Norwich — City leaders have intervened in the contract discussion impasse between the Board of Education and Norwich Free Academy over a proposed contract to continue the city’s longtime affiliation with the academy as its designated high school.

NFA board of trustees Chairman Theodore Phillips told the board of trustees Tuesday that he had met with Mayor Deberey Hinchey and acting City Manager John Bilda to discuss contract issues. Phillips did not reveal specific issues that were discussed, but asked that the trustees’ governance committee hold a meeting in the near future to discuss the issues.

Phillips also said the Lisbon Board of Education has authorized its chairman, Randy Baah, to sign the proposed uniform contract NFA officials hope will be signed by all eight partner towns that send students to NFA. Lisbon’s approval would leave Norwich and Sprague as the last two remaining towns. Sprague officials have said they are waiting for the state budget to be approved with its municipal revenues before signing any contracts.

Norwich officials, however, want a different contract as the city that hosts the academy. Norwich currently receives a tuition discount of $100 per student as compensation for providing police and fire protection and other city services, but that amount has not changed in decades as budgets for those services have risen.

Norwich officials also have stated publicly that the city has had to provide support staff for special education students who attend NFA.

Bilda said Tuesday he and Hinchey met with Phillips once and he has had several other telephone discussions with the NFA trustees chairman regarding the contract. Bilda and Hinchey also have discussed the issues with Norwich Superintendent Abby Dolliver.

“Both the mayor and I are trying to work with them the best we can,” Bilda said.

Dolliver declined to comment on the contract talks Tuesday.

Also Tuesday, the NFA board authorized Phillips and Head of School David Klein to enter into negotiations to purchase the residential property at 49 Carroll Ave. adjacent to the NFA campus. NFA officials have long maintained a policy of attempting to purchase adjacent land when it goes up for sale.

According to city tax records, the property, owned by Geralyn F. and Michael Frishman, includes 0.68 acres of land and a single-family house built in 1949. The property is appraised at $220,000. An entry for the property on the website Realty.com Tuesday said “sold price not available” Tuesday.

c.bessette@theday.com

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