The State has designated priority groups (or tiers) for each group to be vaccinated. Local By Kendra Baker New Fairfield residents question legality of high school... Local By Kendra Baker New plans proposed for New Fairfield High School building project. We’ve looked at every option we can, and we’re starting to create those scenarios,” Da Silva said. “We haven’t been 5,000 students for many many years,” McEvoy said. Dr. DeSantis will be a familiar name to many RPS families as he is the current K-12 STEM Supervisor and before that a beloved Ridgefield High School physics teacher, coach of the electric car race team, and founding director of the annual cardboard boat race. He mentioned things like possibly combining information technology operations with the town’s IT department. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susie Da Silva announced that Dr. Wes DeSantis will be the new Director of Education Technology. “We need to do bigger bets, we need to be bolder.”. #Ridgefield BOE Public Hearing on Saturday: Superintendent’s FY 2020-21 Proposed Operating Budget @Ridgefieldps “There’s a lot of things we do need to look at,” Steckler said. Talk of soaring unemployment and a need for collaboration and flexibility in difficult times did not translate into a Board of Education majority willing to rescind it’s request for a 3.96 percent budget increase next year. “Obviously we want to take care of the children — they’re why we’re here,” said board member Ken Sjoberg. “Buying textbooks,” she said. The Ridgefield Council of PTAs, with 9 local-unit PTAs, is the umbrella organization for the PTAs in Ridgefield. McEvoy’s initial questioning of “board leadership” — which appeared to be addressed to chairwoman Margaret Stamatis — drew a rebuke. Redding is looking at $600,000 more in salaries, accounting for $16 million of the overall $22.8 million budget. The cuts to the elementary school art programs prompted the only prolonged discussion Monday night. “Our primary responsibility here is the students in our care,” said Jonathan Steckler. Board member Nora Gaydos spoke “on behalf of the 5,000 children who can’t speak for themselves.” She was wary of reducing the budget request. I know as a teacher, just when a student is out for a week, what the impact is,” Gaydos said. These include all schools (except Scotland Elementary School) being flat-funded to 2019-20; reductions in the technology and curriculum departments; deferred purchases of furniture and fixtures; and athletics funded at 2019-20 budget GF (General Fund) contribution amounts except for contractual obligations. By Macklin Reid. Ridgefield is a beautiful, colonial town of approximately 24,300 people in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in central Fairfield County, Connecticut. “I don’t believe it’s time for us to jump ahead of them, and assume a 40% unemployment rate and bankrupt state. “We want to partner with the town. Absentee ballots are now available for the May 9, 2017 Budget Referendum. “Our kids are going to be hurting too,” said Rachel Ruggeri. “We’ve had two meetings since this started, and they’ve been trivial, we haven’t discussed the hard things... “We need to look at the big bets. (Executive orders from Governor Ned Lamont gave finance boards the final say on 2020-21 school budgets). “ ...I don’t know if we can go line by line at this point. New Milford also proposed eliminating a teacher at Sarah Noble Intermediate School and a high school math teacher, though it’s adding several more at the elementary schools. “The recommended cut in art education was made after this work, not before. We are living in unprecedented times!”. … “The tough choices need to be made.”, Ridgefield school board declines to reduce its budget request, Ridgefield starts vaccinations, but a ways to go, Ridgefield Food Pantry receiver of $1,750 donation, Freemasons celebrate 50-year members in Ridgefield, Ms President US receiver of $4,200 grant from foundation, Ms President US program initiative kicks off its fourth year, Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep): On Ridgefield Continuing Education schedule, Ridgefield boy learns piano, pens possible holiday classic, ESL, GED, Adult Basic Education classes starting, Bridge: Ridgefield Continuing Education classes set to start, Police: Woman robbed liquor store, tried to sell stolen booze on Snapchat, ‘Tremendously important to get the vaccine distributed’: Ridgefield starts vaccinations, Police: Fitness trainer charged with sexually assaulting teen in Bridgeport, Ridgefield High School reports 6 new COVID cases, Police: Darien man, 20, tried to use BB gun for target practice in Woodland Park, Police: 2 CT residents charged in Capitol protest. Budget Referendum to take place at Yanity Gym, 60 Prospect Street, Ridgefield CT from 6 am to 8 pm. “That conversation is over. A review by the Connecticut Mirror shows that a cut to major school grants in 2017 coincided with a big drop in school staffing levels – even after adjusting for declining enrollment. “We’re almost an elementary school less than that. Sojberg summed up the situation going forward. “We currently have a 3.96% increase approved. “All of our budgets flat-funded. “We have to be ready and willing to provide the support to the children, but also the teachers and staff.”