By: Maria Moore
In response to our reporter’s email apologizing for having “dropped the ball” on reporting on Northwestern Regional # 7 news, Superintendent of Schools Clint Montgomery invited our reporter to stop up to his office at the school and talk about what is happening at Regional right now which, as those who are attuned to such matters know, is the putting together of next year’s budget. Our reporter made an appointment with Clint for Friday, February 5, and the following is her report of that meeting.
To help her prepare for her meeting with Clint, our reporter called the First Selectman’s Office and asked whether Dan Jerram might be able to meet with her for an update on Regional #7. Dan has been one of the town’s two representatives on the Regional #7 Board of Education for a number of years and he is continuing his membership on Regional’s Board following his election to the First Selectman’s Office this past November. Dan agreed to meet with our reporter and she stopped into his office a little before heading up to Regional. When it was time to head up to Regional #7 Dan offered to accompany our reporter to the meeting.
The Conversation Starts In Dan Jerram’s Office…
The conversation with Dan touched on both the New Hartford schools and Regional #7 budgets and the effects of an economy in recession and a state budget that’s in crisis. Dan reminded our reporter that the town’s education budget accounts for over 70% of this year’s town budget ($15,454,976.50 out of the town’s total budget of $21,035,129.05). He said the town’s budget for the coming fiscal year (2011 FY) will be negatively impacted by two factors: 0% growth in the grand list, meaning that there won’t be any growth in the tax base; and the wastewater treatment plant coming online later this year, which means the town will have to start making payments equal to 40% of the construction financing costs of the plant. Against this scenario Dan went into the factors that will impact the Regional #7 budget for the coming fiscal year: the sharp increase in health insurance costs which are based on the schools experience within its pool; the self-funded unemployment compensation which is an added cost if staff is cut; and the energy and transportation costs which are outside of the district’s control. Add to this the possibility of cuts to the town’s ECS (Educational Cost Sharing) Grant from the state, and it all paints a daunting financial picture.
… Continues On The Drive Up to Regional…
The conversation between First Selectman Dan Jerram and our reporter continued as Dan drove the two up to Regional #7 to the meeting with the Superintendent of Schools, Clint Montgomery. Our reporter asked what the salary increase for the teaching staff at Regional #7 was slated to be this coming year and Dan said contractually it is 4.7%. ”Unrealistic in these times.” Our reporter said. ”You have to think back to the climate in which that raise was negotiated.” Dan reminded our reporter. ”This percentage increase was negotiated only a couple of months after the local school board (New Hartford Schools Board of Education) gave a 6%-plus raise in their contract.” And that set the stage for the Regional negotiations. “It was the result of some really tough negotiations on the part of the Board that we were able to get an agreement of 4.7%.” Dan said.
Our reporter then brought up the possibility of regionalizing the elementary schools, as Representative Sharkey had discussed at his Smart Growth presentation in New Hartford several weeks ago (we hope to have a report of that meeting as time allows). Rep. Sharkey had used this as an example of how both the state and the smaller towns in the state would be able to reduce the amount they are currently paying to support their own schools which service a very small number of children. Dan said that it was definitely a possibility if the voters of each of the towns included in the regionalization plan would approve the move. This had come up for a vote some years ago, Dan said, and only New Hartford had rejected the plan. The regionalization plan for area elementary schools could be revived again, Dan agreed with our reporter, however: “It wouldn’t be a quick-fix!” He cautioned. It would be a multi-year process: the towns would have to apply to Regional #7 to add the elementary grades to its structure; Regional would have to do a 1-year self-evaluation study on the feasability of the expansion; the study would have to be presented to the Regional #7 Board of Ed for their consideration and approval, and then each of the four towns involved would have to hold a referendum, and the voters of each town would have to to approve the regionalization plan.
At that point, Dan Jerram and our reporter had arrived at Regional #7, and having signed in, they made their way to the Superintendent’s Office.
…The Conversation Expands To Include Clint Montgomery and Roger Newbury At Regional…
Superintendent Clint Montgomery and Roger Newbury, Regional #7 Business Manager, were sitting at the large conference table in Clint’s office, busy working on the upcoming fiscal year’s budget which begins on July 1, 2010 but which they need to submit to their member towns so those towns can include the expense in their own budgets. Not an easy exercise, at the best of times: Regional #7 has a total budget of $17.6 million for this fiscal year which is supported proportionally by its four member towns, New Hartford (48.86%), Barkhamsted (29.18%) , Colebrook (12.08%) and Norfolk (9.88%). ”This is this year’s budget!” Roger Newbury said to our reporter at one point, holding up a 2-inch thick stack of papers secured by a giant bulldog clip.
