Norwich — The Board of Education officially approved a middle school restructuring plan discussed since April that calls for creating a “sixth-grade academy” at Teachers’ Memorial Middle School and sending all seventh- and eighth-graders to Kelly Middle School.

A third move will bring the Hickory Street School elementary school special education program to the lower level of Teachers’ Memorial School. The program, run by Natchaug Hospital, will have a separate entrance and separate programs.

The restructuring plan was included in the $1.8 million in budget cuts approved by the Board of Education Tuesday to match the $74 million budget total approved by the City Council Monday.

The middle school changes are expected to save $300,000 in the budget, with a reduction of six teaching positions. Moving the elementary special education program to Teachers’ will save an estimated $600,000 by providing space to expand, adding another six to eight Norwich students now being sent out of town to private programs, said Mary Donnelly, director of student services.

Cutting eight paraeducator positions would save another $240,000, and restructuring other special education programs will save $500,000.

Despite the cuts, Superintendent Abby Dolliver said she was able to use staff to teach instrumental music at the middle school once a week and will use funding from the anticipated state Alliance District grant to start Spanish classes at least in the middle school next school year.

World languages were eliminated several years ago in budget cuts, and parents and board members have lobbied to restore the program since then, to no avail for lack of funding.

After a lengthy executive session discussion, the board tabled action on any possible salary increases for non-union administrators, including Dolliver. The board voted unanimously to extend Dolliver’s contract by one year.

School board members unanimously supported the middle school restructuring program, but board Chairwoman Yvette Jacaruso said she has received calls from several parents expressing concern about placing the special education program at Teachers’ Memorial. She referred them to their school principals for more information.

An open house for incoming sixth-graders will be held at Teachers’ Memorial School at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Teachers’ Memorial Principal Alexandria Lazzari will attend, as will Natchaug staff members for the special education program.

With the restructuring, Kelly is expected to have a total enrollment of about 760 students, and projected enrollment at Teachers’ Memorial will be about 350 students. The special education program could have 32 students.

A plan to use savings from staff retirements to restore one school resource police officer in the budget for $75,000 at Kelly Middle School generated at times heated debate. School board member Jesshua Ballaro objected to spending education funds on police officers. The mother of a middle school student, Ballaro said city police should visit the schools as part of their regular patrols, and they already are available for quick response to emergencies.

Ballaro said either the city police department should pay the officer’s salary or the school system should consider hiring retired officers as school security.

She repeatedly asked for data on the number of police calls and arrests at the two middle schools, but the information was not available at the meeting. Other board members and Dolliver said the officer is not just for security but to develop relationships with students to prevent violence and disruptive behavior.

“We’ll have 100 more kids at Kelly,” Dolliver said. "I don’t like paying for it, either. Either we have none, or we pay for it.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday