The New Haven Board of Alders approved a $679-million budget for the coming fiscal year but it leaves the school district short of what it was looking for.
“No doubt the Board of Education has a challenging task ahead but the city has constraints,” Adam Marchand, a New Haven alder, said.
The city added another $5 million for schools, less than the $16 million that had been requested.
The teachers union is hopeful that the gap won’t be closed with layoffs.
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“The things that are labeled as extra but are actually foundational to children's experiences -- hands-on learning materials, field trips, before- and after-school programs -- those are the things that probably will be cut. And then we really have to think about the impact of that on our kids,” said Leslie Blatteau, New Haven Federation of Teachers president.
Alders expressed concerns that providing even more cash for classrooms would hike taxes higher than they already will go up.
The budget increases the mill rate by more than 3 percent.
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“I'm always trying to balance this demand for public services and really, the budget responds to a lot of what we've heard and the effort to keep our taxes reasonable in the city,” said Mayor Justin Elicker, D – New Haven.
The mayor says the budget includes some additional public safety positions.
It also adds jobs to help take care of parks, especially sports fields, which have been a challenge to maintain. There will also be more inspectors for housing enforcement.
“So really enthusiastic about the end result of the budget. It invests a lot more in housing in particular,” said Elicker.
The mayor says when it comes to schools the district will look at potentially saving money when it comes to busing and having larger class sizes.
In a statement before the vote, the superintendent said the state needs to do more to fund education, something that was echoed by the mayor and the teachers union.
