Alder Strattons Proposed Amendment to Education Funding as to the Mayors 2014-2015

udget!
"ncreasing Parapro#essionals $y 1%0& 'reating Sa#e (eigh$orhoods #or Students )hrough
*ni+ersal Policing& 'reating 'ity ,ide School -ecreation Program and 'reating
.pportunities #or all /outh to -educe "mmediately 0iolence& -educing urdens on
-esidents $y 12342
Whereas, the budget proposed by the mayor does not expressly state how much is being allocated to the
Board of Education other than a city cash contribution;
Whereas, there are a myriad of services and benefits apparently paid for by the city but not allocated to
the Board of Education in the Proposed Budget including payroll, healthcare, school nurses, pensions,
workers compensation, legal work, maintenance, and several other as of yet undisclosed payments and in
kind services;
Whereas the state mandates that each municipality ensure that educational funding equal the B!, the
minimum budget requirement through a combination of state educational cost sharing grants and local
contributions of cash or in kind services;
Whereas this year it is anticipated that the state will set an B! of approximately "#$% million and will
contribute "#%& million in E'( grants, meaning that the city must contribute ")& million to meet the
B!;
*n that upon information and belief the mayor seeks to fund the board of education at a level at least "+,
million dollars in excess of the B!, for total funding of more than "##& million dollars;
Whereas no town in the state -other than .ew /aven0 funds through local contribution education at a
level 1,,2 greater than the local contribution required by the B! and that no town except for the 'ity
of .ew /aven has ever exceeded the local contribution required by B! by more than "), million;
Whereas historically and this year every city in the state with more than $%,,,, in population contributed
no more than the local contribution required by the B! and if they did it was rare with the excess
contribution never exceeding &3% million dollars4
Whereas the Board of Education has a budget which includes5 contingency slush funds for "6 million
that are not utili7ed for specific purposes; massive undefined line items for 8other8 and 8purchased
services9 which vastly exceed other peer cities and are unexplained; huge amounts of monies spent on
maintenance including more than "&& million that have not been :ustified and in that the board negotiated
a contract with its employees that leaves them ranked number # among #6+ districts for 8employee
benefits9 and last among peer cities for providing instructional materials and equipment to teachers and
paraprofessionals;
Whereas more than #%, administrators earn salaries and benefit packages in excess of "#;,,,,, per year
and the level of administrators is far in excess of any peer city, and whereas state consultants for the (<E
document the number of administrators needed which also corroborates the excessive staffing in the
central bureaucracy;
Whereas this 'ity is unable to5 #0 ensure the reasonable safety of its residents and needs resources to
provide universal community policing; )0 afford a comprehensive plan to employ youth this summer and
year round during a tumultuous (pring fraught with violence; &0 reduce tax levels to a point where car
owners, renters and prospective homeowners and businesses can afford to expand or move into .ew
/aven thereby killing :ob opportunity and economic prosperity; to provide proper park, public works,
library, and other vital city services4
Whereas the Board of Education should not eliminate any teachers or principals to levels less than the
optimal levels recommended by the (<E and its consultants, and whereas it should hire many more
paraprofessionals who cost "),3)%,,,, a year so that the elimination of :ust % administrators in central
bureaucracy would result in &; paraprofessionals being hired4
Whereas the 'ity has no authority to dictate where the Board of Education should spend its money and
that millions have been spent on unnecessary consulting contracts without any approval or review by the
'ity;
Whereas the city contribution to education would have to be reduced by at least "+, million to reach the
same level over B! that /artford provides and that the superintendent himself at a finance meeting :ust
) weeks ago said that he desired in his dreams to be funded like /artford;
*t is proposed that the 'ity reduce its total contribution to education this year to a level "%, million over
the B!4 )he sa+ings should $e utili5ed to hire 1%0 parapro#essionals #or the school system2 )hese
parapro#essionals 6ill $e allocated to )ier 7 and )ier 2 schools 6ith the 6orst per#ormance records
to get student teacher ratios in those schools do6n to at least 8!12 )he cost o# these hires 6ill $e 9721
million2
=urther it is proposed that the 'ity use these sa+ings to implement a city 6ide comprehensi+e
recreation program #or the schools that 6ill gi+e e+ery child an opportunity to play competiti+e
sports in intracity leagues as 6ell as learn one musical instrument e+ery year2 >his will cost "#,
million dollars which includes use of existing facilities and the hiring of ),, part time coaches and
music?art teachers4
=urther it is proposed that 95 million $e allocated to the do6nto6n am$assador program and the
police #or implementation o# community am$assadors and policing in all high ris: neigh$orhoods2
Further 9225 million 6ill $e allocated to paying #or summer camps and summer;year round <o$s #or
any city department 6illing to implement such a program 6ithout any #unding #or o+ersight or
super+ision2 )he #unds shall $e used solely #or supplies& e+ents& transportation and space #or the
students4 >his reduction when combined with expenditures leaves ")1m which shall be applied to this
years proposed budget resulting in a 4 mill rate reduction or 1234 ta= reduction #or car o6ners&
renters& $usinesses& and homeo6ners2
>his amendment is a program that the peoples caucus has dubbed 8taking the bull by the horns94 >he
gross mismanagement of the extremely generous local contribution by the B@E requires that the 'ity
replace the B@EAs :udgment of priorities with its own4 !educing B@E funding creates the safe
neighborhoods and recreational opportunities that children need, it also invigorates the :ob and housing
markets to encourage a dramatic increase in grand list values and population so necessary to a healthy
future4 >aking the bull by the horns means trusting the 'ity to spend the money wisely rather than
handing it over to a B@E that has historically not provided the student3teacher ratios, the recreational
opportunities, the :obs, the safe neighborhoods needed for youth and resident success4