Norwich – A joint City Council and Board of Education budget workshop Monday featured heated exchanges over city and state funding issues, a discarded last-minute school grade restructuring plan and the projected $1.5 million to $2 million budget shortfall this year, but few answers to any questions.

The two-hour workshop was suggested after the school board submitted a proposed 2018-19 budget of $83 million with a 9 percent spending increase. School board Chairwoman Yvette Jacaruso read a statement recommended by the board’s attorney following a closed-door meeting threatening legal action if the city doesn’t provide adequate funding.

And last week, school officials announced that this year’s school budget is running $1.5 million to $2 million in the red, mostly because of special education and transportation costs.

Aldermen posed numerous questions about what is driving the school budget costs. Answers ranged from high costs tied to unfunded state and federal mandates – mostly on special education placements, tuition, support services with nurses and paraeducators and the requirements to transport students to more than 100 locations between schools of choice and special education placements and English language learners.

Superintendent Abby Dolliver said she has had meetings with state education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell and said the meeting was “very aggravating.” She said she laid out the funding problem and the high expenses the city school district faces, with uncontrollable costs for high school tuition, special education and transportation in a city with a low-income population and limited tax base.

“Our city doesn’t have the money to provide the services we need,” Dolliver recounted for the council the message she gave state officials. "Take us (over)."

But Dolliver was told the state only considers such a drastic move for districts that have mismanaged funding or the school system. Norwich has used its Alliance District and Commissioner’s Network state funding to create model programs the state cites to other districts.

But the funding problems remain.

Jacaruso wrote a letter last week asking to meet with legislative co-chairmen of the Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee to explore the funding dilemmas. She has yet to hear a response.

School officials repeatedly asked aldermen what state mandates should Norwich skip to save money at the risk of the state taking action against the city. These included dropoing transportation to charter and private schools within the city, not providing required support services for special education students or ending school short of 180 days. None of the options were agreeable.

“And now where do we go from here?” Jacaruso asked. “What do we cut? We’ve been talking now for almost two hours.”

The city has two years remaining in its five-year contract with Norwich Free Academy. On May 8, the school board will vote to ask NFA officials to negotiate different terms for a new contract. At Jacaruso's request, Mayor Peter Nystrom agreed to join the school board in negotations.

Dolliver said NFA special education costs are one major sticking point. In addition to higher tuition for several levels of special education programs, Norwich pays for individual students’ support services, such as speech therapists, nurses or para-educators. Those costs alone total more than $2 million per year.

Nystrom also said he plans to schedule two additional budget workshops with the Board of Education. He said next Monday's council meeting will focus on City Manager John Salomone’s proposed $46.69 million city government budget, rather than the school budget. Salomone has proposed a $77 million school budget, a 2 percent increase, far short of the 9 percent increase requested.

School board member Dennis Slopak at one point said the council will have to provide the funding needed for the school budget even if it had to come at the expense of the city side. Participants argued repeatedly Monday, comparing expense cuts and union concessions made in recent years.

School board member and former Chairman Aaron, “Al,” Daniels interrupted the exchange.

“Please,” he said. “Let’s not do that again. Just don’t do that. What’s happened has happened. We’ve got to start today. Whether we liked it, whether we loved it, whether it was a great idea. Just don’t talk about it anymore, because that’s the whole reason we’re here. We keep going at each other. Just stop that. Don’t do that. Talk about today. Please.”