Norwalk BET set to consider reinstated $1.5 M BoE ‘deal’ on Tuesday

April 9, 2018

–

Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Thomas Hamilton speaks to the Board of Estimate and Taxation, recently in Concert Hall.

Updated, 11:10 p.m.: Copy edit.

NORWALK, Conn. — The Norwalk school budget battle appears set to close Tuesday with a decision by Common Council members regarding the Board of Education’s request for an additional $1.5 million in funding.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to consider voting on a resolution asking the Council to raise its budget cap by $950,000, money which will come from the city’s fund balance, or “Rainy Day Fund.”

This follows a Monday morning meeting with BET and BoE members in the Mayor’s office.

“The BoE has agreed to exhaust its insurance reserve. With the BET and the Common Council approval, the ‘Board of Ed’ will get the $1.5 million that it indicated it needed to go forward with its strategic plan,” BET Chairman Ed Camacho said Monday evening.

BoE Chairman Mike Barbis has not returned an email, asking for comment.

Changing the budget cap requires a two-thirds majority Council vote.

Mayor Harry Rilling said last week that he felt he’d had a deal with Norwalk Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski on March 20 to provide the $1.5 million the BoE has said it needs, with a $950,000 drawdown from the Rainy Day Fund, which is at a historically high level at $51 million, and $550,000 from the BoE health insurance reserve.

Adamowski presented what he called an “offer” to the full Board that evening, cautioning that the insurance reserve wouldn’t be available for 2019-10, described by Barbis as a tough budget year.

Board member Bruce Kimmel, at the March 20 meeting, suggested that Board members not jump at the deal.

Based on years of experience, the BET could easily come up with $950,000 from the city budget, Kimmel said, opining, “I think it’s a little early in the game, personally,” to make a commitment like that.

Kimmel, a former Council member, did not reply to an April 2nd email asking if he had led the BoE to refuse Rilling’s offer.

The Common Council in February set an appropriations cap that allows for a $5.5 million increase for the Board of Education, and a probable 3.7 percent average mill rate increase, rather than grant the Board’s request for an additional $9.9 million. Adamowski on March 6 laid out a plan to cut 30 of 42 kindergarten aides, secretaries, and high and middle school guidance counselors to cut his recommended budget by $4.4 million; he also promoted the expensive plan to beef up the high school programs to 26 credits for all grades, ahead of a state mandate.

Comments

2 responses to “Norwalk BET set to consider reinstated $1.5 M BoE ‘deal’ on Tuesday”

Piberman

April 10, 2018

The BOE and Supt’s policy of keeping salaries ‘competitve’ with the surrounding wealthy towns remains in force. Despite outcomes where most of our graduates fail to secure college degrees and few students take advanced placements in math or science. Raising questions about how our grads are being prepared to secure good jobs in our modern hi-tech world where college is routinely considered “old high school”. As long as school officials are held responsible for student outcomes why expect change. Few of our grads will ever return to raise families in Norwalk. Clearly we ought do much better.

Log in to Reply
Lisa H

April 11, 2018

@piberman – where do you get your information. Norwalk’s grads are being accepted to top schools in the country. This year, I hear MIT, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Wesleyan and others. This is a credit to the improvements made to our schools because of the Board’s forward thinking plan and our school system (administrators & staff.) Let’s hope the money to continue to fund the Strategic Operating Plan does not dry up. It would be a shame for Norwalk’s students and the City of Norwalk. I am quite proud of the accomplishments and work. Personally, the last of my three children are graduating college and pursuing advanced degrees. Imagine, Piberman, they did it all with a Norwalk Public School Education.

Log in to Reply