Groton - The Town Council conceded feeling backed into a corner Tuesday night when it was asked to provide $1.4 million to finance the cost of preparing West Side and Cutler middle schools to absorb students from Fitch Middle School, which is scheduled to be closed at the end of this school year.

Closing one school, Superintendent of Schools Paul Kadri has said, could save the town as much as $2.7 million per year.

Kadri and several school board members were at the council's committee of the whole meeting to ask for the supplemental budget appropriation to make some technological preparations, purchase portable classrooms and reconfigure spaces at the two schools. Most of the money would go toward the portable classrooms, and would be eligible for reimbursement by the state department of education, probably at more than 50 percent.

The council spent more than 90 minutes questioning, challenging, criticizing and speculating about what would happen if the request were denied, or if the money were not available. Town Manager Mark Oefinger said he had never had such a large request so late in the fiscal year.

"Who's running the show over there," Councilor Mick O'Beirne said. "What gives? Why haven't we seen a formal request? I'll tell you right up front, I can't support this."

O’Beirne said Tuesday was the first time he had heard about an email from the school board chairman to the mayor requesting $1.4 million. Editor's note: This clarifies an earlier version of this article.

Kadri had identified the need for the $1.4 million more than a month ago, even as he declared the district could operate on a zero increase budget in the coming year. School officials have been discussing the remodeling plan even longer.

Preliminary work has been started so as to have all of the necessary changes made for the beginning of the 2012-13 school year.

The often-heated discussion revealed that the school board had "come to a consensus" to ask the town for the money, according to Kadri. It had not voted to request the money.

Board of Education Chairman Kirsten Hoyt, who attended the meeting via video-conferencing, said she had sent a letter regarding the request to Mayor Heather Bond Somers, who was not at Tuesday's meeting.

"I am aware of (the) email the board chair sent to the mayor," Oefinger said. "The thing is, if the board wants this to pass the council and the RTM, it would be better to have some formal action."

Hoyt agreed the school board would vote Monday. The council voted 7-1 - with O'Beirne the only dissenter - to provide the funds pending Monday's school board vote and the availability of the funds.

The council will vote on the issue Tuesday. The request will then go before the Representative Town Meeting.

Oefinger said, "The council needs to make a motion that says we can go forward, and it needs to identify where the money will come from."

"This is the easy part," he added, referring to the long discussion.

Several town accounts were identified as possible sources for the money, including Department of Defense supplemental education funds, which the school board would have to approve. It is expected to do so as part of its vote on Monday.

Council members agreed that the town's reserve fund balance would not be considered as a source.

c.potter@theday.com