New London school board passes budget for review by mayor
New London — The school board on Thursday passed a $69.8 million education budget that, when compared to the school superintendent’s initial proposal, sharply reduces the cost to taxpayers.
The budget for fiscal year 2017-18 is about a $3.8 million, or 5.8 percent, increase over the current budget of $66 million. The school board had been set to vote on a $69.7 million budget but added the position of grant writer Thursday at an estimated cost of $115,000: an $80,000 salary plus benefits.
Board member Jason Catala was the lone board member to vote against the position. He said after weeks of budget deliberations, he was uncomfortable with the last-minute addition.
The budget, which ultimately passed unanimously, is almost identical to the spending plan Superintendent Manuel Rivera initially proposed. It rejiggers revenue sources, however, and factors in millions more revenue from the state, which in turn helps to reduce the cost to taxpayers.
The budget anticipates an additional $3.5 million in state special education funding and a $1.6 million reduction in the Educational Cost Sharing grant funds.
School Finance Director Robert Funk said the state revenue included is a conservative figure, since the city potentially could get twice that figure if the governor’s proposed budget is passed.
Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s recommended budget, which changes the Educational Cost Sharing grant formula and better funds poorer cities like New London, would be a boon for the city. Part of the new formula separates special education funding into a new grant category.
The school budget will move to the mayor’s desk with a request for $41.8 million, which is actually a $627,511 reduction from last year’s request. The general fund portion of the budget is the combination of educational cost sharing funds from the state and a portion funded by taxpayers.
The funding request anticipates $21.3 million in ECS funds and $20.4 million from the city. The request from taxpayers is a $1 million, or 5 percent, increase over last year’s $19.4 million figure, as opposed to the 15 percent increase initially proposed by Rivera.
Rivera has said the budget accommodates health insurance and salary increases and a drop in the carryover grant revenue from the last budget. The budget also accounts for an increase of 82 New London students and 144 out-of-district students, along with 30 new full-time job positions.
Board members said they are cautiously optimistic that the mayor, City Council and taxpayers will rally around an increase in spending after its request for an increase was rejected last year.
Rivera said the major task at hand is to secure support from local leaders and the promised increase in funding from the state.
“As you all know, the fight has just begun,” school board President Scott Garbini said.
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