Hamden Daily News

SOS

Kids and grownups beg the Council to “save our schools” by leaving the proposed 2007-08 funding alone

By Sharon Bass

Of the 48 parents, children and school employees who spoke at the education budget hearing last night before the Legislative Council, 42 begged not to have a dime cut from the mayor’s $74.6 million education tab. The other six asked for the ax..

It was standing room only. Most who voiced an opinion were white suburban parents with children in the talented and gifted program. A few were tax activists, divided in their mission. The night before, when the municipal budget was open for public input, they uniformly criticized town spending and said people would move from Hamden because of the steep taxes and spending must be cut.

But Tuesday evening some of those same folks advocated for the full school budget as handed to the Council by Mayor Craig Henrici, while the others either made no comment or asked for the ax.

Like Monday evening, emotions were right on the surface.

“This is the one thing I am in favor of funding,” said Kelly McCarthy, of Hamden Alliance for Responsible Taxation and an at-home tutor. “I am appalled to hear programs like TAG could be cut. In general, [there should be] less bureaucracy. Perhaps, there are some changes politically that need to occur.”

Monday evening, McCarthy had called on the Council to find creative revenue sources to lessen the tax burden on homeowners.

When her husband, Aaron Gustafson, followed her at the podium, Councilman Matt Fitch started to walk away from his seat, which became a sort of deja vu moment from last night. But before he could get to his destination—the restroom—Gustafson asked Fitch what was on the laptop in front of him on the bench.

“Share it with the class,” Gustafson challenged.

Fitch said OK, marched back to his seat, turned his laptop around to the packed room and said he was entering the correct spellings of the speakers’ names.

Please

Although the Council is only permitted, by state law, to make the bottom-line decision on the school budget (the total amount), speakers of all ages begged not to eliminate popular programs such as TAG. The school board holds the scissors on line items but encourages the school community to air their fears to the legislative body.

The Board of Education and PTA Council distributed a flier urging folks to show up at yesterday’s public hearing. In part it said:

This is your chance to speak before the Council on funding for education in Hamden. What is at stake? Here are some items that are at risk if the Council does not fully fund Mayor’s proposed school budget:

  • Talented and Gifted program
  • Student support staff, aides
  • Educational Center for the Arts
  • Media specialists
  • Teachers and aides

What if the Council offers even less? Cuts in sports, reinstatement of the student activity fee and even all-day kindergarten is at risk.

“I’d like to congratulate the Council for the middle school. But the buildings are meaningless without the teachers and programs,” said Jonathan Dole of Walden Street. His two children attend Spring Glen. “Even though it may be a burden to people, it’s an investment to our children. So I urge you to fully fund the mayor’s request.”

“I watched them [BOE members] make the cuts,” said Jacqueline Church of Exeter Road whose two children are at Hamden High. Church is a media specialist in the school department. “In my opinion, any more cuts to the Board of Ed budget is a step backwards. I have faith in the system.”

Both of Diane Moran’s children are in TAG. “Tonight I’d like to talk about what’s fair. This is a 2.88 percent increase [click here for clarification on the increase],” the lowest the Board has recommended in 13 years. Since the state only mandates identifying children who are TAG material but not actually implementing such a program, parents like Moran said they are worried.

“Is that fair?” she said. “Fairness is not about everybody getting the same thing. It’s about giving each child what he needs.”

Sixth-grader Rebecca Muolo mustered up the courage to confront her elected officials.

“I stand before you to say that the Board of Education is threatening to cut many helpful items for the 2007-2008 school year if the budget is not fully funded,” she said. “Such items include TAG, student support staff and aides. I have personally looked over the budget as I’m sure many of you have. Please remember that I am a child and my views may be idealistic, but cutting these items that help everyone learn just is not right.”

Outside the chambers, Rebecca was asked why she read the school budget. “I wanted to understand it. I wanted to see what the big deal was,” she said. “I found there was not much money to spare.”

The Dunbar Hill student said she wants to be a forensic anthropologist, politician or astronaut. “The only problem is I’m afraid of height. I’d be the only astronaut with my eyes closed,” Rebecca said.

Ben Redmond, a Hamden High freshman, talked about his love for the Educational Center for the Arts, a school in New Haven regional students attend in the afternoon after their regular coursework.

“It’s by far my favorite place to be,” Ben said. ‘The sad part is some kids don’t look forward to coming to school. [At ECA], we’re almost a family. I love ECA so much that when I’ve been sick I haven’t gone to high school but I went to ECA. If ECA were cut I’d be extremely upset.”

TAG is hot, kids said. “Even in second- and third-grade, students and teachers are talking about TAG,�? said eighth-grade TAG student Stephan Okar. “Students work hard to get in.”

