Stonington Board of Education tinkers with funds, locks in cuts

Stonington - The Board of Education finalized its cuts to the 2102-13 budget Thursday night by restoring funds for a part-time high school French teacher and part-time psychologist at Mystic Middle School.

It also added $6,000 for a monthlong summer academy to help struggling students who are entering ninth grade - with the caveat that a review be done to determine the program's effectiveness.

It also restored $664 of the $20,000 it had cut in funding for sports and extracurricular activities.

In all, the board eliminated items totaling $352,000 to account for the Board of Finance's $300,000 reduction of the $1.3 million school budget increase after taxpayers rejected the budget at the first referendum. Voters passed the budget at Tuesday's second referendum.

The school board kept $52,000 from the original budget proposal to add an administrator so that both West Broad Street and West Vine Street schools can have one at all times. The two schools share a principal, and parents have pushed the board to add the position.

The board did not restore $43,000 to bus students to regional magnet schools, despite pleas from parents to do so.

The school board did say Thursday that it would ask the finance board to allocate state reimbursement money for magnet school transportation to the school budget instead of placing it in the town's general fund.

Finance board Chairman Glenn Frishman said earlier this week that he did not think his board would agree to such a move.

One of the largest cuts, $120,000, was to hire two teachers to help students who are struggling with math.

Board Chairwoman Gail MacDonald said she was torn over cutting money for sports and extracurricular activities because they help keep students engaged and help develop them as a whole person.

"But I know families and the community will step in (to help support sports and extracurricular activities) when times get tough, but no one will step up and fund the summer academy for at-risk kids," she said.

The board voted 3-2 to approve the reduction plan, with members Alisa Morrison and Deborah Downie, who wanted to fully restore money for sports and extracurricular activities, opposed.

j.wojtas@theday.com