Schools

Referendum Supporters Form PAC

'FACES' to Urge 'Yes' Vote in June 14 Referendum, Support Municipal Candidates Who Endorse Education Spending

Advocates of restoring $800,000 to the Board of Education's $145.68 million budget in 2011-12 have formed a political action committee to get the word out about a June 14 referendum and to support candidates for local political offices who support funding for the town's school system.

John Convertito of Oyster Road, who helped collect more than 2,200 signatures on petitions to force a townwide vote on the Representative Town Meeting's May 2 decision to cut $800,000 from the Board of Education's proposed 2011-12 budget - which already had been reduced by $2 million - told school board members Tuesday night of the PAC's formation.

Convertito, in a brief interview in a stairwell in the Education Center, 501 Kings Highway East, said he had filed paperwork to form the PAC, known as FACES - Fairfielders Against Cutting Educational Spending - on Tuesday.

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"Initially, we're looking to raise money to get the vote out for the referendum and to make people aware of that, and we're hoping to carry it further into the November election," Convertito said.

The RTM had voted 22-20, with one abstention, to approve the $800,000 cut to the Board of Educaton's proposed budget, and all but one of the votes in favor was cast by a Republican. Republicans control the 50-member legislative body by a 38-12 tally over Democrats.

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Convertito didn't explicitly say FACES was going to target GOP incumbents on the RTM who voted in favor of the $800,000 cut, though it seemed at least to be implied. "We're making sure candidates on the ballot understand this education system has suffered through close to $10 million worth of cuts [in the last three annual budgets] and can't take any more without affecting the quality of the system," he said.

The school board in January 2009 had voted to approve a $143 million budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, but town boards cut $3.5 million, leaving the board with a budget that was $50,777 less than its budget in 2008-09. The Board of Education's approved budget in 2008-09 was $139,614,137 and its approved budget in 2009-10 was $139,563,360, a 0 percent increase, according to town budget books.

In January 2010, the school board voted to approve a $144.6 million budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, but town boards cut $3 million, leaving the board with an approved budget of $141.6 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year, a 1.4 percent increase, according to town budget books.

Last January, the school board voted to approve a $148.5 million budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year, but town boards cut $2.8 million, leaving the board with a $145.68 million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, an increase of 2.9 percent.

The total amount of money cut from the past three adopted Board of Education budgets totals $9.3 million.

School board member Catherine Albin previously said the Board of Education wasn't just grappling with finding $2.8 million in savings in the 2011-12 budget - it also was dealing with the effects of cuts to the prior two budgets.

Meanwhile, Convertito said Tuesday night that he was optimistic that the June 14 referendum will be successful. For that to happen, 25 percent of Fairfield's voters will have to vote in favor of restoring the $800,000 cut by the RTM and those votes also will have to be a majority of votes cast.

Convertito said referendum supporters had their first organizational meeting Tuesday evening. "We're just getting our strategical process in place, lawn signs being the first," he said. "We're going to be out there and let people know the referendum is here. This is their education system, and they need to speak up about it."

Referendum supporters also hope to have a website up and running by Friday, Convertito said.

Voting hours in the June 14 referendum are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at regular polling places, except for residents in District 2, who will vote in Burr Elementary School. Paper ballots will be used in the referendum.


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