To the Editor:

On Tuesday April 23, 2024, the taxpayers of Newtown will have the opportunity to vote on the Board of Education budget which represents a 4.41% increase (voted on by the Democratic majority on the Legislative Council). Before you vote your tax dollars away, I want to bring to your attention exactly what you will be voting for.

Over the past twenty years, the budget has gone from $49 million a year to $90 million. Over the same period, we went from a school that tested in the Top 7% in Connecticut, to where we are now testing at a failing grade of 64.9%. That was your tax dollars at work. Also, during that period, 1,752 students have left our school system. That is the equivalent of about three schools’ worth of students. That was your tax dollars at work. What voters need to realize is there is no correlation between how much money you throw at the BOE, and the performance of the students. Twenty years of data backs that up.

Budget increases do not improve the education of the students. Only leadership will. Resources are not being redirected wisely. There are inefficiencies. They over-budgeted by 18% over the past two years resulting in a surplus of over $1 million needlessly paid for by the Newtown tax payers. And more importantly, this budget is not affordable to a lot of the tax payers of Newtown. There are over 400 families that are delinquent on their taxes and are having a difficult time making ends meet. There are over 100 families relying upon the food pantry to put food on their tables. And some families can’t afford to pay for their children’s lunches and are being cut off.

It is going to take putting the budget under some distress to turn our school system around. No one is running to Newtown anymore because of the quality of our educational system like I did some 20 years ago. Instead, they are leaving in droves and opting to homeschool their kids. I’ve interviewed many parents walking around the supermarkets here in town and have been told horror stories about the “[garbage] assignments” (direct quote) that are coming home with the kids.

On April 23rd, you have a voice. The BOE budget is not sustainable. No one wants to see our educational system restored to the level of excellence it once was more than me, but by investing mindlessly in a budget increase that is the problem, not the solution, is not the way.

Respectfully,

Derek Pisani

Legislative Council, District 1

Writing on my own behalf.