FILE
Ansonia Board of Education President William Nimons talks to Frederick Dorsey, the school board’s lawyer, during a February 2018 meeting.
ANSONIA — The state’s Board of Education voted Wednesday to begin an investigation into the city cutting $600,000 from the school district’s budget.
The vote begins a process that could result in the city losing millions in state aid for not following the rules when it comes to state school funding laws.
The state board voted unanimously to initiate what is known as a 10 – 4b complaint against the city.
The state Department of Education will now open a formal investigation which could include a hearing at which city officials can respond to the complaint.
The rift between the city and school board developed after the Ansonia Board of Aldermen voted in January to take back $600,000 in education funding.
The Aldermen’s move meant that city schools did not receive at least the same amount of money it had the previous year — a violation of Connecticut’s “minimum budget requirement,” according to the state Department of Education.
Mayor David Cassetti’s administration said the cut was reasonable because the school board received about $1.8 million in unanticipated grants from the state.
In May, the school board sued the city over the $600,000 cut.
The lawsuit — which remains pending — is separate from the state investigation.
Three Ansonia Board of Education members asked the state to initiate the 10 – 4b complaint in June.
Last month, the state education department’s director of legal affairs asked city officials to meet with state officials regarding the matter, warning the city it could lose $1.2 million in school aid as a result of the investigation.
Vincent Marino, a lawyer representing the city in the lawsuit, responded by calling the state’s threats “inappropriate and offensive.”
Frederick Dorsey, the school board’s lawyer, cited Marino’s response in an email Wednesday.
“The City has so far, notwithstanding the clear statutory provisions to the contrary, taken the position that the state department of education (SDE) has no authority regarding this matter and refused a request by the SDE to meet with the Board in an attempt to resolve the matter,” Dorsey said.
“Whether they will maintain that position is impossible to predict, but the one clear thing is that the City’s refusal to meet its statutory educational funding requirements is irreparably damaging current Ansonia students, who are being deprived of the educational services State statutes say they deserve,” Dorsey said.
Peter Yazbak, a spokesperson for the state department of education, said the next steps in the process are:
- The state education commissioner will provide notice of the complaint to the City and Board of Education within five business days following the CSBE decision.
- Within 10 business days after receiving notice of the complaint, the parties would file responses to the complaint.
- The state education department would have up to 20 business days to complete an investigation, during which the city and school board would have an opportunity to provide information supporting their positions.
- Following completion of the investigation, the state education department officials would prepare a report for the commissioner’s review.
- Within 20 business days after completion of the investigation, the final report would be provided to the state Board of Education with a recommendation as to whether it should hold a hearing on the matter.
The Valley Indy reached out to Marino and John Marini, the city’s corporation counsel, seeking comment.
The city’s lawyers have said repeatedly that the school funding dispute is now up to a judge to decide, and they point to a new state law passed allowing cities to make school budget adjustments under certain conditions.
A hearing in that case is scheduled for Nov. 13, with a trial tentatively scheduled for October 2019.
