The Waterbury Board of Education contributes $250,000 a year to the Palace Theater, which is used by one of its magnet schools next door. Now, that funding could be in jeopardy.
Waterbury's Palace Theater operates on about $2 million a year.
The Waterbury Board of Education contributes $250,000. Now that funding may no longer be coming.
"I’m surprised that we’re having this conversation right now," Said Frank Tavera, CEO of the Palace Theater.
Tavera said the theater has kept to its agreements with the city of Waterbury, which says they’d provide the space and resources for the Waterbury Arts Magnet School, located right next door.
"The school utilizes the theater 30 times out of the year in the event that funding goes away, the school will be unable to graduate from our stage,offer their Christmas dance performances, their spring concerts, they'd no longer have usage for the space," Said Tavera.
In a statement, Mayor Neil O'Leary said:
"Among the budget options, the board is considering cutting its funding to the Palace Theater in order to fund part time library pages. I believe this is wrong and loses sight of the bigger picture."
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He further said, "While library pages are important, I am hoping the Board of Education can consider cutting something else."
Tavera says if they lose money from the Board of Education, they'd have to somehow raise the money.
"We’d have to look at the impact of the $250,000, the impact it'll have on the school but financially may have an impact the way we operate the building," Said Tavera.
NBC Connecticut reached out to the Board of Education. Our call has not been returned.
