Politics & Government

City Council Approves Funding for Freshmen Sports

The city council agreed Wednesday to give a $57,000 surplus to the city parents group Save Our Sports, so the group could help fund freshmen sports at Danbury High School this fall.

The Danbury City Council agreed to give a $57,000 sum left over from the Danbury Board of Education's budget from 2010-2011, to a parent's group to make sure the high school would have freshmen sports.

The Save Our Sports parents group was formed this summer to raise about $80,000 for freshmen sports, money the Board of Education couldn't find in its budget for next year, 2011-2012.

The parent's group raised about $35,000, said Save Our Sports President Sondra Cherney, speaking to the City Council Wednesday night. Cherney and about 10 other members of the group asked the City Council Wednesday to use the $57,000 surplus for freshmen sports.

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"We can make sure this money is spent on freshmen sports," Cherney said.

That became the question, how would the money be spent.

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If this seems like a roundabout way to fund freshmen sports, the issue got very confused this summer, because first the board of education couldn't find the required $80,000 to fund freshmen sports in its $100-million-plus budget.

That led parents to create the group Save Our Sports, which raised nearly half the required money, or $35,000. Then, the Board of Education turned over $57,000 to the city of unspent funds from last year's budget, 2010-2011.

When Danbury Mayor asked school administrators to consider using that surplus to pay for freshmen sports, the Board of Education divided on the issue. Roughly half supporting freshmen sports, and the rest suggesting numerous other uses for the money.

To avoid the education board entirely, Boughton said he could give the money to Save Our Sports, which can only raise money for one purpose, to pay for freshmen sports.

Al Robinson, founder of the HatCityBlog, and a frequent critic of Boughton, spoke in favor of Boughton's plan. He said sports helped him through a difficult time in high school. He said if the city returned the money directly to the board of education, he doubted it would be spent on sports. He said he was shocked the board reported a surplus for 2010-2011 at all, when the schools are short of text books, art programs, and when they're cutting para-professionals.

Boughton then said he and Al finally agreed on something.

"Mark this date," Robinson said.

The City Council unanimously agreed to give the money to Save Our Sports to fund freshmen sports at Danbury High School.

 


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