Brian Lockhart digs deeper into the the recent bill passed the the House last week. Apparently Sal Corda, superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools and Joshua Starr, superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, are concerned that this will impact their budgets. From the Advocate:
School superintendents in Stamford and Norwalk are concerned that new state limits on out-of-school suspensions will have a negative effect on their already tight budgets.
State law defines a suspension as a student’s exclusion from school privileges, though not necessarily school, for five consecutive days.
School districts have traditionally had flexibility when determining whether suspended students should be sent home - depending on their infraction and whether their school can provide instruction outside their classes.
Concerned that students often were simply being sent home for a few days and missing valuable instruction, the state House of Representatives last week unanimously passed a bill requiring administrators to provide alternative, in-school programs unless the suspended student is too disruptive or too dangerous to people or property.
It also expands the maximum length of a suspension from five to 10 days.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Superintendent Joshua Starr at least has his budget online, a organization chart and runs a more transparent operation in Stamford. Corda is still relying on his unique brand of faith based accounting. Starr relies on a financial director.
House Minority Leader, Larry Cafero-R Norwalk sponsored the bill, which also has the support of State Rep Bruce Morris-D Norwalk and State Rep Jim Shapiro-D Stamford.
House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, and state Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk, yesterday said they understand that the tighter restrictions on out-of-school suspensions could place a greater financial burden on their city.
Cafero has been the expulsion officer for Norwalk’s schools for 14 years, and Morris is the district’s director of human relations.
“Parents have made it clear they prefer for their kids to stay in school,” Morris said.
Cafero said the state budgets proposed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the Democratic majority and Republican minority all offer significant increases in education grants to cities and towns.
He said the school districts could use some of those funds to bolster in-school suspension programs.
It’s a shame that Lockhart didn’t ask Morris how many parents he’s talked to, since Morris has a credibility problem these days.
source: Norwalk Advocate, School leaders are not sold on suspension proposal, Published May 2 2007
