Education is an essential human right for all Americans. Every citizen wants the best schools, teachers and curriculum possible. However, the annual budget spending is limited, and the specifications of those limits can get complicated. Budget, a word that leads to confusion, frustration, and worry for most school districts in America, is no exception for Westport.

Budget is continuously a struggle each year. The allotted percentage increase of what schools need to run and what money it thinks it can raise fluctuates, causing occasional uncertainty for the upcoming budget.

This year, however, is posing a particular challenge.

The state legislature passed a rule stating that all Connecticut towns could not increase their individual municipal budgets by more than 2.5 percent. If they do, the town has to pay a penalty, the sum dependent on the amount of money over the 2.5 percent budget increase. This new rule is going to present a problem for the Westport school district. The recently-hired superintendent of schools, Dr.

“Recent cuts have come as unwelcome surprises, which really did not afford us the opportunity to plan in advance,” said principal Dr. Adam Rosen.

The Westport budget is clearly going to have to be revised and spending decisions made. Analyzing the current budget and deciphering what is absolutely necessary is an excruciating, lengthy process. To make matters worse, budget cuts can lead to multiple disagreements between educators and town members alike.

When asked what should be protected in the upcoming school budget, Maya Vogelmann, a seventh grade student, said, “Music is something that should definitely be protected. It gives you freedom to express yourself, and it expands your brain.”

Kerstin Rao, the Bedford Workshop teacher, has a slightly different opinion.”I think that people come before materials,” she says. “The interaction between students and all the staff they see every day–that’s what makes school most effective and most memorable.”

Everyone is going to have different opinions of what is essential for the budget and what needs to be cut out. Despite this, agreements between the multiple budget producers will have to be made.

“It’s a combination of central officers, school administrators, members of the PTA, as well as our partnership with the Board of Finance, and the RTM,” said Dr. Rosen, explaining the people involved with coordinating the budget.

Dr. Rosen mentions a specific item of concern that may have to be scaled back due to budget cuts. “Right now, one of the expensive items is whether or not to put seatbelts on buses. Ultimately, this is a decision being studied by the Board of Education. “The committee drafting the budget is not currently displaying a unanimous decision on the this idea, and other issues are constraining members to scrutinize the budget holistically.

The money dilemma is a challenge. When asked how willing the town would be to pay a penalty if Westport goes over budget, Dr. Rosen said, “I imagine the town doesn’t want to do that. They are working diligently with the schools to avoid having to pay a penalty.”

However, all hope is not lost. Dr. Rosen thinks that the new cuts could provide a positive side to the issue, and he assures us that the outstanding quality of Westport education will be retained.

“The biggest challenge is preserving our stellar education system in Westport. It’s helpful to view budget challenges as an opportunity to innovate,” Dr. Rosen said. “We are working very closely with the town of Westport; there are no problems we’re not going to address. Yes, the cuts are happening, but we are doing a great job at solving issues. Any reductions to the proposed budgets do not diminish the quality of our schools.”