Linda Conner Lambeck wrote this in the CT Post:
The city school board–whose operating budget has remained the same for the past three years at $215.8 million–is contemplating asking the city for as much as a 10 percent increase.
The board’s finance committee, which was presented the budget for the first time Monday, has not yet discussed how to manage with anything less than the proposed $233.5 million budget but school officials say school closings are being discussed internally.
Schools Superintendent John Ramos told the board’s finance committee Monday that a major part of the need for the increase is because the district won’t have $5.3 million federal stimulus money any more. That money was being used to pay for English, math and special education teachers.
Read more: www.ctpost.com/default/article/Bridgeport-school-board-considering-10-percent-1323438.php.
Why ask for the moolah now when Mayor Bill Finch’s budget has already been submitted to the City Council? The council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee will take up the BOE budget April 13, 6 p.m. in the Wheeler Room of City Hall. Ya think the budget committee is going to become a water boy for the BOE and add more dough? Why didn’t the BOE scream its budget request sooner?
Maybe they can ask the Supt. to forgo his salary for a year … (or 10).
Why ask for money, indeed. If the city of Bridgeport had a functioning public education system (instead of the dysfunctional department of “education” we have now), the two young men in the following news item from the Connecticut Post would’ve had other “employment” options.
www .ctpost.com/default/article/Cops-Bridgeport-armed-robbers-caught-in-the-act-423790.php
Kid,
Are you referring to these two entrepreneurs? Young upwardly mobile professionals willing to work second shift to provide stimulus for their regional economy? There is no shortage of this skilled labor in BPT.
We could have opened liquor stores on Sunday & figure out a way to tax this thriving industry to balance the budget.
I’m freakin’ disgusted with Ramos and his band of losers running my children’s school system.
You telling me this Robert Henry sexually harassed an HR person? This pervert thought he would get away with that? Oh wait, he did, it cost us $30,000, but he still makes his six-figure salary.
Then I read the boobs broke a GAG order and the woman is going to nail us overburdened taxpayers for more money?
These are the same idiots making decisions for what is good for my child?
Every member of that BOARD should be thrown out on their butts for allowing this Ramos and Henry to infect our children.
The freakin’ mayor is so busy handing out cushy jobs to save his pathetic butt he has no damn idea what is going on under his own beak in city hall, or does he allow sexual harassment of HIS employees?
Finch hasn’t done a damn thing right in four years, he can start now by kicking Ramos and Henry’s perverted asses out of Bridgeport!
Ramos and his tenure-obsessed minions keep the test scores in the acceptable range to keep the State Department of Education from becoming too interested in the malpractice being practiced in the name of the city’s children.
Ramos and the BOE know the routine regarding the City budget as well as deadlines. They have been down this path annually for several years. There is more to this than is readily apparent.
The City Annual Financial Report for June 30 2010 indicates $2.5 Million was invested in “new financial management systems” for both City and Board of Education to improve reporting, accountability and budgeting process. Something is obviously not working here and maybe Dawn Norton should take a look. Observers recently have seen the drama at year end about who gets to use the leftovers at last. Maybe folks are being plain cautious.
Do you think there is trust, cooperation or a sense that we have to work together? I have never quite understood why very specific objectives and goals have not been developed to quantify and assess how the Superintendent is doing as the leader of more than half the City employees. How can the BOE evaluate his work?
Perhaps there is strategy on both sides this year regarding budgeting since so much is dependent on funds from State and Feds in any case. But then they are not living up to requirements for budgets and real financial presentations, are they?
Let’s not be too hard on our local leadership. Remember they are having to run the system daily during a period when our Congressmen cannot even get the current year’s budget set and in shape for more than 2-3 weeks in advance. What a revolting mess, isn’t it? And perhaps the big compensation bucks are too great for the actual work towards what the taxpayer assumes is the goal of the schools.
Stay tuned to see what more we know by the time the BOE budget is considered by the B & A Committee.
*** Time for the state to oversee the Bpt. schools system before it claims “banca-rotta,” no? ***
Does Linda think it’s too late or too soon for the BOE to ask? It’s not like the BOE waited until the first of June.
“We are committed to making Bridgeport the cleanest, greenest, safest, most affordable city with schools and neighborhoods that improve every year.”
This is the part I want OIB readers to absorb a little more.
“… schools and neighborhoods that improve every year.”
I wonder If Linda Conner Lambeck has ever hear or read this before. It looks like Bill Finch’s idea of school improvement doesn’t include education (BOE) funding increases. Three years in a row of flat funding. Didn’t the BOE return a good chunk of surplus money when Finch needed to plug the budget deficit–in 2009 I think? How about that BOE forensic audit Paul Timpanelli and Finch been working on, for how long now?
Hey Chosen 1,
I am totally at a loss for words at how you can defend this HR Girl. I felt compelled to chime in this one time as ANYONE who is ANYONE knows them both already knows the truth.
Very angry member of the He Woman Man Haters Club and a direct byproduct of the nepotism that plagues our City. The person who helped fill that position years ago is the one WHO JUST COST THE CITY $30,000, not Robert Henry! How many lawsuits? What was the cost of this over the years? Maybe someone should compare the number of lawsuits in HR Offices around the State of CT to see if there is a pattern here? Are we just spinning our wheels wasting money in defense? Defending what?
Anyone who knows Robert Henry knows that he’s a sincere person, is genuine and always willing to listen and help others. I have witnessed this gentleman in action on several occasions and he is TOP SHELF, a team player and anyone who cannot get along with him IS THE PROBLEM!!!
I have had the nauseating experience of dealing with that HR Office on a few occasions and was horrified at the way employees were treated. Were they all wrong or just not liked? Come on–everyone cannot be wrong!!!
Yesterday was a sad day for the City and not one person I came in contact with was happy for her, but felt compassion for Robert Henry as he is the real victim here. This is already yesterday’s news. This money was ill-gotten and BELIEVE YOU ME–no luck will be had with it.
NOW!!!