By Wiley Wood

The tone was confrontational. “I really don’t care about that,” said Heather Adams, a parent. The superintendent was saying that each student at Botelle Elementary School gets a computer tablet. “The amount the school spends on technology,” said Adams, “is a concern for me.”

The meeting was intended to give parents of Botelle students a chance to talk with the superintendent about the school budget and to become involved in the process at an early stage. Many had noticed with alarm that the strings program was recently dropped and that Spanish was no longer being taught.

The town’s Board of Finance has been trimming back the school’s budget a little each year, despite the pleas of Superintendent Mary Beth Iacobelli. There is still a part-time music teacher and a part-time art teacher, but most aspects of the educational program not directly mandated by the state have been eliminated.

So Iacobelli, with the full Board of Education in attendance, explained that costs are rising despite the decline in enrollment (from a 2010 figure of 145 students to 95 today); that a reduction in the teaching staff is inevitable if the budget continues to be squeezed; and that parents must add their voices to hers during the crucial late-winter months of the budget season if the quality of education at Botelle is not to suffer.

Otherwise, said Iacobelli, “the only voice the Board of Finance and the Board of Selectmen will hear is the voice that says ‘Don’t raise our taxes.’”

But the roughly 25 parents gathered in a Botelle classroom on this weeknight in October were far from ready to enlist in Iacobelli’s cause. “Wow, those teachers make a lot of money,” said one parent. “What do you do in terms of performance review?” asked another. “Can you give us an example of how you’ve been working to reduce fixed costs?” asked a third, while a fourth said that the school would have to improve its test scores if it wanted the town to support it at budget time.

Iacobelli and the board described how computers and tablets are used in the classroom. They explained how teacher salaries are determined and why the teachers’ union has a strong hand in negotiating yearly increases. They argued that the test scores can be skewed in a small class by the performance of one or two students and don’t accurately reflect the school’s academic level.

Ann DeCerbo, a parent and Board of Education member, offered a passionate defense of the school. She spoke about the many aspects of Botelle that are not reflected in the numbers—the kindness initiative, the student council, the cooperation between classmates on creative projects. “I do believe that it’s not all about the test scores,” said DeCerbo. “It really isn’t, it’s about creating people who are whole, and rounded, and good and kind.”

She listed a wide array of student activities outside the core curriculum, from making musical instruments, to Invention Convention, the Lit Quiz, the Math Olympiad, visits to the Historical Society, concerts by the Yale School of Music and PTO-sponsored cultural events. “There’s really a lot to love about what’s available at this school—and to be proud of,” said DeCerbo.

But there was a groundswell of support for Diego Ongaro, a parent, when he spoke of the importance of foreign language instruction. “This is the 21st century, we live in a globalized world, I want my daughter exposed to a foreign language before she turns 13,” said Ongaro, citing the age at which Regional 7’s modern language program generally kicks in. The meeting ended with a buzz of voices.

First Selectman Matt Riiska expressed his opinion afterward that Botelle School should easily be able to meet its costs for next year with a flat-funded budget.

Arguing for more ample funding was Ann DeCerbo. “I think that the enlightened way to look at money spent on the school,” she said in an email, “is that it’s a direct investment in our town. A great school attracts home buyers, it brings vitality and energy to a community.”

The next community meeting with Superintendent Iacobelli and the school board is planned for November.

Photo by Savage Frieze.