A discussion between the city’s tax board and school district administrators did not happen Tuesday because tax board members didn’t have any questions about the school budget.
Last month, schools Superintendent Stephen Tracy met with the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation to detail why the district is asking the city for a $1.28 million increase in funding to run the schools next year.
The meeting, which featured a standing-room only crowd of school supporters, was supposed to be the first of two possible meetings between the tax board and school leaders.
Members of the tax board were supposed to e‑mail school budget questions to tax board chairwoman Judy Szewczyk, who would get e‑mail answers from the school district before the second discussion.
However, Szewczyk said Tuesday no one on the tax board sent her questions about the school budget, so a second discussion wasn’t scheduled.
The tax board was scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss other aspects of the city’s budget proposal.
City Treasurer Keith McLiverty was scheduled to go over revenue estimates during the tax board workshop. That information could be crucial in deciding how the entire Derby budget — city and school items — will play out, Szewczyk said.
A public hearing on the Derby budget — where any member of the public can tell the tax board what he or she thinks — is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at 7 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers on Derby City Hall’s second floor.
Public hearings in Derby are not usually question and answer sessions. The public is simply given the opportunity to make statements.
So What’s The Tax Board Thinking?
At last month’s meeting, members of the tax board asked a few questions, but didn’t really indicate how they felt about the school budget either way.
However, the school board’s request of $1.28 million is not looking good, based on statements Szewczyk made Tuesday to the Valley Indy.
She said her statements are based on her own opinions and are not based on conversations with the other nine members of the tax board.
Szewczyk said the school district will probably get an increase of some kind to cover contractual obligations, but not the 7 percent increase school officials have requested.
Szewczyk said the city simply can’t afford to fully fund the Derby school board’s request — especially given the state of the economy coupled with a budget proposal from Gov. Dan Malloy that could raise taxes.
Szewczyk took issue with the school board’s assertion that the city under-funds the school district.
She said a Valley Independent Sentinel chart being used by the school district to show how much Derby spends on its schools doesn’t include an additional $1.1 million the city spends on the school district for items such as workers’ compensation insurance and snow plowing.
That point has also been made in recent months by Phil Robertson, Mayor Anthony Staffieri’s administrative assistant and Henry Domurad, Derby’s finance director.
The city is now trying to transfer some of that $1.1 million to the school district. Click here to read a previous story.
Szewczyk said the school-funding issue goes beyond what’s happening in Derby.
“This is the whole problem with the education system — they haven’t realized they have to change,” Szewczyk said. “It’s not the same as it was 50 years ago. It doesn’t work the same. They have to keep up with the times or they are going to fail.”
Szewczyk said it is still a little early to say how much more money the city can allocate for the school district.
The following is a list of Derby tax board meetings for the remainder of the budget season. Each and every meeting is open to the public, as dictated by state law.
However, public comment is only offered May 10 and May 16.
Derby Tax Board Budget Schedule:
Media Center Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. Deliberations and/or followup (as needed)
Media Center Tuesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Deliberations & Preliminary Budget Adoption
Aldermanic Chambers Monday, May 16 at 7 p.m. Monthly BoAT Meeting
Aldermanic Chambers Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Public Hearing
