"We began with the premise that our most important objective is to improve student achievement," said Superintendent Dr. Robert Cronin.
Dr. Cronin said it is imperative that all of the curriculum documents be current and used in all classrooms by teachers. He also said it is important to evaluate the success of the curriculum and make any adjustments necessary.
"We need to make certain we have the right people working with students and are providing them with the support and instruction that they need," said Dr. Cronin.
In creating the budget, Dr. Cronin said there was a list of "assumptions" of what was necessary, contrasted against the fact that "the economic conditions in Bethlehem and Woodbury have not improved and in fact has worsened since last year."
The assumptions include the need to maintain existing programs and services, fulfill all contractual obligations and maintain class-size guidelines. The budget will allocate resources for continuous curriculum improvement.
In addition, Region 14 has some priorities or "key components" in the budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Some include maintaining current programs that support academic achievement, strength­ening the academic program by appointing curriculum coor­dinators in the areas of language arts and social studies and mathematics and science.
"Last year, we eliminated a guidance counselor at Woodbury Middle School, and I am asking as a priority this year that in a school the size of our middle school that we reintroduce that guidance counselor and we continue to look at our capital projects and fund as much as we can," said Dr. Cronin.
Business manager Jay Hubel­bank made a budget presentation to Board of Education members. Mr. Hubelbank said that there are 10 categories in the budget that the federal government requires the district to have.
Of those categories, seven show a decrease in spending and three show an increase. Some decreases include classified salaries, supplies and material, both instructional and non-instructional, capital outlay, debt service and liability and new programs and requests.
"Our biggest categories are certified salaries, classified salaries and employee benefits, adding up to over 73 percent of our budget. So, clearly, the staffing has a big impact on what we're doing," said Mr. Hubelbank.
Within the certified salaries line, there is a 2.51 percent increase for regular teachers. Psychological services has seen an increase of 38.43 percent. Neither Dr. Cronin nor Mr. Hubelbank will be receiving a raise for the 2009-10 school year.
Mr. Hubelbank discussed the enrollment within the district. According to his presentation, the current enrollment is 2,164 students. For the 2009-10 school year, Region 14 is projecting a total of 2,098 students.
"Primarily that comes from the fact that our 12th grade is 163 students and we're projecting 115 kindergarten students," said Mr. Hubelbank. We staff based on our enrollment, and that really drives where the budget goes."
For the current year, Region 14 made a reduction of 21.76 in certified and non-certified staff positions. For the 2009-10 school year, the district is projecting 24.90 in total staff reductions.
Some of the staffing reductions include a kindergarten teacher and second grade teacher at Bethlehem Elementary School, a fourth-grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary School, a special education teacher at Woodbury Middle School and Mitchell Elementary School. The district will not replace the director of curriculum or the technology coordinator.
There is also to be a reduction in a kindergarten paraprofessional at Bethlehem Elementary School, two regular education paraprofessionals at Mitchell Elementary School, six special education paraprofessionals at Bethlehem Elementary School, with 10 reduced throughout the district.
Additions in staffing include a Language Arts Coordinator at the elementary schools, and a Language Arts-Social Studies coordinator at the Woodbury Middle School and Nonnewaug High School.
There will also be an addition in instructional support to assist in the special education area.
Mr. Hubelbank said that the district will receive some of the federal stimulus money for Title 1, a grant used for remedial services and professional development, and the district is expecting to receive some money under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
He said the federal government has strict guidelines for what the money can be used for. It cannot be used to pay staff currently funded under the general fund.
Resident Duncan McDougall read a letter to Board of Education members during the privilege of the floor portion of the meeting.
"With the cost of education rising and the lessening of earned income from the working families and businesses in our towns, it would appear that any increase for all staff should have been put on hold until this economic crisis is corrected," said Mr. McDougall.
A public hearing on the budget is set for April 6 at 7 p.m. at Nonnewaug High School.