. Meeting virtually on Monday evening, the Ridgefield Board of Education approved a motion to adopt the revised 2020-21 Ridgefield Public Schools Operating Budget of $99,912,151. We do expect that to be changed by the Board of Finance,” he said. Board member Sean McEvoy — who eventually seconded Floegel’s motion to rescind the previous budget vote — argued that the board should be more aggressive about reworking the budget during the coronavirus crisis. Ridgefield silent at school budget hearing; increase now below four percent. “I’m against this reduction,” Ruggeri said. The breakdown of the budget is illustrated in the pie chart below and can be found in the Summary Budget Analysis by Object spreadsheet in the Appendix. See the top reviewed local home builders in Ridgefield, CT on Houzz. 2020-21 BOE Budget Meetings; Ridgefield Public School calendar; Project Resilience calendar; Community Partners; Resources. “Once that work was completed, the team calibrated across all schools, followed by the creation of a schedule for all essentials. He gave colleagues something of a pep talk about considering more drastic changes to the school system. “The teachers union, they’re not open for that conversation, at least at this point,” Da Silva said. The meeting also heard communications on the budget from some 25 residents read into the record, with all but one of them asking that cuts to be held to a minimum. “While we may not have 40 percent unemployment, it’s over 20 percent,” she said. “This is not business as usual,” she said. “There will be cuts at all levels. We’re approximately 4,500, for everybody watching at home.”. “I don’t think it’s a very productive time to start attacking members of our own board,” said Carina Drake. Search 4,862 Ridgefield, CT home builders to find the best home builder for your project. Ridgefield is a beautiful, colonial town of approximately 24,300 people in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in central Fairfield County, Connecticut. The administration will be constructing “scenarios” for how various levels of budget reductions could be absorbed, and how their implications would play out. Prior to the coronavirus epidemic, the Board of Education had approved a $102-million budget (3.96% increase from 2019-20) that created several new positions and increased education spending by nearly $4 million for the 2020-21 school year. The path of least resistance would be to maintain a budget at 2.96,” she said. “But none of them look great.”. RIDGEFIELD, CT — Voters approved a $47,793,923 town operating budget and another $98,193,760 for the schools as the 2019-20 fiscal plans went to referendum on Tuesday. RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Education has voted unanimously to approve Superintendent Dr. Karen Baldwin's $93.5-million budget request for the upcoming school … Ridgefield’s school system now has a clearer idea. The vote came during a Board of Eucation meeting open to the public on Zoom. Other board members simply doubtful about the wisdom of preemptively cutting a 2020-21 budget request that will have to finance a difficult return to school — either later this spring, or in the fall. Absentee Ballots cannot be mailed for this type of Referendum and must be obtained in person in the Town Clerk's office. Based on discussion at last week’s tri-board meeting, school officials seemed to regard a reduction in the 2020-21 school budget as very likely to be handed down by the selectmen and finance board. “Each elementary school should have its own art teacher.”. “...if we’re forced to have a 0% increase, we can wish we have all the science and math support we want, but we’re not going to have that... “If we have to make those deep cuts, then those deep cuts have to be made,” he said. But at a meeting in April, the town’s Board of Finance approved the $99,912,000 school budget for 2020-21, leaving the schools with slightly more than $2 million to trim from their original proposal. We need to do what we think is best, but we need to be flexible. Ridgefield is a beautiful, colonial town of approximately 24,300 people in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in central Fairfield County, Connecticut. “As a reminder, 80% of our budget is people,” she said. “That’s the path of least resistance, not necessarily the best path,” she added. Title: Date: Venue: 2020 Superintendent's Proposed Budget Presentation. At the end of the board’s discussion of the 2020-21 budget, McEvoy made a point about his colleagues referring to the school system’s enrollment as 5,000 students, despite a continuing decline. The vaccination program for the State of Connecticut is currently underway. Fellow board member Carina Drake noted that the board had received 24 emails from parents