TOWN OF ROCKY HILL
BOARD OF EDUCATION
FINANCE COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING OF APRIL 21, 2008
Members Present: Rene (Skip) Rivard, Chairman
Catherine Vargas
Also Present: Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Villar
William MacDonald, Chairman of Board of Education
Nadine Bell
Raffaella Calciano-Coler
Charles McMonigle
Frank Morse
Charles Wisnioski
Greg Turansky (Finance Director)
A special meeting of the Board of Education’s Finance Committee was held on Monday,
April 21, 2008 in the Board of Education’s Training Room,
1. Update on 2008-2009 Budget
Chairman Rivard said this special meeting is being held as a follow-up to inform this Committee about discussions that have recently been held at staff meetings between Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Villar and Town Manager Barbara Gilbert. These staff level meetings were held to dissolve the discrepancy of the analysis of the Board of Education budget. Also, these particular meetings were held to recalculate figures. These meetings included Bill MacDonald and Mayor Tony LaRosa also.
Chairman Rivard asked the members of the public if any one wished to speak at this point. Wanda, a member of TABS, said that she couldn’t find any of the regular Board of Education meetings on the local television access channel. Chairman Rivard told her if she looks on the Town’s website she can find the schedule for these meetings.
Valerie Montalbano, member of TABS, said she came to this evening’s meeting to find out what has been discussed.
Superintendent Dr. Villar referred to the televising of the Board of Education meetings. He is hoping over the course of the next couple of months to get subcommittee meetings of the Board of Education televised along with their regular meetings. Details still need to be worked out for this. Mr. Wisnioski asked if it costs money to have the meetings
televised. Superintendent Dr. Villar said there is a cost attached to having this done but it is not insurmountable. Meeting schedules will need to be known in advance in order to
fit them in to be televised. Mr. Wisnioski said he was against scheduled subcommittee meetings because television shouldn’t be the director of these meetings. Also, he suggested that a distribution list be put together so that the people who are on this list can be notified, via e-mail, as to when these meetings will be broadcast. Debbie Friday, member of TABS, said that since AT & T has come out with a cable version, there is no access on this with regards to the local access channel. Mrs. Bell said that Direct TV does not have this access either. Superintendent Dr. Villar said more effective means will be tried to ensure the public has access to the meetings.
Superintendent Dr. Villar explained that there have been three different meetings held between himself and Town Manager Gilbert. Mr. MacDonald and Mayor LaRosa have been present at these also. The purpose of these meetings was for them to try to look at how the town arrived at their assumptions with regards to the Board of Education’s budget. They were trying to get a projection from the town’s perspective. The purview is under the Board of Education with regards to what money is spent and how it is spent. The town legally doesn’t have the authority to control this. The Town Council will give a final budget statement to the Board of Education and the Finance Committee of the Board of Education will need to work from this and make it balance. Superintendent Dr. Villar explained that they are trying to explain to the town how the Board of Education calculates it’s budget.
Superintendent Dr. Villar said Interim Superintendent Dr. Carol Parmelee-Blancato had recommended a budget of $28,181,882 to the Board of Education. The Board of Education cut $200,000 out of this. Town Manager Gilbert took an additional $950,000 off of that. Superintendent Dr. Villar wanted Town Manager Gilbert to understand why this amount will not be effective for the schools. There was an accounting difference with regards to the Early Retirement Program and the savings brought in. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he spent some time talking about the mandated programs that the Board of Education is held accountable for (i.e. NCLB, Special Ed., ELL). He explained a little about how Special Ed was going to be monitored by the State next year. For the Board of Education to sustain a cut of the magnitude being spoken about, other areas besides support services will have to be looked at because those will have to stay.
There is a historic disagreement with the town over the salaries account for the personnel which Finance Director Greg Turansky said is line item #111. Superintendent Dr. Villar explained that this is a complex line item because there is a constant turnover of staff. The town doesn’t understand that these salaries are dependent upon degree change. The Board of Education bases all of this off of predictions and it feels that Town Manager Gilbert is off by $250,000 in this account. Mr. MacDonald explained how the town calculates salaries and he said for the Board of Education that this is not an easy
calculation. Mrs. Calciano-Coler said this is a finite number and it is moveable. Mr. Wisnioski asked Finance Director Turansky how he gets the projected number for the
salaries. Finance Director Turansky said he uses a zero based approach. He has to look at every single person who is employed and he has a database that he uses.
Mr. Wisnioski asked if the town understood all of this after the three meetings were held. Mrs. Vargas said the town hasn’t understood this in ten years. Superintendent Dr. Villar said the town gives its support for the Early Retirement Program and it is interested in helping to move this forward. Town Manager Gilbert has a very secure belief that the town will benefit from the new legislative tax on health care plans. This has not passed yet but hopefully it will. Mr. MacDonald referred to Senate Bill No. 475 that has been proposed to do away with this. He spoke a little more about this.
