New London school business office transfer gets board approval

New London — The Board of Education Thursday voted 5-2 in favor of transferring the school board's business office to the city's finance department.

On Wednesday, members of the board's Finance Committee voted 2-0 against approving the transfer.

Finance Committee members Bill Morse and Elizabeth Garcia Gonzalez voted Wednesday against the transfer because there was no plan in place for carrying it out. Committee member Barbara Major was not present.

Last week, the City's Council's Finance Committee recommended a merging of the school's business office with the city.

Superintendent of Schools Nicholas A. Fischer has said that it costs $539,768 to operate the school's business office, but has estimated that the transfer would lead to a savings of only $183,521.

Fischer said during the school board meeting that the board's vote "violated city ordinance."

"The consolidation oversight committee made recommendations to the Board of Education and the City Council. In doing this, what the board has done is essentially ignore the ordinance," Fischer said.