Additional budget cuts force school department to make tough choices

Date: 7/7/2010

July 7, 2010

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor

WESTFIELD -- School officials have some very tough decisions to make.

The City Council's approval of the $116 million fiscal year 2011 (FY11) operating budget on June 30, called for additional reductions to the school department totaling approximately $864,000.

"Our options are to close Juniper Park [Elementary School] or Fort Meadow [Early Childhood Center] and eliminate certain parts of the sports program," Mayor Daniel Knapik, chair of the School Committee, told Reminder Publications.

"The council has backed us into a corner," he added.

Knapik, who previously served as Ward 2 city councilor, said his aim had been to create an atmosphere of transparency throughout the budget process.

"I thought that the budget process that was undertaken this year was so different from all of the budgets that I'd ever done as a city councilor. To have it all thrown back in your face is a bit insulting," Knapik said.

"My budget was clearly financed ... that package would've maintained services," he continued.

Knapik explained that due to decreasing state aid and local revenues, he had to come up with radical cost-savings measures to keep the budget balanced. One such plan required each employee to take three furlough days in order to save the city between $200,000 and $400,000.

Knapik said the council's additional cut to the school department would likely hinder the already difficult negotiations with the teachers union.

"I'm heavily disappointed because now I've got to live with this mess now," Knapik said. "It all could've been avoided. I think some councilors have to wake up and come back from their summer break in August willing to work with us."

City Councilor Richard Onofrey Jr., chair of the Finance Committee, explained he'd be willing to make a motion to restore funds to the school department via the stabilization account if teachers union agrees to a pay freeze for the next 12 months.

He called the overall budget process, his first as chair of the finance committee, "exactly what I had anticipated."

"We saw a few places where we could cut there weren't many," Onofrey said. "I thought the budget was reasonable."

Knapik said he'll be meeting with Superintendent Shirley Alvira, members of the school committee and other officials in the coming days to determine how best to absorb the cuts, be it closures of buildings or services.

Alvira could not be reached for comment by press time.