Derby Administration Pushes For Finance Merger With Schools

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Derby City Hall

DERBY — The Derby mayor’s office wants to consolidate the city and school district finance departments, according to a series of emails between Derby City Hall and Derby Public Schools.

The goal is to consolidate operations with the city assuming responsibilities for all financial operations,” Walt Mayhew, Mayor Rich Dziekan’s chief of staff, wrote in an Oct. 3 email to Derby Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Conway. We believe this would not only lead to a reduction in costs that would benefit not only the city but the school district, and also provide a very direct way to eliminate concerns expressed by the auditor.“

The email asked for a list of school district finance-related positions.

Separately, the email said the Dziekan administration wants to set annual education achievement goals” for the district, along with metrics for measuring performance and factors that would impede” the goals. Mayhew has previously said the performance goals could be tied to how much money the city gives the school district each year.

The full email chain is published at the bottom of this story.

In his email, Mayhew said Derby Public Schools must lose the classification as an alliance district” by the state Department of Education.

It is believed the present alliance district designation is detrimental to the overall health of the city and is causing families with children to choose to purchase a home elsewhere,” Mayhew wrote.

Alliance district” schools are under-performing schools, often in poor cities like Derby, that get extra state aid targeted toward improving school performance. Derby schools have used the extra money for reform programs. State law says the extra state money can’t be used to replace local education dollars.

In response to Mayhew’s Oct. 3 email, Superintendent Conway recommended having the conversation with the full Derby Board of Education, an elected body, and offered to place the discussion on a meeting agenda for public consumption.

Mayhew said the Dziekan administration wanted to talk to Conway first.

We are looking to have a conversation to see if there is any common ground that can be achieved before taking it to that level. Let us know your availability,” Mayhew wrote back.

Conway again said he would prefer having the school board present for the talk.

On Oct. 7, Mayhew sent Conway an email saying the administration did not have a concrete plan in place, but wanted to discuss ideas.

We have ideas we’d like to discuss regarding the consolidation of business operations which we believe may result in significant savings to the city/BOE,” Mayhew wrote. Next steps obviously require more (specific) information related to that pursuit in order to develop any sort of plan’,” Mayhew wrote.

On Oct. 7, Jim Gildea, chairman of the Derby Board of Education, sent an email to Mayhew saying the mayor should appear before the school board to discuss the matter.

There is no need for further discussions of emails with the superintendent on this matter,” Gildea said.

Mayhew responded to Gildea saying the school board’s comments were unfortunate.”

It is most unfortunate that you personally are prohibiting and preventing the superintendent to even discuss, brainstorm or explore the possibility of a course of action in consolidating business operations that may be mutually beneficial to both the city and the district,” Mayhew wrote.

I plan to engage no further,” Gildea replied.

Mayhew responded saying the school board should hold a meeting and vote to allow the superintendent to begin talks with the Dziekan administration.

The Valley Indy interviewed Gildea and Mayhew on Wednesday about the email chain.

Gildea said discussions like Mayhew and Dziekan are suggesting should be carried out in public.

I’ll tell you the same thing I told Walt. These discussions are large philosophical discussions, and they need to be done in front of the board of education, in the light of day, not in a back room of the mayor’s office,” Gildea said.

The school board chairman said the Dziekan administration’s ideas about performance metrics for the school district are already happening with the Derby Board of Education under the authority of state law, which separates the school district from the mayor’s office in terms of programming.

If Walt and the mayor want input on the goals of the board of education, they should run for the board of education,” Gildea said.

Mayhew said Gildea did not say anything to him about philosophical discussions. Mayhew said the administration is trying to explore a way to save people money.

We wanted to initiate a conversation to find out if there was any common ground. That’s not a back door. That’s just good business sense. If there is common ground, and that can be determined, then you move forward together. We were looking for ways to save the board of education money. If they are not interested in that conversation, then that tells me that they don’t need any more money,” Mayhew said.

The Valley Indy asked Mayhew why the mayor can’t just have the discussion in public with the school board if it is that important to taxpayers.

First of all, he’s the mayor. Why does he need to go anywhere to have a discussion with people whose paychecks are based upon the City of Derby’s tax dollars?” Mayhew asked.

The board of education members are not paid, but the school district’s administration, teachers and staff are paid through taxes.

We don’t have a plan. We were just looking to start a discussion to see if we could come up with a plan,” Mayhew said.

The mayor’s chief of staff said the mayor’s office wants performance goals set because families avoid moving to Derby because of the school district.

The mayor, as the head of the city, has seen that the poor performance of the school district, which has been an alliance district for 10 years, is hurting the city’s ability to draw people who have children. They don’t want to send their kids to Derby schools. The mayor thinks we should have some type of plan to get out of the alliance district and be comparable to other Valley towns that are not alliance districts,” Mayhew said.

In response, Gildea, who previously served on the mayor’s re-election campaigns, invited the mayor to attend a school board meeting to get a better understanding of alliance district funding. He said the administration wants to get rid of alliance money because doing so will allow Derby to cut school funding, something Dziekan would do if he could.”

That said, if there is any reason people do not want to move to Derby and send their children here, it is because of the devastating track record this administration has when it comes to funding education. This complete lack of adequate funding is a direct result of this administration destroying the City’s finance department and making millions of dollars in errors resulting in a third-party monitoring of our finances,” Gildea said, referring to the city’s regular appearances in front of the state’s Municipal Finance Advisory Commission.

