Waterford ― Board of Education member Laurie Wolfley argued at Monday’s Representative Town Meeting that the board had reduced the proposed 2024-25 school budget of $57.6 million as much as possible.

“What you see here is pretty much a bare bones budget, and I strongly recommend that you accept it as is,” she said about the budget and its 5.8% increase.

The RTM then tentatively approved the budget by a 16-4 vote with four abstentions. The budget still needs final approval by the RTM at its May 15 meeting.

Wolfley and two residents spoke to the RTM before Superintendent Thomas Giard III, board Chairwoman Pat Fedor and Waterford Schools Director of Finances and Operations Joseph Mancini presented the budget and answered questions.

Resident Helen Kwasniewski pleaded for the RTM to send the school budget back to the board for further scrutiny.

“Where is our 0% increase?” she asked.

Kwasniewski said seniors like herself who do not have children in the schools can’t keep footing the bill for increases, and urged the RTM that it look to spend the town’s money wisely.

The largest increase in the budget is $1 million for teacher salaries, followed by $624,507 in other salaries, including the addition of two armed security officers and 10 paraprofessional positions, as well as a $447,531 increase to cover benefits for both groups.

“The takeaway, after these major cost drivers,” Giard said, “(is that) this is a negative budget, even when you factor in inflation. This team has scrutinized this budget. There’s no bells and whistles, there’s no magic solutions and there’s nothing overly flashy in this budget.”

RTM Majority Leader Danielle Steward-Gelinas asked if the school is currently fully staffed with paraprofessionals.

Giard said all the current 82 paraprofessional positions are filled but there are occasional vacancies, with the number fluctuating almost daily.

“It could be three tomorrow, and it could be eight next week. We are seeing turnover in that area,” he said.

Steward-Gelinas also asked how ongoing paraprofessional contract negotiations would impact the budget.

Giard said salaries for non-certified staff such as paraprofessionals are increasing across the state.

“So we’ll see how it all pans out,” he said.

RTM member Michael Bono asked if the board was doing anything to help working families, citing before school care as an example. Giard explained that because the program began each day at 7:30 a.m. and was too late for some parents, Great Neck Elementary School began offering it at 7 a.m.

“It’s been a limited number of families that take advantage of that, but for those families it’s important,” he said. “So, if the need is there, we’ll certainly look at increasing that, but it’s been beneficial to families.”

d.drainville@theday.com