Perez encouraged by state-level meeting

WINSTED — Mayor Candy Perez said she believes communications between town and school officials can be improved without state intervention. She spoke following a meeting Monday morning in Hartford at the state Board of Education commissioner’s office.

The meeting, requested by Selectman Ken Fracasso, included State Rep. John Rigby (R-63) and State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30), along with Perez, Fracasso, Selectman Lisa Smith and state Board of Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan and Chief Financial Officer Brian Mahoney.

Town manager Wayne Dove was scheduled to attend but was out on sick leave Monday.

Perez said the selectmen and state officials spoke for more than an hour about the state of the town’s education system and financial accounting problems which resulted in a $343,000 deficit ending the 2009-10 school year. “All parties gave input and the commissioner listened,� she said. “I believe the meeting was productive.�

In the end, Perez said, state officials said they have no intention of stepping in to run Winsted’s public schools, but they will offer guidance to selectmen and school officials.

The commissioner’s office recommended three courses of action for Winsted, including regular meetings between the superintendent and selectmen resulting in a school financial report, due Sept. 1; assigning a small group from the Board of Education to meet with state officials regarding financial systems; and assigning a state facilitator to serve as a liaison between the selectmen and members of the Winchester Board of Education.

Selectman Fracasso had indicated in previous meetings that he wanted the state Board of Education to recommend action against the Winchester Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Blaise Salerno for overspending the 2009-10 school budget by more than $340,000, but state officials took no action.

Members of the Board of Education had countered that state officials might find the town out of compliance with the state’s minimum budget requirement (MBR) for its school budget and subject to monetary penalties. Perez said state officials gave no indication that fines would be levied against the town.

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