The Stonington Board of Education will discuss what board members describe as painful cuts to the 2012-2013 school budget tonight.
The board meets at 7:30 p.m. at following the second town meeting on the budget. After voters rejected the town budget the .
The new proposed budget stands at $56,733,696 setting the mill rate at 15.89. A property owner with a house appraised at $250,000 will pay an additional $65 in property taxes if the budget is accepted. Residents will have their chance to vote on the budget on June 5.
While the Board of Finance cut money from the Stonington Schools budget it is up to the Board of Education to decide where in their proposed budget that money comes from.
It is unclear where that $300,000 will come out of the schools budget, but some of the options the board discussed earlier this month include increasing classroom sizes, cutting extracurricular activities and holding off on capital improvement plans.
“I feel very strongly that we have an obligation to the public to give them some sort of outline,” MacDonald said about the cuts at the last Board of Education meeting.
At their May 10 meeting Superintendent Leanne Masterjospeh and Board of Education members discussed the possible cuts but came to no resolutions. Masterjoseph stated at the beginning of that meeting that rather than coming with a list of proposed cuts she wanted to have a discussion with the Board of Education members on their budget priorities.
The majority of Board of Education members at the meeting stated that there was little they could cut that would not affect students in some way.
Also on the agenda of tonight’s meeting is the possible appointment of an interim superintendent. Superintendent a couple of weeks ago and the Board of Education quickly formed a . Board of Education Chairwoman Gail MacDonald said the item is there in case the board is ready to make an appointment.
