New London - The Board of Education on Thursday night formally requested that the city establish a nonlapsing account that the board would be able to draw upon for unexpected expenses.

The board ended fiscal year 2013 with a total audited fund balance of $398,174 and requested that the City Council deposit that amount into the account as soon as it is established.

The nonlapsing account, which the state now allows under legislation passed in 2011, can include up to 1 percent of the total budget and could be used to pay for unexpected maintenance repairs.

Last year, when one of two boilers at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School failed, it took several weeks for the two governing bodies to agree on the repair bill and how to pay for it. Eventually, the City Council approved a $10,000 expenditure from a previous appropriation for the repairs, The Day reported.

Also Thursday night, the board announced its committee assignment for the next year. The finance and audit committee will consist of Board President Margaret Mary Curtin, Vice President Elizabeth Garcia Gonzalez and will be chaired by new board member Rob Funk. Funk, a corporate accountant, previously advised the board on budget matters.

The school facilities and program design committee will be made up of three new board members: Scott Garbini, who will chair the committee, Mirna Lis Martinez, and Aracelis Vazquez Haye.