Special BOE Meeting Held

Last week town voters approved the Board of Education (BOE) budget in its third referendum. Cuts amounting to $465,000 to the proposed budget have been the main topic of conversation for weeks.

A special BOE meeting was called June 13 to discuss this as well as other financial items. All Board members were present as were Superintendent of Schools Jack Cross, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Maryann O'Donnell and town Finance Director Kevin Kane.

The Morgan Building Committee was also present and opened with a request that the BOE consider taking a position of support of the direction the Committee presented in February of this year - which is that building a new Morgan would be the most cost effective course of action for the town.

Committee representative David Townsend presented the initiative along with a request to provide funding of $14,000 by the BOE for site evaluation and environmental studies to determine the soundness of a new site which is being considered for such a structure.

The solicitation of the $14,000 was proposed from any budget surplus monies that may be available as the BOE nears the end of its fiscal year. The committee has for two years studied the feasibility and weighed the financial implications of various options from repair, to renovation, to build new.

Superintendent Jack Cross provided an overview of the educational merits of supporting the project, and committee members asked questions about the cost savings anticipated from both energy and maintenance perspectives. The project is currently in the conceptual drawings phase which will be presented to the Building Committee and town boards by mid-July.

The BOE voted to endorse the recommendation of the Morgan Building Committee to build a new Morgan School to show their support for the project moving forward.

Also discussed and approved were adjustments to the proposal for reductions of the initial proposed budget for 2011-2012 of $419,772 as voted on by referendum last Wednesday by the town taxpayers. Overall the proposed cuts as outlined last week remain with adjustments up or down by various line items.

In Kane's audit of surplus funds and appropriations, he found enough money to offset the $94,750 cut to capital.

Going forward Kane explained there will be a two year cutoff for appropriations to be utilized and projects completed. These monies he has identified are a one-time bonus that board members and administrators were not aware of.

As the end of another fiscal year draws near, Jack Cross reviewed with the board a prioritized list for “Available Funds to Appropriate.” Eight items including technology, unexpected capital outlays, and safety concerns were identified. The list was also voted on and approved to allocate at the best judgement of administration.

The BOE broke for a 10 minute executive session with the Building Committee to discuss the proposed site for an engineering study. Upon reconvening, the board voted to add the $14,000 site evaluation and environmental study funding to the list of Available Funds to Appropriate.

The BOE reviewed and approved one resignation and the approval of three new hires for positions where funding was already included in the budget.