THE DERBY EMAIL CHAIN

Email 1 Oct 3 8:33 a.m. (Walt Mayhew to Dr. Conway)

Good morning Doc,

Per our phone conversation, the Mayor would like to schedule a meeting to discuss consolidating the financial aspects of the school district with the city. Please provide the list of positions that the district provides related to financial operations, the associated salaries, benefits and portions paid for by city funds/grants. The goal is to consolidate operations with the city assuming responsibilities for all financial operations. We believe this would not only lead to a reduction in costs that would benefit not only the city but the school district, and also provide a very direct way to eliminate concerns expressed by the auditor. We would be interested in shifting Rob from the business manager to the Finance Director of the city and then looking to consolidate the remaining positions.

For education achievement goals, we would like to begin that discussion far in advance of budget preparations. It is believed the present alliance district designation is detrimental to the overall health of the city and is causing families with children to choose to purchase a home elsewhere. This is evidenced by the decline in the student population district-wide. It is believed that a goal of parity with neighboring non-alliance school districts in the Valley (Shelton, Seymour, Oxford, Beacon Falls) is a necessary goal for the well-being of the city. We would like to begin discussions on setting annual goals, metrics for measuring performance and factors that would impede that goal and need to be addressed. Also for the budget, every department including the school district will need to submit a complete line-by-line department request for review by the finance department and the Mayor’s office by December 15, 2022. For the district, we will also want to see a full budget, with indications for each line item the amount that is city-funded and grant-funded.

We would like to schedule the first meeting on these topics on Wednesday, October 12th. Please let us know your availability.

Best Regards

(Walt Mayhew)

Email 2: Response at Oct. 3 12:25 from Conway to Mayhew

Hi Walt,

Thanks for reaching out. I would recommend an initial conversation with the full board prior to meeting to discuss your plan. We can look to add it to our October 20, 2022 agenda or November 1, 2022 agenda. Just let me know which date works best.

Thanks,

Matt

Email 3: Mayhew Responding to Conway’s Response, Oct. 3 12:48 p.m.

We are looking to have a conversation to see if there is any common ground that can be achieved before taking it to that level. Let us know your availability.

Blessings,

Walt Mayhew

Email 4: Conway’s reply to Mayhew, Oct. 3, 7:33 p.m.

Hi Walt, 

While I look forward to the conversation, I would prefer looping the board in first so they are aware of any discussions taking place and can offer any thoughts that will only add to our conversations. 

Thanks for understanding,

Matt

Email 5: Mayhew to Conway, Oct. 7 9:20 a.m.

Doc,

Your initial response to the invitation to meet was to invite us to share your plan” as you put it, with the BOE. I want to make it clear there is no“plan” to be shared. We have ideas we’d like to discuss regarding the consolidation of business operations which we believe may result in significant savings to the city/BOE. Next steps obviously require more specific information related to that pursuit in order to even develop any sort of plan”. I would think that information is at your finger tips are you would have no need to consult with the BoE engage in such discussions. But engage whomever you feel you need to. With budget preparations nearing or in some cases already begun, and with the new process, which I outlined in my initial email, less than 2 months away time is of the essence.

With regard to the second objective of the meeting, educational achievement goals, by your inclusion of Jim Gildea on your response you have obviously already engaged the BOE into the conversation. You should feel free to loop in anyone you’d care to and get feedback, to address the specific goal that the administration has laid out.

We see no reason why you cannot have the discussions you need in preparation for an initial meeting in the timeframe put forward. Please let us know of your availability to meet as requested.

Thanks.

Sent from my iPad (From Mayhew)

Email 6: Jim Gildea, chairman of the Derby Board of Education (Oct 7, 9:47 a.m.)

Let me be clear, that meeting cannot happen until the Mayor appears before the Board.

There is no need for further discussions or emails with the superintendent on this matter. 

Sent from my iPhone (Jim Gildea)

Email 7: Mayhew to Gildea, with cc’s to Dziekan and Conway, Oct 7 9:58 a.m.

It is most unfortunate that you personally are prohibiting and preventing the superintendent to even discuss, brainstorm or explore the possibility of a course of action in consolidating business operations that may be mutually beneficial to both the city and the district.

Sent from my iPad

Email 8: Gildea to the people on the list

I plan to engage no further.

Email 9: Mayhew to Gildea, Oct 7 10:22 a.m.

You have a request from the Mayor to engage in discussions. The content of those discussions were clearly outlined in the initial email. As the Chairman, if you feel board approval is necessary to engage in such discussions, it is expected you would put it on the agenda for your next meeting asking the BOE to give the Superintendent permission to engage in the discussion. The Mayor’s request is stated plainly enough in the initial email for the board to consider and make a decision. Please let us know the outcome of board’s vote on the request.

Email 10: Gildea to Mayhew, 10:37 a.m.

I have provided the Mayor a path to move forward. That is the path he must follow. I have communicated my decision and I consider the matter closed. I will respond no further. 

Email 11: Mayhew to Gildea Friday, October 7, 2022 11:07 AM

So just to be clear, you are refusing to put a request from the Mayor to permit the superintendent to engage in the preliminary discussions he asked for in the initial email on the BOE agenda for consideration and action at their next meeting email unless he is willing to personally appear before your board?


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