items were inserted, as well:

• $100,000 for non-public school tuition for special education students
• $100,000 for heating oil expenses
• $50,000 for legal fees
• $50,000 for special education consultants

Members separately approved a capital budget Tuesday of $806,000, which is distinct from the operating budget. It includes:

• $225,000 to renovate the Middlesex Middle School gymnasium floors and backboards
• $200,000 to install new energy management controls at Royle School
• $75,000 to install public address systems at the elementary schools
• $67,000 to replace Middlesex Middle School bleachers
• $65,000 at Ox Ridge School for a boiler room re-piping project

Correction: The original version of this article misidentified Jack Davis as the chairman of the RTM Finance Committee. In fact, he is the vice chairman. Patch regrets the error.

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