Norwich — The Norwich Free Academy Foundation agreed to provide a $1.3 million one-time grant toward the NFA budget, prompting the NFA board of trustees Thursday to erase the 3% tuition hike for the coming year.

The NFA board of trustees met briefly in executive session to discuss the privately endowed NFA Foundation’s response to the request made Monday by the trustees’ Finance Committee for budget assistance. Several partner school districts that send students to NFA as their main designated high school had asked the board of trustees for budget relief, citing added expenses and expected loss of tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foundation President Todd Postler said the request came at an opportune time, since the foundation was scheduled to meet Tuesday and was able to quickly respond to the request.

“The board is definitely very, very happy and pleased that the foundation did grant us those extra funds at this time,” NFA board of trustees Chairman DeVol Joyner said. “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think everyone is really, really struggling. The ability to go to the foundation and have an ask is huge.”

The foundation in January provided $1.75 million to subsidize the $37.8 million 2020-21 budget, but the budget still called for a 3% tuition increase for regular education and varying increases for different special education programs.

Since 2013, the NFA Foundation has provided nearly $11 million in programmatic support to the academy, Joyner said. “On behalf of the NFA students, faculty and leadership, I extend my thanks to the NFA Foundation board for its continued generosity and support of our programs.”

Norwich, Voluntown, Bozrah and Franklin had sent letters to the board of trustees to request tuition relief for next year’s budget, with Franklin’s letter written on behalf of multiple districts.

In Norwich, education budget woes have dominated the spring budget season. Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow estimated it would have needed a 9.1% budget increase to keep all programs and staffing. The Board of Education approved a 5.5% increase, still $2.9 million above the 2.4% increase recommended by City Manager John Salomone.

This year’s $81 million Norwich school budget is expected to end the year with at least a $1.1 million deficit.

“While this is good news and helps close our gap in funding,” Norwich school board Chairwoman Heather Romanski said Thursday night, “the Board of Education will still have hard work to do. I'm grateful that the NFA board of trustees and NFA Foundation were able to offer this relief.”

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said he was proud of his alma mater. “That’s people stepping up,” he said. “That’s what that represents. This is extremely timely and generous. I personally can’t say ‘thank you’ enough. With everything we’re facing this year, this is very much appreciated.”

Preston Superintendent Roy Seitsinger said NFA’s acknowledgment of the current economic and health struggles is “commendable.” Preston had requested a $12.6 million budget with a $577,319, or 4.8%, increase over this year’s total. The Board of Finance cut $363,000 from that request, leaving an increase of $214,320, or 1.78%, over this year’s budget.

“We appreciate the leadership of the Trustees and the vision of the Foundation in the action they took this evening,” Seitsinger said in an email comment Thursday night. “Preston will assess the final outcome of the action of the Foundation and the Trustees when we receive their formal notification.”

Joyner said NFA’s status as a privately endowed institution “definitely has its benefits,” and the foundation’s generosity allows NFA to offer the wide range of academic and support programs.

“This is the beauty of having a privately endowed academy that has a foundation,” Postler said. “This speaks to the alumni support that we’ve received since it started and it also talks about the love and support of those people who helped fund the endowment."

c.bessette@theday.com