Volume 16, Issue 6
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Board of Education comes back with 1.26 budget increase By Stephanie Wilcox Town Times
Since the education budget was defeated at referendum on May 5, the Board of Education has had two meetings. First meeting At the first meeting on May 13, the board voted to accept $350,279 in cuts that would bring the net budget down to $31.4 million, a 1.29 percent increase over the current year, a number they felt comfortable with if union concessions didn’t work. Board and Personnel Policy Committee member Kerrie Flanagan reported that she met with the union representatives earlier that day to ask for concessions. “We were very clear that we need help to get the budget where we think
Friday, May 22, 2009
Durham Pet Fair a howling success
it needs to be,” she said. “We asked them for ideas on ways to cut and talked about how in every contract there is a give and take.” She said the district will hear back from the unions on May 18, and “we will act accordingly when we do.” In the meantime, cuts proposed pending any contract concessions totaled $240,279, including big ticket items like $49,000 from Capital Reserve, $74,896 for a reading consultant and $75,000 for a new teacher. Removing the teacher that was added at the request of parents looking for smaller class sizes in the Integrated Day (ID) program at Memorial Middle School was easier to swallow after learning that class sizes in the ID program for next year See BOE budget, page 27
Nature baby
Photo by Judy Moeckel
Above, John Harness of Durham with Arrow, a 10-year-old CollieShepherd mix. The duo attended the first annual Durham Pet Fair held on the grounds of the Durham Veterinary Hospital last Sunday, May 17. A good time was had by all. More photos on pages 16-17.
In this issue ... This local beauty was photographed by Aaron Haberern and submitted by his dad, who also passed along some information about foxes and fox cubs in case you should be so fortunate as to come upon a beautiful baby such as this. See info on page 33.
Calendar ..........................................4 Durham Briefs..........................14-15 Durham Pet Fair ......................16-17 Honor Rolls....................................18 Libraries ........................................19
Middlefield Briefs.....................12-13 Mini Pages ................................31-32 Obituary ........................................28 School Photos ...........................20-21 Sports ........................................29-30