Montville Schools Superintendent Pamela J. Aubin’s 2013-2014-budget proposal called for a 1.26 percent increase over the last year’s $36.6 million budget.
Aubin said her $37.1 million plan included “ the Project O, and the new state mandated teacher evaluation plan.”
And, Aubin said, negotiated contractual wage/salary increases, which cover staff from certified educators to non-certified and para-professionals, and total more than $560,000.
But, Aubin said, the Montville Board of Education voted Thursday for a zero percent increase.
So it’s back to the drawing board.
“We will be sharpening our pencils over the next few days to find $462,018.00 in savings to meet the Board's expectations,” she said.
But, Aubin said, the board is fully behind plans for the new Campus Safety Officer position and Kindergarten plans.
“The board has set full day Kindergarten as a priority,” Aubin told Patch.
Indeed, Board secretary Tom McNally told Patch the full-day K is a must and savings must be found elsewhere.
"They did a fantastic job coming in at just over 1 percent especially with the full day Kindergarten, the (campus safety officer position) and Project O, however, with the current economic situation, we need to keep it to zero," McNally said.
He did however caution that the town "must work with us" on the capitol budget.
"We cannot take zero on both," he said.
