Grasso, Norwich Tech among schools losing sports

The state's 17 technical high schools, including Norwich Tech and Grasso Tech of Groton, will be without athletics for the next two school years, according to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget plan, which was released Friday.

The cuts to the sports programs will save nearly $6 million over the two-year period.

"We can't cut mandated programs, graduation requirements or our trade technologies," Patricia Ciccone, Superintendent of the Connecticut Technical High School system, said in an interview with the Middletown Press. "Our primary mission is to prepare the workforce for Connecticut."

Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Association associate executive director Paul Hoey called the cuts "unprecedented" and said he expects the CIAC's Board of Control to convene before its next regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 25 to determine the impact on high school sports statewide.

Among matters for consideration by the CIAC, which has not been formally notified of the cuts, Hoey said, are helping other members of the Constituition State Conference to fill their schedules without the tech schools, as well as the divisional breakdowns for the state tournaments.

Sixteen of the CSC's 22 members are tech schools.

Hoey also said that under the CIAC's "school choice" rule, athletes from tech schools will be allowed to participate in sports at their hometown schools, as long as it's a sport that was originally fielded at the tech school.

Meanwhile, Norwich Tech athletic director Tim Krodel, as well as Ellis Tech of Killingly principal Brian Mignault, remained optimistic Friday that some sort of agreement can be reached to avoid the cuts.

According to a story by the Associated Press, state lawmakers will hold hearings on specific items that are to be eliminated before Aug. 15. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, which represents 15 state employee unions, is still hoping to avoid some of the budget reductions and potential layoffs.

"It's a surprise; I'm not sure what else I can say," said Krodel, who is also the girls' basketball coach at Norwich Tech and co-coaches the volleyball team with his wife Deb.

"There are still bargaining units. Hopefully we can find a solution and we don't end up losing all those jobs. I would hope it wouldn't be permanent. If they told us 'you're never going to have them ever again,' that would be very difficult."

Said Mignault: "The ultimate hope is it doesn't happen. We're led to believe there is hope."

Ciccone said in her interview with the Middletown Press that cooperative teams would no longer be allowed with the tech schools, either. Norwich Tech is currently in a cooperative football program with St. Bernard. Ellis Tech has a football co-op with Tourtellotte of Thompson and Putnam.

Putnam, Parish Hill of Chaplin, Holy Family of Sprague and three Hartford schools - Capital Prep, Classical Magnet and University - are the non-tech schools which compete in the CSC.

An example of the hardship losing the tech programs will cause those other schools? Putnam is scheduled to play 10 its 16 boys' soccer games this fall against tech schools.

Hoey said the CIAC may have to accommodate such situations by changing the number of wins necessary to qualify for the state tournament.

"The CIAC Board of Control will have to look at this whole matter," Hoey said. "The impact on these schools, the league, the schedules ... and make some decisions."

Malloy's plan calls for more than 6,500 job cuts statewide.

v.fulkerson@theday.com