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"This year's budget is packed with contractual obligations, energy costs, and self insurance," Daniels said. At the town meeting in May, Canton residents will vote whether or not to approve the town budget.
According to Canton Superintendent of Schools Anthony Serio, the Board of Finance can ask the Board of Education to lower its figure. "The Board of Finance will go through the grand list," said Serio. "They will look at the current tax rate and the available fund balance to make a determination as to what they feel the town can afford."
Serio also said the bulk of this year's school budget is tied up in negotiated contracts, utilities, and insurance. He said there are staffing needs that need to be addressed, but the money is not there. "We are trying to meet the demands of the fixed costs," said Serio.
The Board of Education continues to contemplate the possibility of bringing back a football team to Canton High School. Despite $42,000 raised by Friends of Canton Football to fund the program, Daniels says that Serio is researching the Title 9 ramifications of adding a football team and the idea of partnering with Granby to field a team.
"We already have Title 9 issues now," Daniels said. "We will be adding one girls sport already. The superintendent tells me if football comes, we anticipate having to add two more sports teams (female) on top of the one being added. We will have to spend more money if we add more teams. To their credit, the Friends of Canton Football have offered to raise additional funds. They did very well with two fundraisers, a golf tournament and a raffle that they will run every year. That will be about $20,000 per year."
Serio said he is calling Burlington's superintendent to discuss their recent co-op season. He said there is a field space problem in Canton and a co-op with Granby may be a way to get a field.
In June of 2005, the Board of Education gave the Friends of Canton Football permission to raise funds. The friends are trying to raise $82,000.
They returned in February of 2006 with $42,000 and a line of credit of $50,000. According to Serio, the overall financial impact of establishing a football team over the long term has to be analyzed.
The long debated Canton mascot issue remains alive. Daniels has appointed a 15-member commission headed by Kathy Corkum, the former First Selectman of Canton, to make a recommendation by April 4 on how to proceed with the school mascot and a Native American design recently submitted to the Board of Education.
There are no Board of Education members on the commission, only current students, alumni, teachers, and coaches.