“So I understand you have some questions for us?” Clint asked our reporter who, looking around at those seated at the table with her ~ the Vice President of the Board of Ed, the Superintendent of a regional school district with a $17 million-a-year budget and his Business Manager ~ thought it wisest to open her notebook and say: “I’m here to listen: you guys talk!” Which is what they did.
Dan began by repeating the financial realities that New Hartford is facing this year: the 0% grand list growth, the sewer plant payments that will soon begin, the elementary schools’ costs especially the large increase in the cost of health insurance. To the last point, the Region 7 administrators said: “We took Barkhamsted in(to the health insurance plan that Regional has) and they saved $35,000 in health insurance.”
None of what Dan was outlining was new to Clint. ”We are exquisitely aware of what’s happening in all four towns.” Clint started out by saying, adding that he’d met individually with the First Selectmen of the towns and with the chairmen of the Boards of Finance. ”We are in an economic crisis and are not coming back as fast as hoped. We are aware on the hill that there are extraordinary needs that we haven’t seen in 15 years.” And in all likelihood, Clint added, “we’ll be dealing with 10% unemployment for the next 10 years.” In the face of this reality, Clint said his goal is to continue the quality programming at Regional, not expanding programs except where they might be funded through grants.
Our reporter asked about the possible staff layoffs of approximately 25 employees as reported in local newspapers. Clint said they had been discussed, and again it was brought up that savings from staff cuts are not one-for-one because the district still has to pay for the self-funded unemployment. Clint was obviously concerned about the effects of any potential cuts: “Keep in mind that these are people who live in our communities, and that staff members that are laid off don’t have a good chance to get a job.” Roger emphasized that point by adding that there are 1,192 less teaching positions this year than last year. “It’s counter-productive to lay people off.” Clint said, adding that crafting a budget without laying people off is the perfect position to be in.
Our reporter asked whether they had done a projection of what the increase in the Region #7 budget would be if they kept the same budget as this year. ”6.2%.” Clint answered which, both he and Roger emphasized, is unacceptable. ”Are you shooting for a 0% budget increase?” Our reporter asked. ”It’s too early to say.” Was the answer. The Board has sent a letter to the bargaining units to ask for their help and they are waiting for their responses. ”We’re not asking, we’re begging!” Clint said, adding that they’d been backed into a corner.
One last question from our reporter was one that she had also asked Dan on the drive up to Regional: Could the High School Principal’s position be filled from inside, and so effect a reduction? Clint wasn’t able to answer the question directly because, he said, they are currently considering applicants from both inside the district and from outside. However, he did say that it had taken years for them to reach the point where they have one principal for the High School and one principal for the Middle School, and that it’s working well. “They deal with very different populations, requiring very different skill sets.” Clint said and everyone in the room agreed.
The conversation with Clint and Roger was coming to an end, and our reporter asked: “What are the important things to take away from here?”
“The ultimate goal: we want everyone here next year! They are our neighbors and layoffs will only compound the situation. “ And: ”To preserve what we have built.”
Clint said that he and Roger would be presenting their budget to the Regional #7 Board of Ed at their meeting on Wednesday, February 24, which our reporter will be attending.
…The Conversation Ends With One More Question For Dan
On the drive back from Regional, our reporter asked Dan a question that she has been asked by several readers of NewHartfordPlus: ”Is Dan planning to step down from the Regional #7 Board now that he’s First Selectman?” Dan said he’d been asked that question, too. He said that this is not the time for the town to have two rookie representatives on the Regional Board. ”This will be a difficult budget process and I’m the longest serving member on the Board. If I were to step down, then there would be a total of three new members, the majority vote on the Board.” Something which he feels is unacceptable. And after the budget is done? Even he isn’t sure what he’ll do then, but he did say that he has had 3 to 4 people express an interest in his position on the Regional Board of Ed.
To emphasize the importance of having a seasoned representative on the Regional #7 Board of Ed, Dan took our reporter into the bookkeeper’s office and pulled out a check he’d signed and which was ready to mail out: $700,000+ to Regional #7. ”That’s the monthly check that the town sends to Regional. That’s what at stake.” Dan said. And with that, our reporter left the First Selectman’s Office, which on a Friday afternoon, was humming with activity.