Mrs. Bell referred to the $190,000 savings on projected health care costs. Finance Director Turansky said this number is as solid as he can make it. Superintendent Dr. Villar said this number is the minimum amount that will be saved. Mrs. Bell asked if healthcare plans are being switched, how the timing will be managed and she asked about the logistics of the unions with regards to this. Superintendent Dr. Villar said it has to be made sure that there will be significant savings. The plan will have to be at least the same as what the personnel presently have. Finance Director Turansky said other legislative proposals might require a change to be made in the future. The human cost in this is another consideration. Mrs. Calciano-Coler said there is no guarantee that the carrier next year won’t go up $190,000. Mr. Wisnioski asked if the Donaher Bill is one of these bills. Finance Director Turansky said it is and he said besides this bill and another bill that there is a third bill.
Superintendent Dr. Villar said he was in the process of preparing the presentation for the budget. He referred to the $190,000 savings on the projected health care costs and he asked everyone what the best way would be for him to include this in his presentation. He went on to explain that there is $128,000 that Town Manager Gilbert has not accounted for. Town Manager Gilbert is not able to change her budget recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council will act one way or another. It is going to try to be shown to Town Manager Gilbert that her maintenance budget misses a lot of points. Mrs. Calciano-Coler said most of the 8% to 9% increase in the Board of Education budget is due to salaries. Mr. MacDonald said there is not a lot more if salaries are looked at. Mrs. Calciano-Coler asked where the Board of Education would cut. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he would be going to the staff with regards to this.
Mr. Wisnioski said in the three meetings that have been held with Town Manager Gilbert, she has been told about the philosophy with regards to all of this. With regards to maintenance, this is maximizing versus a dollar amount. Superintendent Dr. Villar said the numbers that have been put forward will maintain the school system at status quo but
at this level the school system can’t be maintained. He spent a good amount of time on this with Town Manager Gilbert and this will help for future budget meetings. The faith
rests with the Town Council now. The Town Council will elect to buy that the Board of Education needs more money or it won’t. Mrs. Vargas said that Town Manager Gilbert won’t change her numbers. Mrs. Vargas asked Superintendent Dr. Villar if he is going to share the same information with the Town Council on April 30, 2008. Superintendent Dr. Villar said his intention is to outline the process that the Board of Education has taken. He will talk about the numbers and the impact of the numbers. He doesn’t have full knowledge of a cut list and he said it would be premature for him to come up with a cut list. He thinks the budget has been compiled with things that are needed and that are necessary. Mrs. Vargas said that a reactive budget wouldn’t want to be presented and there should be no cut list. She went into more detail with regards to this. Superintendent Dr. Villar said it will be important to lay out to the Town Council all of the cuts that were made by Interim Superintendent Carol Parmelee-Blancato before the budget was brought to the Board of Education. He went into more detail on what he would be focusing on and quite a lengthy discussion took place with regards to all of this with the Board of Education members making suggestions to Superintendent Dr. Villar.
Chairman Rivard asked Superintendent Dr. Villar if there is going to be another meeting this Wednesday with Town Manager Gilbert and he said yes. Town Manager Gilbert wants to look at the history of the Early Retirement Plan. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he will share as much information as he has and he will try to give as much information as possible to her. He will then forward this information on to the Board of Education. Mrs. Bell asked if this should be done publicly at a meeting where the Town Council can hear it. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he sees more merit in doing this just with Town Manager Gilbert and he explained some more about this. There was a brief discussion that followed.
Mr. MacDonald said it was important having Mayor LaRosa at the three meetings that they had because the town didn’t go into the level of detail like the Board of Education did. Mr. MacDonald mentioned that the town needs to get the Board of Education in much earlier next year with regards to the budget. He explained a little more.
Mr. Wisnioski thought it was great that meetings were held. He said all of these things being spoken about need to be presented to the Town Council. He gave Superintendent Dr. Villar a suggestion for his presentation. Chairman Rivard gave a suggestion as well.
Ed Chiucarello, member of TABS, asked what will happen when there is no cut list. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he will ask the principals to look at the buildings. He will then take these recommendations back to the administration. He is certain that the Board of Education will want to know all of this as well. Chairman Rivard said there is a protocol for the process. The Board of Education will come back as a body in order to have a discussion when numbers are given. Mr. Wisnioski said he assumed that Interim
Superintendent Carol Parmelee-Blancato gave a sense of how the school system should be approached as things go forward. Superintendent Dr. Villar said nothing is sacred and
that all of the programming has to be looked at to see why it exists and if it is cost effective. Everything has to be looked at. He said he has different philosophical beliefs as he looks at documents. He mentioned that it would be too premature for him to generate and publicize a list for cuts. He explained some more about this. Mr. MacDonald explained to Superintendent Dr. Villar what message needs to be given to the Town Council during his presentation.
Chairman Rivard asked when the Board of Education can review Superintendent Dr. Villar’s PowerPoint presentation before he gives it on April 30, 2008. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he will communicate to them when this is finalized and when it is finalized, it is subject to F.O.I.
