Norwich — The $185,415 midyear cut in education aid to the city must be taken out of the city’s $4 million Alliance District improvement grant this year, Superintendent Abby Dolliver learned in a conference call with state education officials Thursday.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Dec. 29 announced $50 million in midyear state budget cuts to cities and towns, including $20 million in education aid spread unevenly across the state’s municipalities.

State officials said distressed school districts in the state Alliance District program — locally, Norwich and New London — would see smaller cuts than wealthier cities and towns, but Norwich Superintendent Abby Dolliver said the cut will affect programs for both students and staff.

Norwich would lose $185,415 in the midyear cut, and Dolliver learned during a conference call with state Department of Education officials Thursday that the money will be deducted from this year’s Alliance District grant. The grant pays for a state-approved district-improvement plan that includes additional staff, equipment, classroom materials and accompanying building upgrades.

Dolliver said Norwich will absorb the cuts by eliminating a plan to hire a school psychologist, saving $84,000, delaying or cutting $33,000 for staff professional development and canceling a plan for this year to equip a new arts and technology lab at Kelly Middle School for $68,000. Dolliver said she had advertised the school psychologist position, but had not yet filled the position.

Dolliver attended an urban superintendents meeting in Hartford on Friday that included additional discussion of the midyear cuts and the uncertainty of future state education funding. The Alliance District grant program was anticipated to run for five years, and this is the fifth year of the program for Norwich.

“The governor says he is supportive of this kind of district, but we don’t know where it’s going," she said.

Norwich Curriculum Director Thomas Baird said Friday that the plan for an arts and technology lab at the middle school included purchasing equipment for graphic arts and photography instruction this year for a new program to start in fall. The district technology teacher plans to retire this year, and the program would be restructured to add an arts component.

Dolliver said the district had hoped to hire an additional school psychologist to meet the growing need for counseling services throughout the school district. Dolliver said ideally, the school system would have a psychologist in every building, but currently the district has a combination of psychologists, social workers and guidance counselors.

“The goal is to have more,” she said.

c.bessette@theday.com