Yesterday, Friends of Tolland Schools suggested the following to the Board of Education. This is the product of much discussion and drafting, a collaboration of a number of people. we recognize that this is complicated. There was much more discussed than was suggested. That said, In advance of passing a BOE budget, please consider this:
We request that in the month of January, the Town Council and Board of Education work together so that the BOE budget is built upon most-likely-case cost estimates, changed from worst-case cost estimates.
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Friends of Tolland Schools (FTS) asks for unified action now, from town professionals, the Town Council, and the Board of Education. In words heard at the FTS Advisory Board last Monday evening, “We need to set aside what HAS been done and look at what NEEDS to be done.”
Tolland’s Town Manager observes, “Make all the arguments you want, at the end of the day, the voter votes a number!” And thus begins the “win/lose dance”: the Superintendent has presented a ‘status quo’ budget of 5.98%, and the Town Manager countered by saying a budget tax increase right for the Town is in the range of 1-3% (see note below). New Town Council members informally target zero percent increase, without any deep discernment for the impact of that on schools and other town services, beyond soundbites of “change” and “efficiency.”
This is what happens when we allow the budget discussion to be all about “a number.” The FTS Advisory Board recognized that a critical issue is our year-at-a-time approach. We have an annual ‘short-view’ process of ‘winners and losers’ and a ‘long-view’ result where we all lose. We lose because educational programming has been significantly cut bit by bit over several years. We lose because we have deterioration of our roads. We lose because of increased community divisiveness. Without a longer term, SUBSTANTIVE approach to the budgetary process, the fundamental drivers of this ‘win/lose’ debate will never be addressed in a meaningful way.
So, what does a unified budget look like, in this situation?
We request that in the month of January, the Town Council and Board of Education work together so that the BOE budget is built upon most-likely-case cost estimates, changed from worst-case cost estimates.
With this done, things begin to change. First, leaders are seen as credible. It is no longer left to taxpayers to guess what proposed services really cost. Discussion among leaders shifts. Rather than “my number” (zero percent <—> six percent), leaders talk about prioritized service that will or won’t be offered at each funding level. With that focus, additional, creative possibilities are debated. Taxpayers see leaders as working hard to provide the best service possible within cost parameters. Moving away from a two-sided negotiation, trust is built. More voices enter the discussion. Solutions appear from untapped sources.
With this done, a unified budget for the Superintendent’s proposed level of service requires less than a 5.98% increase. In addition, toward a unified budget, We suggest leaders focus the discussion on specific priorities that may or may not be funded, rather than calls for particular budget increases.
As with any significant, positive change, there are obstacles. FTS has independently formulated a number of suggestions on how to make this happen, developing a strawman budget increase that approximated 4%. While we would be glad to share our brainstorming, going through this process affirmed for us that there are no simple solutions. Each idea raised also surfaced numerous complexities and leap-of-faith requirements. This is precisely why our leaders must work trustingly together.
School conservative cost estimates exist because of large unknown variables each January. Unlike the town, which maintains financial reserves, the district has no fall back position for unfavorable variance to the assumptions made. Looking forward to years ahead, circumstances as unforeseeable as a flu epidemic (impacting the calculation of health insurance cost) or a change in weather will inevitably cause a significant unfunded problem. Without a fall back position, we could foresee schools unable to meet payroll and similar obligations. While the town reserves money for such inevitability, as things are now, use of it is outside the schools realm of possibility. What would be the legal way to allow the BOE to have a reserve, managed by the town, counted on in the case of rare extraordinary expenses?
So, we send this to you without pretending we have the answers. Rather, we send this with the hope for a better process, and the vision for many stakeholders better understanding and engaging in the substance of town services and the consequences of cuts. We envision shared ownership of action required to preserve and improve our community.
Thank you,
Friends of Tolland Schools
Note: After this was sent to the Board of Education, we were corrected. Town Manager Steve Werbner’s 1-3% increase is a tax increase, not a budget (cost) increase. It is net of projected revenue increase, based on changes to the grand list, expected to be published by the Town Manager this week.
