AUBURN — School Committee members said Wednesday they value the work school resource officers do.
But, the positions of Auburn Police Department School Resource Officers Justin Richardson, Tom Poulin, Donald Cousins and Shawn Carll were cut from the recommended $39.06 million school budget passed Wednesday night by the committee.
The committee voted 5-0 to remove the four positions from the 2015-16 budget and ask the council to cover their salaries in the city budget. Voting for the budget were Tom Kendall, Christopher Langis, Bonnie Hayes, Peter Letourneau and Laurie Tannenbaum.
Resident Larry Pelletier asked what happens if the council refuses to cover the school officers’ costs.
Langis said he didn’t think the public would support a budget without them, so he’d favor putting the positions back in, which would increase the budget.
Reflecting on earlier reductions, Hayes said more money needs to go back into the Office of Learning and Teaching “to move customized learning along.”
“We have to remember the school resource officers were on the budget side of the city for 20-odd years,” she said. The previous city manager recommended the School Department pay for them to help the School Department meet the Essential Programs and Services formula in which the state mandates minimum amounts of local dollars spent on education.
“We went along with that,” Hayes said. “Two years ago, we took over the funding for (school resource officers.”
The four officers keep the schools and community safe when needed, Hayes said. “They’re police oriented.” They wear police uniforms, have police guns and police training.
“The (school resource officers) need to go back to the city side, not to get rid of them, but to have the community fund them,” Hayes said.
Letourneau said a 1.8 percent increase doesn’t allow the School Department to cover costs, and it doesn’t matter to taxpayers whether school officers are in the school or the city budget.
Before the meeting, two principals said the school officers are important.
“They make connections with kids,” Walton Elementary School Principal Mike Davis said.
With a national landscape of tension between police and civilians in some cities, students make positive relationships with school officers, Auburn Middle School Principal Celena Ranger said. “They see police in everyday situations, not just when someone’s in trouble. It can build trust which is lacking in other parts of the country.”
As committee members began to debate the budget Wednesday night, Chairman Kendall reminded them the budget recommended months ago by the superintendent — which would have raised property taxes 5.7 percent — was necessary to cover higher special education costs and increased salaries.
It was a thoughtful, maintenance budget that did not add positions or programs, he said. Capping spending to 1.8 percent “is bending to the requirements of the City Council to meet their number,” Kendall said. “And it hurts. … What we are doing is taking away from where we are.”
Langis said he supports a budget with an 1.8 percent increase, and said reform is needed to bring down special education costs.
“I refuse to believe that one in five of our students needs special ed,” Langis said. “Something needs to be looked at.”
The school budget passed Wednesday night increases local property taxes 1.8 percent, or $28 a year for a home valued at $150,000. It’s about $625,000 less than what was recommended by Superintendent Katy Grondin to maintain programs.
The budget now goes to the City Councilors, who are meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, May 11, at Auburn Hall.
The public will vote on it at the polls on Tuesday, June 9.
What’s out — Reductions made in the Auburn school budget include: closing the Auburn Land Lab, cutting facilities maintenance, the Discovery Education program, one technology integrator position and four school resource police officers.
Savings were also made in special education transportation and offering early retirement to teachers, which four teachers accepted.
What’s in — Reductions previously considered but not made include library staff, middle school language teachers, some funds for the Office of Learning and Teaching, and one technology integrator position.
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