concerned about the reduction in art teachers at the elementary school level. “This is not time for deep diving cuts on already lean budgets,” said board member Rachel Ruggeri. Sjoberg, Drake, Steckler, Holz and chairwoman Stamatis opposed the motion. Ridgefield school board declines to reduce its budget request April 30, 2020 Updated: April 30, 2020 3 p.m. Other board members questioned the idea of rescinding their budget request in advance of action by the selectmen and Board of Finance. “...We are fiscally accountable for the school system. Those included removing requests for three math coaches and a director of security and eliminating or reducing several positions — including a transition coordinator, the equivalent of two teaching positions at Ridgefield High School, and three elementary school art teachers. “We have to be flexible. “If you want to win this budget battle you’ve got to do it as a team,” he said. “We need to make all the decisions that we do make based on what’s the best we can do with the amount of money we’re allowed to have,” he said. Board member Rachel Ruggeri said she had coronavirus-related health concerns about art teachers needing to travel between different elementary schools. Ridgefield, CT. Town of Ridgefield COVID-19 Vaccination Information . Ridgefield’s Karashik scores first goal for UConn since 2018 CT's women's hockey team will play a 'bubble' season in 2021 WestConn becomes third Connecticut university to cancel winter I’ve never seen something like this.”. The vaccination program for the State of Connecticut is currently underway. With the coronavirus epidemic setting off an economic free-fall across the country, the question wasn’t going to be how much school districts could add to their 2020-21 budgets but rather how much they would need to remove. Together, the nine schools that comprise our district provide a safe, empowering learning environment for just under 5,000 pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The State has designated priority groups (or tiers) for each group to be vaccinated. The motion passed by a vote of 7-2. Jan 13: BOE Conference Room in Town Annex: Elementary and Middle School Budgets. Jan 15: BOE … Ridgefield Academy/Landmark Preschool admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Executive orders from Governor Ned Lamont give the selectmen and finance board budget-making authority normally wielded by voters at the Annual Town Meeting and the the budget referendum. Floegel thought there were areas where the schools could reduce spending that had been planned before the coronavirus brought both local and national economies to a near standstill. RIDGEFIELD, CT — Ridgefield Schools Superintendent Karen Baldwin proposed a 4.83 percent operating budget increase for the next school year. Ms. Gillette comes to Ridgefield from the Darien Public Schools, where she has worked since 2013, first as a Literacy . But primarily due to raises and other contracted salary obligations, the new budget required cost cutting — a 2.96% increase would have been needed to prevent the schools from adding new positions while allowing them to maintain current operations. We welcome your suggestions for information you would like to see on our website and encourage your involvement in our schools. RIDGEFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 8 RIDGEFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET FY 2016-17 The district’s operating budget for FY 2016-17 is $90,374,229, or an increase in spending of $4,295,864 or 4.99%. The Ridgefield Public Schools Board of Education is proud of its educational program and the high standards set for our students, faculty, and support staff and is committed to improving communication between the school system and the residents of Ridgefield. Consistency across all of our six elementary schools was an intentional outcome in this process.”, Board of education approves school budget, Ridgefield starts vaccinations, but a ways to go, Ridgefield Food Pantry receiver of $1,750 donation, Freemasons celebrate 50-year members in Ridgefield, Ms President US receiver of $4,200 grant from foundation, Ms President US program initiative kicks off its fourth year, Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep): On Ridgefield Continuing Education schedule, Ridgefield boy learns piano, pens possible holiday classic, ESL, GED, Adult Basic Education classes starting, Bridge: Ridgefield Continuing Education classes set to start, Police: Woman robbed liquor store, tried to sell stolen booze on Snapchat, ‘Tremendously important to get the vaccine distributed’: Ridgefield starts vaccinations, Police: Fitness trainer charged with sexually assaulting teen in Bridgeport, Ridgefield High School reports 6 new COVID cases, Police: Darien man, 20, tried to use BB gun for target practice in Woodland Park, Police: 2 CT residents charged in Capitol protest. “These discussions have not only involved art education, but all essentials (specials). 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