The Westport Representative Town Meeting Tuesday night rejected by a vote of 34-2 a motion that would have restored $1.4 million to the Board of Education's $109.1 million budget for the next fiscal year, a restoration that had been fervently advocated by several hundred students and their supporters at a rally Monday evening at Town Hall. The RTM gave final approval to the school budget of $109,153,042 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1. This represents a .01 decrease from the current year's budget.
The students, some of whom walked from Staples High School to Town Hall for the rally, gave speeches and sang songs urging the RTM to restore the funds, explaining that the budget reduction approved last month by the Board of Finance would result in the elimination of popular classes and tend to undermine the school system's reputation as one of the best in the state.
Many students carried signs reading, "No more cuts," "Save Staples," and "Don't wreck the Wreckers."
The RTM Tuesday also voted by a margin of 22-14 against a less ambitious motion that would have restored $300,000 to the school budget, and voted 26-10 against cutting an additional $500,000 from the schools, in addition to the finance board's $1.4 million cut.
In a recent letter to area newspapers, Staples students wrote of their distress about the possible elimination of classes, including the popular Collab class.
"We were so disappointed and devastated to hear of the potential cancellation of Collab. This class teaches students in a unique way -one that encourages individual thinking instead of the practiced memorization of facts, asks students to question surroundings and what is expected and known, and has proved to be a progressive teaching style. We have been taught the importance of thinking for ourselves, working with peers, and how twenty-first century skills are vital to the learning process.
"Westport prides itself on the superior education, individuality, and support it provides to its students. Our town was recently honored with having the number one school in Connecticut. With these supposedly necessary budget cuts, our class is finding it hard to believe we will be able to maintain this status without the many classes that make Staples unique.
In addition to Collab, many other distinctive classes are being cancelled, including ones that are critical to an average high school. French 1, music lessons, Latin American Studies, Senior Options, Current Issues, British and Irish Literature, and A.P. Computer Science are among the courses being cut. This fight is not simply about Collab. We believe that restricting educational opportunities is a critical error, no matter what the class," the students said.
J.J. Mathewson, a Staples High freshman who helped organize Monday's rally, said the budget cuts "will cripple an already crippled school system."
"This rally demonstrates the importance of everyone getting involved," he said. "Once the RTM looks at the facts they'll see what's involved."
Mathewson said the rally was organized by students after they learned how the proposed budget cuts would affect their classes.
Schools Supt. Dr. Elliott Landon, who attended Monday's rally, clapped and swayed with the music as the crowd, led by members of the Staples Players, sang songs urging the budget restoration. Asked whether he supported the students' cause, Landon said he hoped the RTM would "look at the facts" of the school system's proposed budget.
Even though school administrators and teachers clearly would have appreciated any decision by the RTM to restore budget funds, the Board of Education decided last month not to seek a formal restoration.
But School board members said they were distressed by the Board of Finance's decisions, especially since, they said, the school board and Landon realized the budgetary constraints placed on the Town by the currrent economic downturn. The school board had requested a 2.06 increase in its budget over the current year, less that half of the increase approved in several recent years.