Town residents have voiced opinions on and concerns over the proposed budget for the 2010 – 2011 school year at a series of public meetings over the past two weeks.

On January 4, the Wayland School Committee held a public forum in the Large Hearing Room in the Town Building, to review Superintendent Gary Burton’s budget, one that has caused discussion and dissension within the community. The budget will shrink 2.33% next year, the first reduction since 1981.

School Committee chairman Louis Jurist gave a presentation summarizing the budget and proposed cuts before opening the floor to the roughly 30 town citizens present, including several high school students. Alternative cuts suggested by the public included administrative pay reductions, the elimination of the language lab, and the removal of one or more of the Superintendent office’s three secretaries.

Administrative sacrifices were the theme of the night. The public commentators stressed their belief that teachers cuts should be the last considered, and perhaps be replaced by administrative cuts. Many were frustrated when informed that Superintendent Burton and Assistant Superintendent Brad Cozier shared three secretaries, and pushed for reductions by district leadership.

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On the other hand, Happy Hollow teacher and Wayland Teachers’ Association president Conrad Gees defended the Superintendent’s secretaries. “When I first came here, there were two assistant superintendents instead of one, and a whole raft of secretaries,” he said.

“I think there was a general consensus that we should try to keep the teachers,” said junior Ted Sirota, who was at the meeting. “A lot of people were saying the administration should take cuts, and I think I agree with that.”

The discussion was sometimes heated, and School Committee members reminded townspeople that they, too, would rather not cut anything at all.

“Every cut is painful,” Superintendent Burton told the crowd.

Community members also voiced their thoughts at a school committee meeting the following Monday, January 11. Residents continued to question the need for administrative staff and to support the current Wayland High School teaching staff.

On the 8th, High School Principal Patrick Tutwiler held a Parent Information Exchange (PIE) meeting at the high school to discuss the budget cuts, where parents seemed to accept the reality of the cuts. One parent asked Tutwiler if he would be willing to give parents more input and perhaps a preview of the cuts next year before he sends them to the School Committee, a request that Tutwiler agreed to.

The School Committee will meet again this Thursday, January 14, to discuss and vote on the final budget they will send to the Finance Committee. The final budget is due on January 15th.