Mr. MacDonald asked what would happen if surplus funds are found at the end of the school year. Superintendent Dr. Villar explained that if the Board of Education doesn’t have an immediate need for this money then it will be offered to the town. The town will put this in an account that will be used for schools. Town Manager Gilbert will facilitate the setting up of this. Mrs. Bell said this has worked well in the past. Superintendent Dr. Villar said if extra funds are identified then he explained about an upgrade (PowerSchool) for the student information management system. He said the student information management system is no longer adequate. There was a discussion that followed with regards to this update as to if the same vendor will be used, what the cost would be, and if this would allow for parent access, etc. There was a discussion also as to whether a Board of Education vote would be required for this. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he would have to get a solid number for the cost of this.
Mr. Wisnioski asked if CREC (Capitol Region Education Council) has been heard from yet with regards to the technology audit. Superintendent Dr. Villar said Assistant Superintendent Boutilier heard from them today and she asked them for this report as soon as possible. Mrs. Vargas said at the Curriculum Committee’s last meeting that the members of this Committee had asked for this Draft to come back to them once it is ready.
Mr. Wisnioski referred to the PowerSchool upgrade again. Superintendent Dr. Villar explained the advantage that is offered by using the same program that most school districts are using. Mrs. Vargas said that between now and June 30, 2008, the Finance Committee will be meeting regularly and the members will be discussing what to do with unexpended funds. She suggested that what Superintendent Dr. Villar is looking for with regards to PowerSchool should be coordinated.
Chairman Rivard referred to the Capital Improvements in the budget and he asked if the school referendum preparation is under this because $75,000 is listed under this.
Superintendent Dr. Villar explained that this would be for the cost of hiring an Architect. Mrs. Vargas said this will be talked about on Monday during the budget workshop
because the Facilities Department has their workshop that night. Chairman Rivard said that facilities come out of the town budget as well as the Board of Education budget.
Mr. Wisnioski referred to the crossing guards. Finance Director Turansky said they are still in the Board of Education budget. Town Manager Gilbert had told Interim Superintendent Carol Parmelee-Blancato that the town will take them back this year. There was a brief discussion that followed with regards to this. Chairman Rivard asked Superintendent Dr. Villar to bring this issue up with Town Manager Gilbert at this Wednesday’s meeting because there has been no discussion with regards to this with the Board of Education. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he will bring this up with Town Manager Gilbert.
Mr. Wisnioski said the town has been talking about less than a one mill increase with regards to the next budget. Superintendent Dr. Villar said Town Manager Gilbert has been talking about this. Mr. Wisnioski asked about revenue from the State. Mr. McMonigle said the ECS (Education Cost Sharing) grants have already been set and these go into the general fund for educational purposes. Rocky Hill is one of the few towns that has taken 100% of this and applied it to education. CREC did a study and found out that forty out of fifty towns did not fully turn this money over.
Mr. Wisnioski referred once again to all of the cuts that have been made so far with regards to the Board of Education’s budget. Superintendent Dr. Villar explained that this budget is at whatever Town Manager Gilbert’s number is. Superintendent Dr. Villar said when he does his presentation that he is going to show the Town Council that more money should be in maintenance. He went over the figures again.
Mr. Chiucarello mentioned how the town pays for energy and how that is one of the biggest expenses it has. When the Board of Education’s budget presentation is being made, he mentioned something about having the mindset of Superintendent Dr. Villar and the Board of Education being that the school system will save 30% on electricity. He explained some more about this. Superintendent Dr. Villar mentioned how he, Mr. Rich Cooke (Facilities Director) and Mr. Wisnioski took a tour of the high school. There were a lot of microwaves and refrigerators in that building. The computer labs had some monitors that were left on during school vacation. Superintendent Dr. Villar said he will be cooperating with the Facilities Department with regards to how to reduce the number of appliances that are on. It is going to try to be figured out how to put protocols in place with regards to computers that are not being used. He said this makes sense to look at. Mr. Chiucarello said it is strictly an educational thing to teach the staff about this because the town won’t come in and do this. If there is a baseline, thousands of dollars can be saved. He then referred to recycling and he said he wasn’t sure how the schools were doing with regards to this. He explained a little more. Superintendent Dr. Villar said it
can be established over time that the Board of Education
will be saving the town money if power usage is cut at school facilities. This can help out in the budget in a certain
area. The only way this will work is if the
Board of Education cooperates with Mr. Cooke.
Mr. Wisnioski explained how Mr. Cooke and his staff are going into the
town buildings from 9:00 p.m. until midnight with a new tool. They are inspecting all of the buildings in
every space and then they will make a recommendation of the intent to turn
things off. Superintendent Dr. Villar
said
Mr. Wisnioski said Superintendent Dr. Villar is building credibility with the town. There was a Government Operations Committee meeting last Wednesday. A Construction Manager for the referendum was selected. The list of Architects was also narrowed down at that meeting. The Councilors expressed confidence in Superintendent Dr. Villar. He explained a little more about this.
Moved by Catherine
Vargas, seconded by Chairman Rene Rivard, to adjourn the meeting at 8:22 p.m.
FAVOR: ALL
MOTION
CARRIED
Respectfully submitted,
Jo-Anne Booth
Recording Secretary
Accepted by: _____________________________ Date: ________________________