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December 1, 2006

Portsmouth school dept. sues town for $1.1M

The Portsmouth School Department sued the town today, asking the Superior Court to order municipal officials to increase the local appropriation to the schools by $1.1 million.

The requested funds include an estimated deficit in ordinary expenses of $770,167, as well as $125,000 to pay for an efficiency audit of the school system and a little more than $200,000 for legal fees connected with the lawsuit.

Earlier this week, the School Committee voted 4-3 to take legal action under provisions of the so-called Caruolo Act to recover revenue cut by voters at a special Financial Town Meeting in August.

By a margin of fewer than 100 votes, residents overrode the Town Council and reduced the school budget by $1.1 million.

The issue of school funding has divided the town for months – to the point where critics of the decision to take legal action questioned the morality and ethics of Democratic School Committee members who voted in favor of it.

-- Journal staff writer Gina Macris

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 6:57 PM | Permalink

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