Norwich OKs up to 71 teacher layoffs

Norwich - After approving up to 71 teacher layoffs and $1.5 million in additional cuts to the budget, the Board of Education considered closing one of the city's nine elementary schools in an effort to reach a no-increase budget as ordered by city officials.

A school system must notify its teachers in writing by April 1 that their contract will not be renewed or is under consideration for nonrenewal for the subsequent school year, according to the terms of Connecticut's "Fair Dismissal" statute.

Most members present for Thursday's budget discussion opposed closing a school - no specific schools were named - as a last-minute budget saving move. They would rather save that for a thorough redistricting plan.

But Budget Committee Chairwoman Yvette Jacaruso asked interim Superintendent Abby Dolliver to bring specific scenarios on closing a school to next Thursday's Budget Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the school central office.

The Board of Education unanimously approved terminating 71 non-tenured teacher contracts Thursday after a half-hour closed-door session. The teachers' names were attached to Thursday's agenda, but no teachers union representatives attended the meeting.

Union President Tara Smock could not be reached to comment Thursday.

Dolliver said she and other administrators met with the 71 teachers Wednesday to inform them of the upcoming cuts. She said the meeting was very emotional, with many tears but few surprises, as the City Council has said publicly that it wants a no-increase 2010-11 school budget, keeping it at last year's $62.58 million.

The layoffs would save about $47,000 per teacher - salary and benefits minus unemployment costs - school Business Administrator Athena Nagel said. Of the 71 teaching positions cut, 9.5 were already incorporated into previously approved cuts, including middle school world language and instrumental music teachers.

The rest of the savings from layoffs has not yet been figured into the budget. The final total could depend on wage concessions, also not yet in the budget. Dolliver has asked for wage freezes and two furlough days that could save a combined $690,000, but Dolliver said she is not optimistic that unions will agree to the requests.

Cuts presented so far to the budget also include 23.5 non-certified staff positions, Nagel said.

Dolliver presented another $1.5 million in budget cuts Thursday, including $1 million to bring a portion of the special-education budget to last year's $7.6 million total. If that budget goes over, the board would ask the City Council next spring to cover the excess through state reimbursements.

Closing one elementary school would save $283,000 in personnel costs alone, Dolliver said. Exact savings could not be determined until the school is identified, as utility costs and transportation would vary by school. Costs also vary depending on where the students would relocate. It's possible lower grades could be sent to one school, and higher grades to another.

Dolliver said she did not want to target any specific school until the budget committee decided whether to pursue a potential closing. Most board members present Thursday initially rejected the idea outright, preferring it to be part of a long-term redistricting plan.

Cora Lee Boulware said the $283,000 would not solve the continuing budget-cutting crisis, leaving the board $1.8 million in further cuts to make.

But after a lengthy discussion, Jacaruso said the board needs to consider all potential cost savings. The board's Building and Space Committee also will discuss the issue March 30 at the William A. Buckingham School, the last elementary school to be closed, which now houses adult education. The board also is considering moving central offices to that building to save an estimated $40,000 per year.

c.bessette@theday.com