Cheshire School Budget to Town Manager

The combined efforts of the made for one of smoothest budget reviews in years, board Chairman Gerald Brittingham said this weekend.

The $63.2 million budget was approved in 6-1 vote last week with no decrease in the 2012-13 spending plan of School Superintendent Greg Florio.

"We all knew what the economic reality is," Brittingham said after the vote. "The Board of Education determined what was the absolute number we needed. That was the process," he said.

The lone "no" vote came from newly elected Democratic member Marlena Soble. She said the school district "could easily used $150,000 to $200,000 more."  After participating in her first budget process, Soble said she couldn't approve the spending request because the funding didn't allow the district to plan ahead.

"Our newest building is ) and its 40 years old," Soble stated. "Perhaps we're bordering on being 'penny wise and pound foolish,'" she said at the meeting.

Brittingham said he agrees with Soble's concerns. "The consensus on the board is we would have liked more," he said. Increased spending in technology, maintenance and textbooks was needed, Brittingham said, but the board felt it wasn't an option.

More than $100,000 in new textbook costs was removed, Brittingham noted, which would have provided new math books for three elementary grades.

The budget reflects a 3.02 percent increase from this year's spending plan, which Brittingham said is the smallest increase of any town in the area. "We had forecast (an increase) of 4.5 percent, and within a month it was 3.2 percent," he said.

"I'm cautiously optimistic. We're hoping the will keep an open mind," Brittingham said.

The council will begin its budget process in March after Town Manager Michael Milone submits his spending plan for the town's operating budget, which includes the school district funding.