Local school districts get some financial help through federal program

Next year's expected budget gaps still loom over public school funding in the state, but Connecticut school districts are starting this year with a lifeline they can save for a stormy day.

For Norwich, a grant from the federal Education Jobs Act means nearly $900,000 to restore about 15 of the 38 certfied staff jobs cut this year.

For Griswold, this year it will mean immediately spending about $30,000 to add another half-day morning kindergarten section to reduce class size, and in Montville a restored fifth-grade elementary school teacher.

The funding should reach the school systems in September and can be used this school year and next.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell officially applied for the state's $110.4 million share of the federal funding late last week and plans to distribute the money to local school districts based on the Education Cost Sharing formula, state Department of Education spokesman Thomas Murphy said. State officials made available a preliminary list of grants to school districts.

Murphy said the grants, designed to retain and add education jobs, including teachers and support staff, might change, but only slightly. The money goes directly to the school district, with Norwich slated to receive $1.9 million, Groton, $1.4 million and New London, $1.3 million. Smaller districts, such as Griswold and Montville, will receive $627,865 and $733,774, respectively.

Districts have until September 2012 to use the money, allowing them to spread it out over two fiscal years or save it for next year's budget, an attractive condition given the expected major shortfall in state and federal education grants next year, local superintendents said Monday.

Local districts started learning about their shares late last week. School officials are reviewing criteria and their own budgets to determine how best to use that money.

In Norwich, the public school system took a huge budget hit in the spring, when the City Council allocated a nearly no-increase budget from the previous year. The city closed two elementary schools, moved the alternative high school and the adult education programs and eliminated 38 certified staff positions.

The result before the injection of federal relief money was larger expected class sizes and about 10 classes with combined grades in one classroom.

Superintendent Abby Dolliver spent Monday reviewing class sizes and the combined grade classrooms to figure out where best to use the federal funding. Yet even with these cuts, Dolliver will propose using about half the money, $889,571, this year and saving the remaining $1 million for next year's budget. Next year, Norwich could be looking at a $7 million loss of state grant money, Dolliver said.

Dolliver estimated she could hire back about 15 teachers plus some support staff this year. She hopes to reduce the combined grade classrooms to only about two or three in the school year that starts Sept. 7, although the closing of two schools makes the remaining seven city elementary schools crowded.

"My thinking is to do the right thing for this year, and that should allow us to have, with the loss of $7 million next year, about $1 million for next year," Dolliver said.

Groton Superintendent Paul Kadri will propose saving the entire $1.48 million federal Education Jobs Act funding for next year, when the "the funding cliff" is expected to hit. Despite a no-increase budget this year, Groton was able to avoid teacher layoffs. Next year, however, Groton expects a $3.6 million shortfall in state funding. Even with the federal money, there will still be "a hole to fill," Kadri said.

Kadri speculated that a lot of Connecticut school districts would do the same, since they have already absorbed "the pain" of budget cuts for this year, and everyone expects next year to be worse.

Montville Superintendent of Schools Pamela Aubin shares Kadri's sentiments. She said Monday that she'll propose to the town's school board the restoration of a fifth-grade position at the Murphy elementary school and will monitor the need for an additional kindergarten teacher at the Mohegan elementary school. Like Groton, Montville did not have to lay off staff, primarily because of retirements and staff taking other positions.

However, Aubin said she's not keen on creating new positions that could be eliminated when the grant funding expires.

Monday night, Griswold Superintendent of Schools Paul Freeman said he's not, either. Griswold eliminated six positions this year and changed others to part-time status, but, like Montville, had no layoffs.

Freeman said after meeting with administrators Monday morning they decided it was vital to create the new kindergarten position - the school board approved the request Monday night and Freeman will meet with union officials this morning to discuss the job - to reduce classroom size.

However, the superintendent said he'd take the next two weeks to work on a budget for the remaining $600,000 and how it can be used over the next two years. Freeman said he wants to review the 15 pages of rules and guidelines associated with the grant funding before promising to take action in one way.

New London Superintendent Nicholas A. Fischer said the city avoided teacher layoffs this year. Given the late word on the federal funding - the school board started discussing the new grant last Thursday - Fischer said he is still studying how best to use the funding for the district. He said he is concerned about hiring staff to start new programs because the funding is short-term, adding that he hopes to have recommendations for the board within a month.

"You have to be concerned with how long the money is going to be there," Fischer said. "I don't want to start doing something and then next year have to say 'whoops, we can't do it anymore.' We're taking a cautious look at what is the best use of the money."

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