Political Capitol

On July 16 I had a phone conversation with Robert Genuario of Norwalk, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s budget director, about J. M. Wright Technical School in Stamford.

Rell proposed shuttering the facility to help with the state’s budget deficit in late May. The legislature’s Democratic-majority wants to preserve the school in whatever budget deal is reached with the Governor.

To be fair, it was the state Board of Education that initially proposed the closure last fall as part of a budget exercise in light of the growing fiscal crisis. The Governor did not actually take the Board up on the suggestion in her first budget proposal, issued in early February.

But there is no spending deal between Rell and the Democrats, the fiscal year began July 1, Wright has already lost 16 of its 26 teachers to early retirement/voluntary transfers and the first day of school is Aug. 27. What to do?

Technically state officials could close Wright without a budget deal. Here’s how it would work. The state Department of Education transfers the remaining ten teachers to fill openings at other facilities within the technical school system. With no budget they can’t be replaced at Wright in time for Aug. 27 and you can’t open a school with no teachers. And then Rell, who has the authority to issue executive orders – sort of these “mini budgets” to keep state services running until a new budget is in place – could just leave out the funds the Department of Education needs to re-open Wright late next month.

Genuario on July 16 made it clear to me the administration is aware of the strain this uncertainty places on the Wright community.

“WE are very conscious this decision needs to be made one way or the other within the next week or so,” Genuario said, adding later: “WE are looking at that issue and wrestling with what the right thing to do is financially, procedurally, equitably. Those decisions need to be made.”

And a bit later in the conversation, Genuario said: “THE GOVERNOR will make that decision. Frankly it’s also a state Board of Education decision, although I’m sure they are going to pay serious attention to THE GOVERNOR’s recommendation and position on it.”

A week passed without any announcements about Wright, so I called Genuario again last Thursday. This time his response was a bit different. He said Wright’s future is in the hands of the state Department of Education. He was no longer using the words “we” or “the Governor.”

I called the Governor’s budget office today for the latest on Wright Tech and was again told to contact the Department of Education, whose spokesman, Tom Murphy, said things were in a “holding pattern.”

All I know is when I stop using “we” and tell people to find the answers elsewhere, I’m usually trying to pin the blame on someone else.

Rell a few years ago was the “education Governor” proposing historic amounts of spending. If Wright does not reopen Aug. 27, I would not be surprised if the administration’s response is “it was the Department of Education’s idea.”