Community Corner

School Board Asks Legislators Not To Cut Public School Construction Funding

Board members plea for even funding on public school new construction in the wake of cuts announced by the governor.

Southington Board of Education members have asked legislators to fight any changes to the state budget that would reduce funding for new school construction.

With the middle school feasibility project under way, the board will be seeking state reimbursement for construction costs in the near future and changes could reduce the amount the district would be able to receive if a reimbursement were sought today.

“We are in the ninth year of what is supposed to be a 10-year plan, but we’ve only completed seven years of work,” said board member David Derynoski. “The sweeping changes proposed could further delay these efforts and would put more burden back on local taxpayers.”

Board members expressed their concerns during a Friday legislative breakfast, the same day that Gov. Dannel Malloy said he would have to cut new school construction reimbursements as part of an effort to reduce the state’s deficit, which currently stands at $3.6 billion.

The cuts are part of a package that presents multiple changes and would have the biggest effect on magnet school construction.

The state currently pays 95 percent for new construction on magnet schools, a policy created in the wake of the Sheff v. O’Neill school desegregation case. Hartford-area magnet school construction is fully funded by the state as part of a court order.

Public schools are part of a sliding scale that reimburses towns from 20 to 80 percent based on the wealth of a community, and Southington is currently eligible for about a 55 percent reimbursement.

In a press release last week, Malloy said his budget proposal to be released Wednesday would further reduce this funding to a rate of 15 to 65 percent, based on community needs.

Derynoski said that as the town completes the middle school feasibility study, which was awarded to the Fletcher-Thompson architectural firm in January, the board would be looking to build or renovate as new around 2014.

While there is a need to reduce spending and the deficit at the state level, board members, including Kathleen Rickard, Patricia Johnson and Chairman Brian Goralski, said funding for public schools remains as important as ever.

The costs for local towns, for example, continue to rise as a result of Sheff v. O’Niell and the large number of new magnet schools has already placed a heavy financial burden on the public sector.

“We are anticipating spending of over $350,000 for just 70 students in the upcoming year,” said Terri Carmody, vice chairwoman of the board. “We get only $2,700 per Project Choice student.”

While there are a number of needs, State Rep. Bruce “Zeke” Zalaski, D-Southington, said the state will need to look widely at the budget and increase taxes already – Malloy today announced a proposal to increase the income and cigarette taxes – in order to reduce the deficit.

He said he would work to help preserve funding for Southington, but changes are in store.

“I believe we cannot cut our way out of spending and I know my counterpart on the other side of the aisle would disagree, but to think we are not already going to raise taxes is foolish,” Zalaski said.


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