54°
Jackson attributed the layoffs to NEON’s loss of a group of government contracts in the past few weeks, including its administration of Head Start education programs, its contracts with the Connecticut Department of Correction and Court Support Services Division.
“This was not a desirable outcome, but without funding it was the only appropriate action to take at this difficult moment,” Jackson said. “This decision was made to preserve employee rights and their economic dignity.”
Many of the employees had been on furlough, and had not received payment on paychecks that were returned for insufficient funds. NEON management stressed Wednesday that the layoffs will allow the employees to collect unemployment benefits while the anti-poverty agency deals with its outstanding debts.
Jackson said Wednesday that he plans to pay all back salaries due by Dec. 1. He will forgo his own salary until that happens, according to the press release. He also advocated “a thorough and serious review of NEON’s financial control systems, program services and employee functions” to improve the agency’s financial standing and transparency.
The agency has not yet announced a return date for its early childhood education programs, which have been closed since the Veterans Day weekend. Administration of Norwalk’s Head Start program has been turned over to the federal government via Community Development Institute (CDI).
NEON and CDI have made “substantial progress in recent days,” NEON said Wednesday, but the two groups have not finalized a plan for reopening the Ben Franklin Center and Nathaniel Ely School programs.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
