Norwich projects 3% increase in school budget

Norwich - School officials presented "very soft" budget projections to the City Council Tuesday that would call for a $2.1 million, or 3 percent overall budget increase over this year's $68.1 million total, despite a possible increase in state education grants and a drop in tuition at Norwich Free Academy.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposed budget calls for adding funding to targeted school districts, including Norwich, which could receive a $1 million increase in its Education Cost Sharing grant. But the governor's proposal also would require Norwich to spend $275,000 - or $1,000 per student - for students attending the Integrated Day Charter School.

Norwich is designated as a "district in need of improvement" and would be in line to receive the added state grant. Superintendent Abby Dolliver said the school system is working in partnership with the state Department of Education to review student performance, improve data tracking of students and improve programs.

Some of the proposed grant increases in the governor's budget are competitive with other Connecticut municipalities, so final grant allocations are yet to be determined. The added $1 million would be conditional and Dolliver said she didn't yet know what would be required to get the additional funding. The governor's proposal must also be approved by the state legislature this spring.

Several areas of the school budget would see major spending increases, including a $289,000 increase for transportation, a $260,000 increase to upgrade technology and a $200,000 increase in salaries and $76,000 increase in employee benefits.

The two largest unions representing teachers and administrators recently agreed to wage freezes in the coming fiscal year, keeping expected salary increases down. Dolli ver said the projected increases are for the other four labor unions and for nonunion employees. Those contracts are not yet settled.

Mayor Peter Nystrom and Alderman Mark Bettencourt, who served on the Negotiations Committee, publicly thanked the two unions for agreeing to a wage freeze in what is expected to be a difficult budget year.

Meanwhile, tuition at Norwich Free Academy would drop by $328,000 because of a drop in enrollment at the high school.

Some of the city's education grants are expected to drop next year, including the expiration of the two-year American Jobs Act funds for teaching positions, a loss of $800,000 for Norwich. A federal grant to help homeless students will also drop by about $50,000, Dolliver said.

Dolliver said the school board's Budget Expenditure Committee will meet today to discuss the budget further.

c.bessette@theday.com