48°
NORWALK, Conn. – When Norwalk's by-the-numbers members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation meet Wednesday, a lot of emotional people will be staring at them in Concert Hall, hoping to make their point, even if they can't use the spoken word.
Barbara Smyth, a mother and teacher, has organized the fourth rally in support of Norwalk's schools for before the meeting, this time titled, "Show Me the Money." The BET's agenda includes a discussion of the Board of Education's current year deficit and a possible revision in the BET's approach to the problem. This follows a nonbinding resolution unanimously approved by the Common Council, urging the BET to use the "rainy day fund" to cover the school board's deficit.
BET Chairman Fred Wilms has said he is against using that "rainy day" money, referred to as the general fund surplus or unassigned fund balance, to balance the school board's 2012-13 budget. Thomas Hamilton, Norwalk's finance director and the staff member assigned to the BET, said Monday he does not recommend such a course of action.
"We're still going to fight for it," Smyth said. "We're going to fight for those funds." Smyth, a former Ponus Ridge Middle School teacher, is currently unemployed. She had been working in a wealthy school district but has resigned.
She expects a good showing at the rally and said parents have been emailing and making phone calls. "I know that the public is not allowed to speak at the BET meeting, but we're hopeful that our numbers will mean something," she said.
Children with homemade signs and their parents made a strong showing at the City Council meeting, which many people credited for the unanimous vote on the non-binding resolution.
"I think that it's democracy," said Norwalk Federation of Teachers President Bruce Mellion. "If we didn't have this many people here tonight I don't think we would have gotten this result."
The BET will discuss the surpluses found in the school board's current year budget, Hamilton said. He expects BET to continue to use the tools it has been applying – stretching out insurance fund repayments – to help the school board cover the deficit.
"I have made my recommendations," Hamilton said. "If they were to tap into the unassigned fund balance it would bring us down below the median of other Triple As and that does concern me for rating agency purposes."
Smyth has heard that the surpluses are not major. Mellion said Mayor Richard Moccia's concerns about the Triple A bond rating are exaggerated.
"He's overplaying that," he said. "(The $4 million is) a loan, he's not giving it to us. (There's) $26 million in general fund balance. He's got money in contingency. He's got $400,000 surplus in contingency. He's raising the contingency next year from $1.3 million to $1.5 million. ... There's a $300 million city budget and they're going to have money left over. Stop it. Does he think we were born yesterday? Please."
The Show Me The Money rally begins at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of City Hall. It ends when the Board of Estimate and Taxation meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in Concert Hall.
Updated 9:20 a.m.
Comments (4)
"Does he think we were born yesterday? Please."
In answer to Teachers Union President Bruce Mellion's question, it's obvious that he and the Teachers Union leadership were not born yesterday. After all, they got themselves a wage deal that's the second best in the state of CT, after Greenwich. Also, the Union's health plan is among the best in the state and nation, according to Mellion's own internal newsletter.
Now the Teachers Union wants the City to reach into the rainy day fund to pay for their latest raise. Most responsible parties agree that doing so would imperil Norwalk's AAA credit rating and could raise the City's long-term borrowing costs by about $1 million per year.
Eighty-five percent of spending on schools is for wages and benefits, according to a recent comment by Jack Chiaramonte. Taxpayers were already hit with a hike this year. Before the City even considers another penny for schools, I want to see the Union vote on whether or not they'll accept a 1-year wage freeze. Or is it their position that in a difficult economy, taxpayers must sacrifice but teachers won't? Most regular taxpayers consider ourselves lucky to have jobs, much less guaranteed raises every year.
Hi Lisa - I agree with you...to degree...
Our libraries are media centers (at least the ones our two kids are in) - to an extent. We are unable to take them further because the money is not there to do so, but they do have computer labs and other technoligy - but without the library aide who is going to support all that? The IT techs at city hall who are already stretched beyond their time limits? And while media is the major player in today's world - our kids still need to read.
I am against raising taxes as we are all so heavily burdened as it is and there are other ways. Yes I do think most families with children in the Norwalk schools would be willing to pay an additional tax, but I THINK (I'm not sure about the exact #) that only makes up 33% of the tax paying population - I know most of the residents that I've spoken to that do not have kids in the school system are not too keen on paying that tax. They feel the educational system is top heavy and more interested in political gains rather than the welfare of our children - I tend to agree with that.
What disturbs me is that there has been NO consideration of cutting the sports programs. I'm not saying the sports programs are not beneficial - but a good education is more beneficial. I think of it this way - like so many other Norwalk families we are struggling financially - so - we cut out those pieces that we do not necessarily need to survive. Would we be better WITH those pieces - yes - but can we survive without them? - Yes. The schools/our children - can survive with a pay to play sports program but they can not survive without a quality education. Will making cuts to the sports programs solve the entire monetary budget issue? No - but it can help towards it.
The cuts that are being proposed and will likely happen are our vice-principals, our librarians, our intervention aides, team leaders (in MS), security guards, and TWENTY EIGHT kids in a class - with or without aides - that is NOT a manageable number and these are all very key positions - anyone with children in the schools now, and has experiences with these people will (I hope) support that statement. the message being sent is that Sports are more important than a quality education.
Me personally - I plan to take part in going to the state and fighting for Norwalk to get a fairer share of the pie, because it is my understanding that the way the state educational $ proportioned out now is...well...outdated and NOT proportioned out correctly. It is also my responsibility as a parent to do so - after all if we are not part of the solution we are part of the problem.
I also agree that we need to think outside of the box and what is best for our kids - but it seems that political bs is getting in the way.
Morrellimon:
Thanks for your thoughtful response.
Unfortunately, I calculate that the % of the Norwalk population with school age children is less than 33% (per the last census.) It's somewhere between 1 in 5 and 1 in 6 of the population. Sadly, decreasing test scores on a national level coupled with rising costs and a bad economy is forcing the hand of education reform. Money will drive change...not attitude.
I have not been a flag carrier for the NPS budget either way. It is what it is. Structural issues, whether it be an aging society with rising health care costs, figuring out how to more productively deal with special ed, rewriting union work rules (going forward in future contracts) or better engaging parents at home to close the loop with their child and the teacher must be resolved. But, it took a quarter century to get into this pickle and it won't be resolved overnight.
Everyone needs to start thinking about working smarter and harder with less. Having spent most of my corporate career outside of the US (I've been back in the US for 7 years, mind you, so even my data is old) but we, as a nation and our children are woefully ill-prepared for the global economy. Until parents in Norwalk understand this, the localized, parochial political in-fighting will continue. It makes for great theater but doesn't accomplish much.
I too, will see you in Bridgeport to argue Norwalk's plight, but the state is also broke and the political stakes even higher in Hartford.
Ms. Smyth's energy is commendable but will she be in Bridgeport for the ECS meeting? Will Mr. Mellion? Will Dr. Moore? Instead of Whipping parents intO a frenzy, why not advocate for a Spot on the ballot and see if Norwalkers are willing to pay an additional tax to pay for special Ed and/ or health insurance? I think we know what the result would be.
Now, put on the ballot, funding for technology for online learning credits for middle school and high school and see if that gets traction. Turn our school libraries into media learning centers instead of graveyards for out of date books. It's being done in other states. It needs to happen here. The economy is not getting better, nor is the consistency of instruction. Think outside the box. Think about what's best for the kids. Just think!