New Initiatives and Projects in Proposed Education Budget

When Schools Superintendent Stephen Falcone for the next fiscal year in a presentation to the Board of Education on Tuesday, he had time for only a brief overview showing where the 5.6 percent budget increase came from and touching only on the biggest items.

The thick document that details the budget plan gives further details of the proposal, including the expected costs of such spending items as $137,750 in new computer equipment, $36,800 in equipment for the maintenance department, and the added costs of hiring a school psychologist, social worker and high school teacher, as well as making a part-time health services department secretary position full-time.

The costs of these new budget items are relatively small in comparison to the overall $80,590,326 budget proposal, but (together with many other increases, often $2,000 or $3,000 in this budget line or that one) they do add up: Falcone notes that 1 percent out of the 5.6 percent increase ($4.3 million) in his proposal comes from "other" or "miscellaneous" items.

Here's a list of some of the new spending, together with some of the more significant spending decreases in the proposed budget. More information on many of these items is expected to be discussed at meetings of the Board of Education and committees of the Representative Town Meeting.

Board of Education members have already heard discussions of some of these items (all increases are based on the change from the current year's approved budget):

• A rough estimate on additional costs for retirement benefits: $146,844 (the increase would bring what is now a guesstimate up to a total of $3,209,673—"The 5-8 percent increase budgeted is a placeholder until firm information is available from the town," according to the budget document). ("Fixed Expenses," page 105)
• The high school and middle school would share a school psychologist, and the five elementary schools would share a social worker. The total expense for both positions would be $140,000. (page VI)
• The School Technology Plan calls for $137,750 in new spending to replace computers and related equipment that is becoming obsolete. The plan is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Education and discussed on Tuesday. (pages 70-73)
• Middlesex Middle School would lose 1.25 FTEs, saving the town $77,929, once the large Grade 8 class leaves the school in the summer. The school expects to have 29 fewer students. (page 32)
• A $95,000 budget line for replacement equipment was zeroed out now that new computer servers were bought during the current fiscal year. (page 89)
• A total of $75,000 more would be spent on long-term substitute teachers. That's an increase of 50 percent over last year's budget (bringing the total to $225,000). "The dollar amount better reflects costs over the past three years," according to the proposed budget (page 80).
• Darien High School would get one "FTE" or "full-time equivalent" teacher (either a new employee or multiple part-time employees) for the increase of 34 extra students expected at the high school next year. According to the budget proposal, the added students would actually justify two new teachers, based on preferred class sizes, but the high school will make do with one under Falcone's plan. The added cost would be $62,343. (page 28)
• A $49,893 increase in costs for regular transportation of students. The district would spend $1.7 million for that transportation. The percentage of the increase is relatively small, and district officials say they got a good rate on deisel fuel for school buses: $3.18 per gallon in the second year of a multi-year contract—but Darien Public Schools have to buy 95,000 gallons of fueel each year. (Fixed expenses; page 105)
• The town would pay $37,530 more for homebound tutors (who are certified teachers and student interns) to help students not able to attend school. That would be a 10.6 percent increase in expenses (to $390,104). (page 124)
• A total of $36,800 in new equipment would be bought for the maintenance department. The list of new items includes three auto scrubbers for Holmes, Ox Ridge and Royle schools, for a total of $22,500; three snow blowers for Middlesex, Royle and Tokeneke for a total of $4,800 and four 175 RPM floor machines for Middlesex, Holmes, Ox Ridge and Royle for a total of $5,400. (pages 59-60)
• The maintenance department would spend $35,000 "primarily to address inoperable and unsafe windows at Holmes, Royle and Hindley" schools. (page 58)
• The proposed budget expects the summer school program to collect $30,000 less in revenues next year. (page 98)
• A part-time secretarial job for the health services department of Darien Public Schools would become a ful-time position for the 10 months of the year that the schools are in session. The proposed budget states: "The [health services] director is often pulled to cover other health offices. A full time secretary would be available to answer phones and provide consistent secretarial support to health service department." Added cost: $19,015 (page 76)