Ed Board Adjusts Budget Before Annual Town Meeting

Brookfield residents have the Annual Town Meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium, where they will have the ability to , chose the and reduce specific line items, so long as at least 4 percent of registered voters are in attendance (approximately 400 persons).

includes a 2.63 percent spending increase over 2011-12 with a proposed mill rate increase of 2 percent.

The Board of Education (BOE) voted 3-1 last week (with two members absent and one abstaining) on an amended budget proposal to account for cuts and a request for a larger pension contribution from the Board of Finance (BOF). The Education Board reduced their spending projections by $40,000 and increasing their pension contribution by $55,000, for a total adjustment of $95,000.

In order to meet this reduction, the district plans to eliminate 3.0 full-time paraprofessional positions and hire the halfway through the school year, rather than in August.

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“All other pieces of our original proposal — including adding a Kindergarten and fourth grade teacher to address class sizes — are in tact,” BOE Chairman Ray DiStephan said.

DiStephan asserted that the latest proposed budget would be sufficient to address the district’s needs and new initiatives, though he expressed regret at having to cut three positions and delay hiring the maintenance position.

“But overall, this is a very responsible budget and accomplishes a lot on what amounts to less than a 2.5 percent increase from year-to-year,” he added.