Norwalk’s Board of Education (BOE) approved a larger budget with state and city funding for the upcoming school year. The board’s decision follows public outcry over proposed layoffs of elementary school music teachers.
But while the music teachers are safe, several staffing positions have been eliminated. The BOE voted to approve a budget reconciliation Wednesday evening, after district officials already stated the city and state would provide schools with an additional $6 million.
Mayor Harry Rilling said the budget was better than what existed before, but acknowledged not everyone will be happy.
“In the past 12 years, this has also been the most difficult budget season for me,” Rilling said. We try to do everything we can. Obviously we can't do everything.”
The budget, with the added state and local money for fiscal year 2025 to 2026, is now a little over $248 million, which is slightly less than the over $252 million originally proposed earlier this year.
The extra money, according to the board, is partly coming from the city, with an extra $500,000 being issued to the district on Wednesday.
The money comes from surplus funds for fiscal year 2025, according to Mayor Harry Rilling’s spokesperson, Michelle Woods Matthews.
Another $3 million came from municipal aid grants from the state, as a result of Democratic State Sen. Bob Duff getting enough support during the budget vote this year.
But while elementary school music teachers are safe, only around 60 staff were able to be brought back, out of an around 80 staff originally slated for cuts, according to the reconciliation document.
Superintendent Alexandra Estrella said the budget reinstates other staff.
“We were able to reinstate all of our school counselors across the elementary schools,” Estrella said.
Additional reinstated staff are special education supervisors and an itinerant assistant principal supporting pre-K special education services, Estrella said.
She, along with Lunda Asmani, the school chief financial officer, said the remaining positions unable to be reinstated aren’t all going to face layoffs. Asamni said certain positions are staffers nearing retirement age.
Those positions would get filled internally.
“Not all 20 people are going to be eliminated from the district, Asmani said. “Some of them will go into vacant positions.”
