“Working” Schools Budget
Heads To Aldermen For OK

The Board of Ed gave its unanimous approval Monday night to a proposed $396 million budget for New Haven Public Schools, including a $3 million increase in the city’s contribution. The budget now heads to the Board of Aldermen for final approval.

The Board of Ed approved the budget at its Monday evening meeting at public schools headquarters on Water Street.

The school board officially released the budget Monday night, posting it on the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) website.

The proposed 2103 – 2014 budget overall is smaller than last year’s, but includes an increase of $3 million in the city’s contribution. The Board of Aldermen will now take up the budget for consideration. Aldermen don’t have line-item veto power over the schools budget; they can simply vote the entire budget up or down.

Click here to read more about the budget, which weighs in at 488 pages this year.

Chief Operating Officer Will Clark presented the budget on Monday evening. He called the budget a ​“working” document. It includes a $9.4 million hole, dubbed a ​“budget initiative.” The school board will try to make up that money though savings from personnel attrition, comprising 55 teaching positions, 10 paraprofessional jobs, five clerical/security jobs, and six administrative positions. Also, officials can only guess at this point how much state money will finally flow to the schools after lawmakers finish that budget.

“We consider this a 365-day-a-year job,” Clark said of the budgeting process.

Board members asked clarifying questions about costs due to equipment, paraprofessional services, the NHPS website, and stipend payments.

Asked about the time frame for making cuts to fill the $9.4 million hole, Clark said school board will know more by late spring, when it’s clear who will be retiring or resigning.

Mayor John DeStefano, who sits on the board, said the school budget will become much clearer after that state adopts its budget in June.