Some parents said they moved to Hamden because of its “excellent school system” and accelerated programs such as TAG, which serves fifth- through eighth-graders. In high school, kids who want to be challenged can take advanced placement courses and/or go to ECA.

“I want you to imagine the town of Hamden without the TAG program. Without strong schools,” said Jill Maller-Kessleman, who said she chose Hamden 22 years ago because of the ethnic and racial diversity.

“What will our CMT scores look like [if families with high-achieving children move away]?” she said. “What would happen to our property values?”

Tony Papale said his fifth-grade daughter called him at work to ask him to go to the budget hearing to speak in defense of TAG.

“I’m conflicted,” he said. “High mil rate versus good schools. You have some hard decisions to make. But you have one good thing—the schools. My children are getting a good education. Please fund the TAG program.”

Susan Martinez-Sendroff, wife of newly appointed BOE member Adam Sendroff, asked for more money. “I’m asking you to increase on top of what the mayor has suggested,” she said. “Hamden has great schools and ones that are all right.” She said there hasn’t been enough money to get the computer lab fully functional at her daughter’s school, Ridge Hill.

Town Economic Development Director Dale Kroop, who has two children in Hamden schools, said the fighting between the school department and town has to stop.

“Each year we hear from parents. They’re tired of the bickering between the school and town. Some parents take their kids out [of the public schools] or think about it because they fear programs will be cut. I know we can’t improve test scores overnight. But most people are willing to pay more in taxes if they get good services.”

PTA Council President Tim Nottoli took the podium. “What do we need to educate our students? We need parents to be involved. Teachers to figure out what will get kids to learn. And the community,” he said. “I would implore you to lean on our state Legislature and make sure they give us what we need.

“Our schools in this town are pretty good. We have kids going to Harvard and Brown and MIT,” Nottoli continued. “But a lot of our kids are not going there. We need more teachers to reduce student class size. The mayor’s budget is OK but not enough to meet our needs.”

The Critics

A half-dozen folks asked the Council to chop, chop, chop.

“I have no children but I have been paying for everybody else’s for 26 years and I hope that’s appreciated,” said George Levinson of Sherman Avenue. “Tonight I’ve been very impressed. That makes me feel a whole lot better. On the other hand, it’s a lot of money. Teachers get paid very well and get extraordinary benefits. I could kick myself for not going into teaching.”

Tax activist Mariana D’Albis uttered the harshest words. She talked about the auditors’ revelations of improper spending practices at central office and asked why the department should be rewarded with a bigger budget than last year’s.

“We heard about the TAG all night. This is a program for 60 students,” she said.

Actually, according to special ed director Bill McGraw, 160-180 children are in the talented program and 5 percent of the roughly 7,000 students are identified as being TAG eligible. But some go without because there isn’t enough money.

“The BOE should work closely with Public Works and Parks & Rec to merge functions,” D’Albis said.

Bill Burns, of Dunbar Hill Road who has no children, was the first to point out that the Council does not make program cuts.

“I’ve heard a lot tonight. All very impressive. But they’re preaching to the wrong choir,” he said. He mentioned the “disastrous audit. $100,000 should go immediately to a forensic audit [a move made by Councilman John Flanagan and soundly defeated by the Council]. You’re going to give them more money? It’s not logical to give money to a Board that isn’t competent. Sixty-four cents of my [tax] dollar is going into education and according to the audit, it’s being spent incorrectly.”

Though people talked about retaining the 2.88 percent hike the Board suggested, Henrici’s increase is actually 2.69 percent. According to BOE member Ed Sullivan, chair of the Finance Committee, in the mayor’s budget about $2 million of non-state revenue was stripped from the school budget and put into the general budget. Sullivan said Henrici also cut $131,000 from the Board’s $72.7 million request. Since some revenue was transferred, Henrici’s $74.6 million tab comes to a slightly lower percentage.

The Council will deliberate the entire $173.6 million taxpayers’ bill over the next few weeks. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Meetings will start at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. Dates are April 23, 24 and 25; and May 1, 2, 8 and 9.

“I am for education but I’m also for responsible spending,” said Councilwoman Berita Rowe-Lewis. She said she will “carefully examine” the school budget. Her opinion is somewhat influenced by the auditor’s report, she said.

“When you look at someone who comes in from the outside and tells you things are not correct, then you take a second look,” Rowe-Lewis said.

Gorman said the BOE did a good job in presenting a “realistic” budget. But TAG students are a tiny minority and he feels all students should get an education that is “equal in quality.”

Councilmembers Betty Wetmore and John Flanagan have vowed since last spring not to give the school department one cent more than last year.

Copyright © 2007 Hamden Daily News, reprinted with permission. Originally published on 18 April 2007.

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