New Milford school board proposes a $58.73 million budget, a 3.14 percent increase

NEW MILFORD -- In a 5-3 vote, the Board of Education Wednesday night approved a $58.73 million budget for 2010-11. The plan was slightly less than administrators requested, but it restored some staff positions.

For more than two hours the board debated ways to preserve the district's educational quality despite the current economy. Several members acknowledged the budget process is far from over, and programs and staff may still be in jeopardy.

In the end, the board decided not to reduce para-educators' work days by 15 minutes, not to remove a part-time music teacher from the intermediate school, and not to eliminate a high school social studies teacher and a nurse. It delayed some maintenance costs.

The budget still eliminates a seventh-grade German teacher and three teacher clerks.