I am writing to set the record straight on education funding.
The truth is that Mayor Cassetti’s administration is funding our schools at a higher level than past years, and taxpayers are doing their fair share to support education.
In fact, last year Ansonia schools were funded at over 100 percent of their budgetary expenses.
The Board of Education returned $40,125.29 to the city after the conclusion of the 2016 – 17 budget year, having only spent 99.87 percent of their budgeted funds.
It is therefore absurd to claim that the schools were “underfunded” by any amount in 2016 – 17, though this is precisely what critics of Mayor Cassetti’s administration are claiming.
For example, a video created by Democrat candidate Tarek Raslan and a column written by his supporter Brian Perkins allege that the schools were underfunded by $1.3 million in 2016.
Underfunded by $1.3 million in 2016, yet returning $40,125.29 to the city at the end of that budget year?
It does not add up.
My intention in sharing this information is not to suggest that we cannot do more for Ansonia schools. To the contrary, it is my belief that both the city and Board of Education should be exploring the possibility of working with other communities to enhance the quality of education at costs responsible to taxpayers.
I would also like to praise the Superintendent, her staff, and the Board of Education for their hard work and dedication.
However, we must acknowledge that the debate on education funding has become distorted. Political commenters must focus on actual numbers, not just isolated budgetary figures they deem helpful to their argument or their campaigns.
It is important to realize that Ansonia schools receive more than just their yearly budgetary allocation from the city.
In 2016 the city passed on to the Board of Education $765,000 in grant funds to cover excess special education costs, and another $800,000 in 2017. By law these funds are retained in the city’s general fund, unless requested for the specific purpose of paying down excess special education costs.
This explains why the Board of Education had much more actual spending power in 2016 and 2017 then represented in the budget.
Prior to 2016, the city would regularly pay about $600,000 to fund Board of Education services (such as insurance) as “in-kind” contributions, which were similarly not reflected on the education side of the budget.
Suggesting that the city and taxpayers are “not doing enough” for education is an incredibly disingenuous and cruel argument.
The truth is that taxpayers are paying as much as they can afford, and the city has made great progress in meeting the needs of our students with limited resources.
It is about time we all started working together to find a truly creative way to continue funding education at the current level, and to improve education in this city, starting with a comprehensive study on regionalization opportunities.
The writer is a candidate for the Ansonia Board of Education on the Republican line.
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