Board of Ed. Pres.: Budget Cuts Won't Include Excellence and Equity Review

Discussion over where in the board of education's proposed budget a town council-mandated cut of $600 thousand will come from was tabled last week.

The discussion came to a halt on the heels of the consideration of eliminating Windsor High School's excellence and equity review (EER) — a contract the district has signed with Loyola University-Chicago and Dr. Marlon James to the tune of roughly $100 thousand each year over the next three years.

Including the EER in the budget cut discussion was inappropriate, according to School Board President Doreen Richardson.

"There is a minority board member who insists on finding ways to undermine the approval of the equity and excellence review," Richardson said late last week. "To use cuts to revisit the conversation is inappropriate."

The reason its inappropriate, Richardson said, is because terminating the EER contract will "not impact our budget."

"The excellence and equity review is not a part of our functioning budget, so it's not a part of our discussion... It's not funded by town dollars."

In late 2012, prior to the contract's signing, Windsor Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Villar received approval from the state department of education to use state money to fund the EER.

The state funds are granted to the district due to its status as an alliance district, one of the state's 30 worst-performing districts.

The board of education is set to resume budget talks on Fri., May 31.

The discussion, Richardson said, should not include the EER.

The guiding principal during the talks, Richardson said, will be figuring out ways to reach district goals without the $600 thousand.