Norwich — Parents and residents had a direct and frank exchange Thursday with school administrators on the costs contributing to the proposed $78.6 million 2016-17 school budget, which would be a $4.6 million, 6.24 percent increase over this year's budget.  

What started with statements that the budget is “unattainable and unsustainable,” as Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick said, progressed into a breakdown of the many issues and challenges the school district faces and a call for other city departments to contribute to cost-cutting measures.

School Superintendent Abby Dolliver, Business Administrator Athena Nagel, Curriculum Director Joseph Stefon and Director of Student Services Mary Donnelly conducted the open forum, attended by about 20 residents, city leaders and teachers.

The budget increase is being attributed entirely to two costs, a $3 million increase in tuition — mostly for special education students in highly specialized out-of-town programs — and a $2 million increase in major medical insurance.

The combined $5 million increase in the two items erased savings in other areas of the budget, including a $174,000 drop in certified salaries.

Donnelly said the district saw an influx of 17 new special education students whose families moved to the city this year.

The students already are in specialized education programs costing an average of $100,000 per year per student, Donnelly said.

Philbrick, who specified that she was speaking as a citizen rather than as a city council member, said putting together the city-funded portion of the budget with the amount covered by grants, the public school system's real budget is close to $94 million.

“If you receive the whole amount, next year you could be looking at $100 million,” she said.

Nagel said many of the grant-funded items are one-time costs for system improvements, including $1 million for technology upgrades the district couldn't afford otherwise.

If grants are not renewed, programs or staff positions would be eliminated.

About 40 percent of the school district staff are funded through state or federal grants, Dolliver said, including the state Alliance District and Commissioner's Network School grants.

Resident Norm Laperle said he plans to examine closely both the school and city budgets and will ask for equity in the cuts to come.

Laperle questioned why school personnel have higher medical co-payments and pay higher medical insurance premiums than other city employees under the same medical coverage.

And he said he will ask why some city departments have full staffs, while the four school administrators have no assistants or deputies.

Laperle said he came to the forum because he is “sick and tired of paying high taxes,” and seeing his property value decline.

He concluded, he told school leaders, that the Board of Education is being asked to “do an insurmountable task” in running the difficult urban district with strapped funding.

“I want to make sure the school system is doing enough to cut costs,” Laperle said, “but I'm also going to ask other departments to cut spending — all the other departments. What are we collectively doing to mitigate and cut costs?”

Stefon, who will retire in June after 39 years in the Norwich school system, staunchly defended Norwich Public Schools, rejecting a common claim that the district is failing because of its scores on state standardized tests.

Stefon said critics never come to the schools to see progress and learning in the classrooms and to see the dedication of the teaching staff.

Referring to several key characteristics of the Norwich system — special education enrollment of more than 1,000 students, 531 immigrant English language learners, 75 homeless students and an enrollment turnover approaching 30 percent, Board of Education Chairman Aaron “Al” Daniels said residents have to realize that Norwich is an urban school district, no longer a suburban hamlet with neighborhood schools as surrounding towns might have.

The Board of Education will hear a detailed report on turnover, or transiency rates, at its April meeting, Dolliver said.

“In January, we had 53 new students, and 50 left,” she said.

c.bessette@theday.com