by Phillip Zema
The 2010-2011 budget failed by a vote of 710-542, and the BOE is once again placed in a difficult position – either develop a budget more attractive to the community or bear the consequences of a contingency budget – one where invaluable extracurricular activities are compromised. During privilege of the floor, Heinz Noeding proposed a number of ways the BOE and administration could prepare a more palatable budget. He saw the budget and election results as a new beginning for the District. This “new beginning” includes amending the budget, investigating whether Grafton’s closing can be postponed, replacing and reconfiguring the District’s administration and taking measures to improve academic excellence. He emphasized the importance of implementing leadership that can pull the District together and help it move forward.
One of his more controversial points concerned his request for leadership change. Drawing on his past work experiences, he discussed that in Japan, when leaders make poor decisions, they apologize to the community and resign, especially since their actions drastically impact the community. Applying this anecdote to Berlin’s situation, Noeding suggested that Superintendent Gregory, Principal Diamond, BOE President Frank Zwack and BOE Vice-President Jeffrey Paine do the same. Zwack, Paine and Gregory later said they would not.
Noeding also recommended the BOE establish a transitional leadership team. Later, upon the school attorney’s advice, this group would formally be called a leadership advisory committee. This committee would be composed of Berlin’s administration, BOE, faculty and residents. Its four primary tasks would be to amend the budget, develop a viable long term financial plan, evaluate the benefits and viability of keeping Grafton open and jump-start the superintendent search.
Noeding also believed the Budget could be reduced to about $17.5m, well below the contingency budget. This savings, he argued, could be realized if the District consolidated administrative personnel (e.g. having only one 6-12 principal), froze teacher salaries (a sacrifice, he claimed, needed to be done by everyone), adjusted the transportation system (e.g. establishing more efficient bus routes) and took other cost-saving measures. Noeding later admitted this scenario may not be immediately feasible. He emphasized that even if the new budget was only slightly better, it would still be several steps ahead from where it stood.
Former BOE member Julie Harrell supported Noeding. She was concerned that Berlin’s students were suffering, as there have been discussions about the demise of extracurricular activities and sports. Like Noeding, she called for the resignation of the above mentioned officials.
Initially the BOE and administration made no formal response to these statements. Superintendent Gregory and the District’s attorney talked about the consequences of a contingency budget.While the Board has some freedom to construct the budget, the budget’s cap (set somewhere near the 2009-2010 budget) cannot be exceeded. Consequently, non-contractual and non-state mandated programs such as sports and drama may be compromised. Gregory added that this year’s budget did not include the costs of keeping Grafton Elementary open. So whether the District adopts a contingency or amended budget, if they decide to keep Grafton open, they have to structure the budget accordingly.
Gregory then proceeded to thoroughly outline details about the contingency budget. But since the large screen projector could not be used because no computer was available, there was nothing for the BOE or audience to see. Board Member Tom Morelli interjected and claimed that the lack of a visual aid made her presentation confusing. Frustrated, Morelli asked the BOE to respond to Noeding’s and Harrell’s statements. After a brief argument, Gregory opted to enter executive session, and the majority of the Board consented. Morelli initially refused to go, and many audience members angrily expressed their displeasure with the Board’s actions. As the Board exited, many audience members shouted for the Board to keep the discussion “transparent” and “open to the public.” Some audience and BOE members even exchanged heated comments. There were also claims that the Board’s actions were illegal, based on the notion that only personnel matters can be discussed during executive session. The discussions that occurred during executive session were never made public.
After a brief interval, the Board returned, and Gregory invited Noeding to further address the Board. Noeding re-emphasized the need to create a transitional advisory team (hereafter “Leadership Advisory Committee), one that would help establish an amended budget. Morelli made a motion to create this committee. The Board argued over the structure and purpose of the committee, but it was decided that the committee would consist of an amalgamation of various community, administrative and faculty members, roughly between 15-25 people. Eventually, the Board passed the motion 6-1, with Gina Goodermote casting the only dissenting vote. Her concern was that the committee should not focus on postponing Grafton’s closure. Goodermote believed that such talks might be misleading and unnecessarily divisive. She also worried that such discussions would not help the District avoid a contingency budget.
Morelli was put in charge of creating the leadership advisory committee. The leadership committee has until May 26 to create an amended budget. This date gives the BOE one day to investigate the second proposal before it votes on it on May 28. If the BOE adopts the budget, there will be a public hearing on June 8. The vote will then be on June 15. If the budget fails a second time, then by a law a contingency budget must be implemented. Morelli stated that an amended budget has a better chance of success, for it will be transparent and feature the public’s input. Zwack emphasized that any such budget must satisfy the District’s educational needs.
An Achievement
While the Berlin School District is currently faced with a number of difficulties, its students are still doing great things. Recently, eighth-grader Katie Gallucci took part in the All-Eastern United States Children’s Honors Choir – the first Berlin student ever to do so. The event took place in Philadelphia and included students
from 11 states. Of the 900 students who applied for the choir, Katie was among the 130 selected. As Jean Kirsch, the high school’s music teacher, emphasized, she had to clearly demonstrate top flight musical excellence just to be considered for the honor. Moreover, the grueling application process required her to prepare a CD that displayed all facets of her singing capabilities (e.g. range and pitch). Upon being selected, she had to learn 10 songs, two of which were in German. Kirsch said she was proud of Berlin’s musical department and encouraged Katie to apply for the national event, which will be held in 2011 in Chicago. Katie, in return, thanked Kirsch and provided the BOE with a copy of her CD.