Registered Newtown voters are heading to the polls today, for the second attempt by the Board of Education to get a budget for the 2024-25 academic year passed.
BOE Referendum, Round Two, UnderwayRegistered Newtown voters are heading to the polls today, for the second attempt by the Board of Education to get a budget for the 2024-25 academic year passed.Registered Newtown voters are heading to the polls today, for the second attempt by the Board of Education to get a budget for the 2024-25 academic year passed.All voting is again taking place at Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen Street. Polls opened at 6 am and will remain open until 8 pm.Following a rejection of the school budget by 507 votes at a referendum on April 23, the Legislative Council at its April 29 meeting slashed $1,408,307 from the Board of Education’s proposed 2024-25 budget.The reduction was unanimously approved by all 12 councilmen, in contrast to a previous, pre-referendum meeting on March 27, where no bottom line for the school budget drew more than a simple majority of seven votes.The new bottom line of $87,409,066 is a $2,339,415 or 2.75% spending increase over the 2023-24 budget, which places it in line with the municipal budget, which was passed by voters.The previous proposed 2024-25 BOE budget rejected by voters was $88,817,373, which would have been a $3,747,722 or 4.4% spending increase.The education budget failed, 1,701 No votes to 1,194 Yes votes.On the secondary question to the education budget — If the proposed sum for the Board of Education is not approved, should the revised budget be higher? — the responses were 727 Yes and 2,071 No.The Registrar of Voters reported 15.1% of Newtown’s registered voters participated in the April 23 referendum, with 2,952 people showing up at the middle school to vote and another 47 turning in absentee ballots.
The Legislative Council authorized a reduction of $1.4 million from the Board of Education budget's increase, and the new budget will go out to referendum on May 14.
While the Newtown Board of Education’s definition for diversity includes those who are “Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC),” it also includes many others including those who have differing physical/cognitive abilities, gender/sexual identities, religions, etc. The District DEI Statement more clearly defines the benefits that it’s DEI efforts may bring to the classroom for all students (see: https://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/DEI).
Also, in general, a resolution does not carry the weight of a policy or strategic plan. That said, the Board of Education formalized the resolution by adopting a policy (see: https://newtown-policies.campuscontact.com/0523-EquityandDiversity) and by including it’s DEI statement in the District’s strategic plan (see: https://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/_theme/files/Superintendent/Copy%20of%20Newtown%20Strategic%20Plan_doc%206_12_23.pdf, page 10).
Those who wish to see the DEI resolution can find it here: https://newtown-policies.campuscontact.com/ResolutionDiversityEquity.
There is no byline on this story for a reason: it was not written by a Newtown Bee reporter. This was a press release provided by NAFC to recap the event.
"Although the event was closed to the public" I am glad to hear the reporter found it exciting! A shame that "the rare opportunity to talk openly and honestly about race" was only available to those that are 'in the club' so to speak.