Norwich — The Board of Education on Tuesday adopted an $87.5 million 2021-22 proposed school budget, a 3.95% increase over this year’s budget, with increases in tuition, salaries, benefits, utilities and transportation costs.

Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow presented the budget to the board Tuesday, two weeks after unveiling the plan to the board’s budget committee. The board voted unanimously to approve the proposed budget and submit it to City Manager John Salomone, who will present his budget, including a bottom line for the school budget April 5.

Stringfellow said while most line items in the budget are flat-funded, several fixed costs will have significant increases next year. Certified salaries total $18.9 million, a $379,544 increase. Tuition totals $34 million, up 7.6%, including the 3% regular education increase at Norwich Free Academy and NFA special education tuition increases of 3%-6%.

Health insurance costs are budgeted to increase by $271,000 and transportation costs by nearly $100,000.

The only new staff positions are a transportation coordinator, budgeted at $85,000, to be funded through the regular budget, a grant-funded education equity coordinator and grant-funded reading and math teachers.

Stringfellow had planned to hire more math and reading teachers over time in the regular budget, gradually replacing noncertified classroom interventionists with certified teachers. The receipt of federal COVID-19 relief grants will allow her to speed up that process. Reading and math teachers will be hired in all schools and the district will reorganize instructional specialists into their areas of preference and expertise, such as literacy, math or technology, Stringfellow said.

Stringfellow called the equity coordinator and the district’s new Equity Committee to address learning gaps among students the top educational priority. The coordinator will be funded through the city’s state Alliance District grant aimed at improving student performance.

“Our most pressing instructional priority is our district Equity Committee,” Stringfellow wrote in her budget presentation. “In order to ensure that our thoughtful, intentional and aggressive plans are realized, we will utilize Alliance Funding to invest in an Equity Coordinator.”

The recently received $8 million federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund COVID-19 relief grant will pay for the new reading and math teachers and will fund a planned summer school to help students catch up after a year of pandemic remote and hybrid learning.

The summer school positions will be temporary, but the reading and math specialists will be permanent and will be part of future budgets, she said.

Stringfellow said several grant-funded COVID-19 related positions are expected to be eliminated next year, including temporary para-educators and certified nurses’ assistants used for isolation rooms.

Stringfellow tried last year to add the proposed transportation coordinator, but the position was eliminated in budget cuts. She said the delay cost the city the chance to partner with other local towns to share the cost of the position. Three of those towns already have partnered with one another to fund a position for themselves, she said, and they have realized savings.

Board member Christine Distasio questioned the $85,000 salary for the transportation coordinator, saying she was reluctant to support an administrative-level salary for the position. Other board members said it’s not the board’s role to intervene in specific salaries, but the board asked for a job description and scope of service for the position.

Stringfellow said she fully expects the position to pay for itself in savings from more efficient bus routes with shorter rides for students and improved safety. She argued that current school administrators do not have time to manage frequent transportation issues.

Stringfellow cited the success of residency/attendance officer Edwin Peckham, a position created in November 2019, for comparison. According to a report by Peckham to the board Tuesday, the “running total” tuition and cost savings realized by identifying non-Norwich students enrolled in the Norwich school system or designated high schools or special education programs at $3.6 million.

Peckham reported he makes about 25 home visits per week for various reasons and continues to audit certain addresses for possible residency issues.

c.bessette@theday.com