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Superintendent of Schools Joshua Starr is staying out of the fray regarding funding for the Ferguson Library. However, he believes the level of support the library receives affects schools because youngsters use it for class assignments, homework help and projects.
"I think any time a city chooses to reduce funding for programs and institutions that promote vital social services such as libraries and such as social service agencies there's going to be an impact," Starr said. The superintendent is placing an emphasis on literacy throughout the school district in the upcoming academic year.
The library faces a $1.2 million operating budget deficit. Its Board of Trustees had warned for several months that if that gap wasn't filled, the library would be forced to reduce services. Thursday, the board announced drastic cuts in staff and hours. The reduced hours which include opening each of the branch libraries only two days a week are scheduled to take effect Sept. 13.
When asked how the library's funding problem should be addressed, Starr said, "I'm agnostic on that." But, he said, the cuts are "painful" for an institution he considers a "cornerstone" of the community.
"It's important that the library is there," he said.
City departments, agencies and school districts, which are supported by taxpayer dollars, are constantly subject to budgetary constraints. A source of support for Stamford Public Schools has been the GE Foundation, which recently awarded the district a $10 million grant. That brings the total amount of GE foundation funding for the district over the past seven years to $25.8 million.
Starr says the funding has helped the district "in many ways," such as enhancing professional resources, developing curricula and securing materials.
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