Frustration nears boiling point at Town Hall

The air pressure at Town Hall seemed to intensify and the faces of selectmen turned shades of red Tuesday night when it was announced that the 2009-10 school budget may be between $350,000 and $600,000 overspent, based on the latest numbers presented by Superintendent of Schools Blaise Salerno.

One can only hope now that the final number, determined by audit, will be on the low side and that there is some revenue that is yet to be discovered. Ultimately, an accounting miracle may be needed to save the superintendent’s job.

Monday’s meeting could not have been a comfortable one for Salerno, who appeared exhausted and dismayed with the information he was presenting. The superintendent acknowledged the overspend is significantly greater than the numbers he has previously presented to the board and that information requested by selectmen regarding special education enrollment still has not been compiled.

Asked by Town Manager Wayne Dove to reserve their strongest reactions until after an operational audit was completed Wednesday, selectmen bit their tongues but managed to show their emotions. Selectman Ken Fracasso called Salerno’s report “unacceptable,� and Mayor Candy Perez said the board was prepared to make a strong statement based on the findings of the audit.

Perhaps it was the lack of yelling and fist-pounding that made the meeting so serious. In previous confrontations, selectmen have made angry statements and chastised school officials for not hitting their mark on the budget. This time, there was a generally quiet, resolved mood that was appropriately frightening. For selectmen, this seemed to be the last straw.

Does this mean a real change is going to happen in Winsted? Right now it’s anyone’s guess. It certainly appears the Board of Selectmen has had enough of the school district’s current leadership, but any decisions regarding changes in school administration will be the responsibility of the Board of Education. Selectmen have said they do not have much confidence in that board, either.

If this year’s budget mess results in the loss of the school system’s superintendent, it could cause even more problems. The Winchester school system has been plagued by a revolving door at the administrative level for more than a decade as local politicians cast stones and lay blame. It may be temporarily satisfying to lay blame, but it will take far more work to develop lasting solutions.

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