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Schools

Norwalk Board of Ed Gets $2.2M in Budget Reconciliation Relief

The measure introduced by the Mayor and unanimously approved by the BET means the Board of Education now faces a $7.7 million budget reconciliation, according to a report in The Hour of Norwalk.

The on Monday reportedly approved Mayor Richard A. Mocchia's plan to provide $2.2 million in relief to the , which has been facing a whopping $9.9 million budget reconciliation.

The measure introduced by the mayor and unanimously approved by the BET means the Board of Education now faces a $7.7 million budget reconciliation, according to a report in The Hour of Norwalk.

The $2.2 million in relief is in fact only a reprieve: The Board of Education must repay the city by fiscal year 2013-14, according to the report.

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Meanwhile the school administration had been working feverishly to reduce the school budget by $9.9 million without closing any schools or cutting into core programs.

A draft budget presented Friday by Norwalk Public Schools Superintendent Susan Marks calls for "staff reductions at central office, as well as reductions in administrators, support staff and a considerable number of teachers at the individual school level," according to a statement released by the school district.

Find out what's happening in Norwalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Specifically the district had been considering eliminating assistant principals at the elementary and middle schools as well as house masters at the two high schools. In addition the plan called for some administrative staff to go from a 12-month to an 11-month work schedule.

The plan had also called for "significant reductions of teaching positions in all schools, as well as some specialists," while still maintaining class sizes. In addition it had called for the elimination of some library services and resources.

The $2.2 million in relief from the city will help the district retain some of the positions.

In the statement released Friday, Superintendent Marks said although the district's goal is to "save programs essential to learning… the additional $4 million gap this year presented extreme challenges…"

The Board of Education is scheduled to discuss the budget reconciliation plan at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Concert Hall at City Hall. It will vote on the final plan later this month.

Board of Education Chairman Jack Chiaramonte had hinted at the deal with the Mayor in Friday's statement:

"Mayor Moccia has informed us that he is working on the possibility of the City allowing the school system to repay the shortfall in this year’s budget over two years rather than one," Chiaramonte said. "If this proves feasible, it could save a significant number of teacher positions, and potentially allow us to preserve all-day kindergarten at all of our elementary schools. We have also reached out to representatives of our unions, and we remain hopeful that they will also join with us to help save as many teaching and other positions as possible.”

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