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NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk Board of Education member Steve Colarossi has seen the 2012-13 school budget cuts suggested by Superintendent of Schools Susan Marks. And he has heard the howls of protest from educators and the public. Now he is offering his own plan for cutting $7.8 million from the amount Marks requested from the city in December.
The "Kids First Alternative Plan" would cut 12 elementary school teachers – Marks' plan would cut 25, according to Colarossi – and would add an intervention aide in every elementary school except Jefferson Elementary. An assistant principal position at Jefferson Elementary marked for elimination by Marks would be retained.
Three library aides would be retained at the elementary level, while two Columbus assistant teacher positions, in addition to one previously cut by the Board of Education, would be eliminated.
Team leadership positions in the middle schools would be restored, along with the Norwalk High Transportation Technology program and nearly all teaching positions at both high schools.
Briggs High School would continue as an alternative in its current location "with a staff commensurate with its student population."
Colarossi's plan would save $342,000 by cutting one housemaster each at Brien McMahon and Norwalk High schools.
The plan takes a bigger bite out of the high school sports budget, carving out $36,000 from each school. Another $37,000 savings would be realized through what he calls a "modest" service fee for insurance for athletes and through rebidding the insurance contract.
Another $16,000 savings would come from cutting band travel at each high school by $8,000.
The deadline for the school budget request to be finalized is June 30.
"For the 2012-2013 school year, tough choices will need to be made as the original increase provided for Norwalk's schools is being partially reduced to repay a nearly $4,000,000 deficit," Colarossi wrote on his website. "The proposal offered by Supt. Marks to reconcile this budget reduction targeted elementary schools – offering half-day kindergarten and an elimination of critical intervention aides as the means to balance the budget for next year.
"When Norwalk's Board of Estimate and Taxation offered an additional $2,200,000 (meaning that the deficit reduction loan of $4,000,000 for this year would need to be repaid in one installment for 2012-2013 of $1,800,000 and in another installment for 2013-2014 of $2,200,000), most of the cuts to elementary schools were not restored."
Board of Education Chairman Jack Chiaramonte did not respond to a request for comment Monday night.
Comments (6)
Line #40 reads that AT will be eliminated - is this true?
Did I miss the part about security at the Middle Schools?
I have a different take. No BOE member should be putting forth an alternate plan, in the media, after supposedly failing to convince his/her peers and the Superintendent of the items. This is unprofessional and way outside of the scope of what a board member's responsibilities are.
The council on the other hand has an obligation to set the cap for the BET to allocate. The council has no line item authority and any failure there has been a consistent lack of investing in actions that would increase the grand list so that Norwalk wouldn't be in a sustained revenue shortfall. It didn't help that in 2009 the Mayor cut taxes in parts of Norwalk, while doing nothing about blighted properties and demolitions that only serve to reduce the property tax obligations of slumlords.
@jlightfield
Perhaps it is out of the ordinary for a BOE member to propose an alternate list of cuts, but in this case I think it's better to have more transparency rather than less. So I support a public dialogue regarding which cuts would least harm the schools. Certainly such a dialogue is more productive than the message we hear from protestors who claim that Norwalk doesn't care about education because the City won't increase education spending from $160 million to $167 million.
What actions do you feel Common Council could have taken that would have increased the grand list in the face of headwinds from the collapse of the housing market and the resulting economic malaise? Also, how is it possible for the Mayor to cut taxes in one part of Norwalk but not others?
@YEHatem
Don't know if I'd support Colarossi for Mayor but I do admire his courage in coming up with a plan of his own. There's no political benefit to releasing a long list of cuts, yet he did it anyway. His actions are in stark contrast to Common Council members Watts, Pena, Duleep, and Igneri, who simply view the tight budget and impending cuts as an opportunity to score political points. It appears to me that those four members of the Common Council are more interested in blaming others than in solving the problem, and that's really a shame. I guess their philosophy is that they should never let a good crisis go to waste.
If Council members Watts, Pena, Duleep, and Igneri were truly serious about solving the problem, they would release a list of what cuts they would make to other City departments in order to give schools the needed funds. Instead they continue to call for the City to spend money which the City doesn't have, or can't spend without damaging the City's credit rating. I also read that Councilman Miklave is now advocating that the City consider a tax increase to raise the school system's required funds. Watch your wallets everybody!
Thank you Mr. Colarossi for stepping up and creating a budget plan that puts our students first, makes appropriate and fair cuts, and makes the most sense out of all plans to date! Your reasoning behind each cut makes sense, and shows evidence of an overarching plan. Thank you for working for the betterment of Norwalk! It is appreciated!!
Colarossi for Mayor!!!