Invest in NL schools

In November 2014, already under state oversight because of past problems, the New London Board of Education and the state had stumbled badly in attempting to hire a superintendent. The board had abandoned its choice after news reports disclosed inaccuracies in the applicant’s record, problems missed in screening him.

Dr. Manuel J. Rivera, a native of New London, stepped forward to express interest in the position. His record includes being named National Superintendent of the Year in 2006 by the American Association of School Administrators. He had served as superintendent of the Rochester, N.Y., school system and as deputy secretary of education for the State of New York. Rivera agreed to leave his post as superintendent of Norwalk to take the New London job and direct the conversion to an all-magnet, regional school district.

His hiring by the school board received near unanimous approval and pledges of support from elected leaders.

“When I came here it was great, it felt like all the stars were aligned. You got the state, you got the city, you got a union that works with you, even the board’s been pretty good,” Rivera told the Editorial Board in a meeting Monday.

The honeymoon appears over. Rivera has encountered “gridlock at the state level” in trying to access the state funding his administration is counting on for the transition to a magnet system that will attract a quarter or more of its students from outside the city, diversifying its student body and boosting revenues.

Now comes the decision by Mayor Michael Passero, backed by a slim council majority, to block a small requested increase in education spending.

“I didn’t come here for business as usual, but that’s the feeling that I get,” Rivera told our board.

Despite a 3 percent salary increase for teachers, necessary to stop losing them to other districts, and a 6 percent jump in health coverage costs, Rivera proposed and the board adopted a budget with only a 0.35 percent spending increase. It is a modest proposal.

Due to some loss in state funding, however, it would require $1.1 million in added city support, resulting in a tax increase of less than 1 mill. Passero rejected the request, wanting no tax hike. Absorbing the cut would mean a step back in the effort to reform New London schools.

“On a personal level it was disappointing,” said Rivera of the mayor’s recommendation. “Quite honestly, this is all personal for me. This is (about) building a great school system.”

We urge the City Council to reconsider and approve the school board’s request for a small increase in education spending.