The New London City Council voted to slash millions from education and said the uncertainty surrounding the state's budget is the reason for such a tough decision.
"That’s not fiscal responsibility, that’s not caring for our kids," a resident, Daniel Spur, said.
The city council debated the entire city budget on Monday night at City Hall. School district leaders pleaded for the city to make a change before the council likely votes on the cut.
“We have to position ourselves fiscally as a worst-case scenario,” Don Venditto, New London City Council President Pro Tempore, said.
The City of New London is operating without a budget and is also proposing $8,238,000 worth of cuts from the general city budget.
With the state budget in flux, there are still many funding unknowns.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Stephen Tracy said the district will be forced to operate with 11.7 percent fewer general fund dollars than last year. He does not want that to bleed directly into the classroom since a large majority of district resources are spent in the schools and on student services.
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"That we take another look and try to make sure it comes out as balanced as it can be. That we don’t have a situation where one side of the budget is suffering millions of dollars of reduction and the other isn’t," Tracy said.
New London Mayor Michael Passero got heated with Tracy before the meeting.
He told NBC Connecticut that the $4.2 million in cuts comes from the state, saying the number came from the education revenue cuts for the city in the budget recently vetoed by Gov. Dannel Malloy.
He said the city can’t reduce a budget, but it can add to it. So, the district could see that money come back when the state budget is intact.
"In effect they’re saying, ‘We’re not cutting you, they’re cutting you.’ All I know is, if nobody does anything, we’re in the position of not being able to deliver the program that we’re supposed to deliver," Tracy said.
