Earlier this year, the Stratford Board of Education prepared and submitted a well thought out, bipartisan budget for school year 2022-2023.  This budget contained a proposed 4.57% increase, 4.1% of which would maintain the current level of service to our children and cover contractual increases.  The remaining .47% is there essentially to focus on providing additional support to the students that may not have been as successful during the Covid-19 pandemic and necessary remote learning as they could have.  Stratford's competent and forward looking administration and a strong bipartisan Board of Education made up of teachers, parents, business people, and all around concerned citizens have provided a strong plan and clean budget.  They have looked at all sides and angles, and into all corners to make sure our kids get what they truly need in support as we come off of the learning struggles resulting from Covid.

This budget is neither gluttonous nor wasteful.

Sadly, the Stratford Mayor's budget calls for allocating an increase of only 2.5% while at the same time proposing a 4.25% increase for the municipal side of the budget.  If the town side of the budget can justify the need of a 4.25% budget increase, why is it difficult to believe that our schools, our teachers, and our kids might need similar?  In the past 9 years, the difference between the BOE request and the council adopted budgets averaged 70% of the request.  If this year's request is completed, we will be at 67% of requested budgets adopted over 10 years.

As we slowly come out of the pandemic, our children are struggling.  Teachers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep our kids' heads above water academically, socially, and emotionally just when they are at their most fragile.  If there was ever a year or a time in history when we should fully back our children's needs, shouldn't this be it?

Please sign and support fully funding the Stratford CT Board of Education Proposed Budget for 2022-2023