Members of the Windsor town council voted to reduce the board of education's funding request by $500 thousand Monday night.
The reduction was approved by an unorthodox 5-4 vote, with Democrats split on the decision.
The cut brings the total reduction to the board of education's funding request to $600 thousand.
The total increase also brings the budget to the level suggested by the Finance Committee in February — months before the town sent the budget to referendum.
Finance Chair Kristin Ingram lead a push to decrease the Superintendent's proposal by a full percentage point, which would decrease a proposed funding increase for education from 2.49 to 1.49 percent.
The decision to make such a deep cut Monday did not surprise Board of Education President Doreen Richardson, but highlighted, for her, a fundamental issue in town operations.
"My thinking on (the $500 thousand cut) is that there's a stunning lack of comprehension by some members of our town council with respect to the job that is before the board of education, really before this entire town with respect to our school district," Richardson said.
Richardson added that the board of education's requested 2.49 percent funding increase represented a "lean budget," which included cuts that were already made.
"A 2.49 percent increase is not a maintenance budget," she said. "It means we've taken things out of the budget. If we were to do what we did last year, it would be more than a 2.49 percent increase."
Richardson said the discussion over what cuts could be made will begin Tuesday night at the board's regularly-scheduled meeting; however, it's highly unlikely decisions will be made.
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