Norwich — The Norwich Board of Education is not alone in delaying action on a proposed partner district contract with Norwich Free Academy that would start July 1.

The Lisbon and Sprague boards of education have yet to sign the five-year agreement, which NFA officials had hoped would be signed by March 31. The NFA board of trustees discussed the contract issues behind closed doors Tuesday.

Norwich has made its objections to the contract public, saying the academy's host city, the largest district to send high school students to NFA, needs a separate agreement.

NFA officials, however, have made it known that the academy wants a uniform contract with all partner towns, with the only difference for Norwich being the $100-per-student tuition discount as the host city that provides police, fire and other services to the school. The discount has remained at $100 for decades.

Lisbon school officials could not be reached for comment. The Lisbon board apparently discussed NFA contract issues in executive session at its meeting Monday, but no votes were scheduled. The minutes were not available Tuesday.

Lisbon Board of Education Chairman Randy Baah had led the discussions with NFA officials last summer and fall that resulted in the proposed contract now signed by Bozrah, Canterbury, Preston, Voluntown and Franklin. At the time, representatives from the various school boards decided to meet as a group to discuss contract issues with NFA, and named Baah as the chief spokesman.

That setup proved controversial with regards to Norwich. NFA officials referred to those talks as contract negotiations, while Norwich school officials insisted they made it clear that any real negotiations with their district would have to be done directly with Norwich school officials.

The Sprague Board of Education also has not yet signed the contract, but the delay in that town is likely part of a larger decision to delay signing any long-term contracts until the town learns final state grant totals for the coming year, First Selectwoman and state Sen. Cathy Osten said.

“I talked to the superintendent and the board chairman,” Osten said. “The delay in signing the contract has nothing to do with NFA or the contract. The Sprague education board is not signing any long-term contracts until they know state and local revenue streams.”

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