Ansonia school district leaders said they will be forced to cut sports and lay off teachers if the city budget is adopted as is.
“I hate to do this, but we are going to have to eliminate our sports program,” Ansonia Schools Superintendent Carol Merlone said.
Merlone and Assistant Superintendent Michael Wilson made the announcement regarding athletics Monday during an interview on “Navel Gazing,” the Valley Indy’s podcast.
The interview is posted in its entirety below.
A public hearing on the proposed city budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday (May 24) in Ansonia City Hall at Ansonia High School, 20 Pulaski Highway. (Note: Officials changed the location of the meeting Tuesday morning.)
Last week the Ansonia Board of Aldermen approved a tentative budget with a 2.5 spending increase — or a $752,389 — for schools next year.
The school administrators said while they’re grateful for the allocation, it simply is not enough money to cover costs in a cash-strapped school system where 72 percent of the students receive free or reduced-priced lunch, an indicator of poverty.
Even with the funding increase, Merlone said:
- Sports will be cut
- About nine teacher positions will be cut
- Two school administrative positions will be eliminated (a principal position and an assistant principal position)
- One maintenance position will be cut
- Music and art programs jettisoned in a previous budget cycle will not return, the superintendent said.
Ansonia schools initially requested an increase of 6.7 percent from the city.
If that request were granted, a person with a house assessed at $150,000 would pay about $200 more in taxes next year.
The “tentative” budget approved by the Aldermen last week reduces taxes by about $30 for the same homeowner.
(A possible wrinkle — the 6.7 percent increase, if the Aldermen were to go for it, could trigger a referendum, because the city changed its budget rules a few years back.)
But Merlone and Wilson said that tax decrease comes at great expense to schools.
Please click play on the media player to listen to the interview for more details.
