Schools Seek $4M Above Mayor’s Budget Rec

Top school-district officials pitched alders on sending the Board of Education $207 million next fiscal year — as they made their case for why rising teacher salaries and special education costs warrant $4 million more than what the mayor has proposed. 

New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) administrators made that budget request Thursday night during the latest Board of Alders Finance Committee budget workshop. The in-person meeting took place in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall.

The workshop was held several weeks after Mayor Justin Elicker formally submitted to the alders a proposed $662.7 million general fund budget. If approved by the full Board of Alders, that budget would send a total of $203,263,784 — or roughly $8 million more than this year — to the public school district for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The workshop also took place a week after the Board of Education unanimously endorsed asking the Board of Alders for $207,071,931 for next fiscal year. While the mayor does sit on the school board as a voting member, he did not participate in the Board of Ed’s March 22 budget vote.

The school district leaders who spoke up at Thursday’s Finance Committee meeting focused their presentation on the school board’s larger $207 million budget ask, which would mark a 6 percent increase above the current year’s schools budget. They made their argument for why New Haven’s schools need more in funds than what the mayor has proposed. (Click here to read a past Independent story about the NHPS budget proposal.)

Still Status Quo

NHPS Chief Financial Officer Linda Hannans was joined by Senior Business Director Juanita Mazyck and Business Director Christine Bourne for Thursday’s presentation. Supt. Iline Tracey and Director of Student Services Typhanie Jackson also presented to the alders during the workshop. 

In a brief presentation to the alders the team highlighted that the school district is in need of more dollars daily to keep up with two major changes: salary increases for educators and the rising costs of providing special education services for students. 

“This is what it would take to run New Haven Public Schools,” Tracey said about the $207 million budget request. ​“What frightens me is, God forbid we don’t get these grants or somebody doesn’t write for us to get these grants, if we don’t get those grants we would be in serious budget crisis in New Haven.” 

The team emphasized the importance of increasing its general funds budget as the rest of the school district’s cost are funded through grants which are only getting more competitive to get, Tracey said. 

Tracey said that it costs roughly $400 million in total to run NHPS, when taking into account city dollars, state aid, and other grants.

When asked what cuts would be made if NHPS got lesss than the $207 million it’s asking for, Tracey said the district continues to end up with deficits while trying to ​“live with what’s given to us.” 

If approved for a lower budget than $207 million, she said, the district would need to start making cuts to classroom necessities, which her team is trying to avoid. 

“This number’s very high,” Board of Alders Majority Leader and Amity/Westville Alder Richard Furlow said. ​“If we were to stick with the mayor’s proposed budget, which is pretty high, what would you do?”

Tracey responded that the city and school district’s budgets differ because a mayor must consider various city departments and the potential impact on city taxes. Meanwhile the school district must increase salaries to remain competitive and retain educators and must meet the new service needs of its students. 

“If it’s sent back, I might be leaving here not closing a budget,” Tracey said. (Tracey plans to retire at the end of this school year.)

The $207 million ask is a true budget, Tracey said, and doesn’t include maintenance upgrades that will be detailed in a facilities study currently taking place. ​“Our schools are falling apart,” she added. 

Hannans added that in recent years the general fund has had to remain a status quo budget and hasn’t allowed the district to do things like facility upkeep.

“I am very afraid of what happens when these grants go away, our budget hasn’t grown with the staff needs,” Hannans said. 

Board of Alders President and West River Alder Tyisha Walker-Myers suggested the district look into hiring a full-time grant writer that would focus on applying for additional district grants.

Jackson added that the district does regularly work to mitigate costs like electricity and paper use to avoid cutting classroom budgets. 

Budget Increase, Student Decrease?

East Rock Alder Anna Festa asked the team why their budget would need to increase if student enrollment is currently on a decline.

“I find it hard to believe that the state is flat funding us year after year,” Festa said. 

Jackson said one of the main reasons the budget continues to increase is because the district has more students needing special education services than it’s ever had. In the last year Jackson said special education costs alone have increased from $19 million to $27 million for the same number of students. 

“We have more students with very complex needs with significant high costs,” she said. 

Despite declining enrollment Jackson said special education services offered outside the district cost about $70,000 to $200,000 per student. 

Edgewood Alder Evette Hamilton suggested the district designate funding to a labor attorney of its own and a bilingual examiner, which is required by the state. 

Hill Alder Ron Hurt also suggested the schools team come up with a Plan B in case the alders do not grant their full $207 million budget request.

Thursday’s presentation was provided alongside the district’s ​“defining the gap” project staffing guidelines, which if followed would add $55 million to fully staff and equitably fund all public schools. 

“This is still a keep the lights on budget, not a jacuzzi budget,” Tracey said.