WEATHERSFIELD Schools stand by busing cut

The pending busing reduction for Weathersfield schools causes controversy.
By MARY R. SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MINERAL RIDGE -- Despite opposition by incoming board member Fred McCandless and others, busing is to be cut Jan. 5 for all but kindergarten through eighth-grade pupils who live farther than two miles from their schools.
Dan Pringle, former board of education president, said the Weathersfield district is to receive a $16,000 or more windfall from the State Bureau of Workers' Compensation -- money he said the board should use to continue busing through January and February. Before the board's action last month to cut busing, all pupils were bused. Busing to the Trumbull County Career Center for 25 students who take the bus is also to be cut next month.
The board took the action after the failure of a second levy request in November for a 9.5-mill five-year emergency levy to generate $919,360 annually. That was after a 1-mill income tax levy request was defeated in May.
Although district Treasurer Angela Lewis said she has had no formal communication from workers' compensation about the $16,000 payment, resident Anna Owen, Niles-Carver Road, told the board: "We didn't want to cut busing. We just couldn't afford the 9.5 mills."
She supported Pringle's suggestion to use the $16,000.
"I can't understand why there's no room for discussion. We could get through this without taking any moves to cut busing during the worst months of the year," she added.
McCandless asked board president Debbie Maust before the meeting ended after more than three hours if the board were going to vote on his motion to reconsider the busing cuts.
"No we are not," Maust replied.
Outgoing board members
Some 50 residents attended the meeting, at which Maust and Dr. Dominic Pannunzio were presented plaques of thanks from schools Superintendent Rocco Adduci as outgoing members of the board.
Adduci said that any further cuts would be made by the new board in September 2004.
He added that busing will be eliminated "until we get money to reinstate it." Adduci said that the March primary election is out for requesting another levy and that if the board decides to go to voters in August it will cost the district $6,000 to place the issue on the ballot.
He said the next levy vote will likely be in November, and the millage request will be up to the board.
In a letter dated Dec. 2 that McCandless asked the board to read, Police Chief Joseph Consiglio said that busing cuts were a matter of particular concern to his department because children will be walking along township roads in inclement weather and there are no sidewalks in a large part of the township. He asked the board and superintendent to re-evaluate their decision.
Adduci sent a response, noting that state law requires the district to bus only kindergarten though eighth-grade pupils who live farther than two miles from their schools. He added: "I'm sure as a police chief you realize when a financial crisis arrives, cuts must be made."
He added that he realized the change will make it difficult for township police, and he asked for a meeting with the chief, township administrator Dave Pugh and other township officials on the matter.
With the latest round of cuts in busing, Lewis said an updated five-year forecast projects the district will have a $492,000 balance at the end of fiscal year 2004 and a $186,00 balance at the end of fiscal year 2005. The previous forecast in October anticipated a $378,589 balance in 2004 and a $150,267 deficit in 2005.