Students, Teachers, Parents Decry Budget Cuts

Mayor Scott Jackson's proposed Board of Education cuts too deep, parents, teachers and students told the Legislative Council Wednesday night during a public hearing on the proposed budget.

The school board approved an $83.1 million budget, but Jackson cut that by $2 million, which Supt. of Schools Fran Rabinowitz said translates into 27 jobs, both teachers and paraprofessionals.

It also could mean the end of programs such as the elementary school musical instrument program and high school advance placement courses, which many said would be too great a loss.

Most who spoke urged the council to approve the school board's budget over Jackson's proposal.

"We are all here because we don't feel it is acceptable to cut 27 positions and programs," said Sherman Avenue resident Natalie Water. "Classes are large enough and children are going to fall through the cracks."

Ardmore Street resident Judy Campbell said she is a school psychologist at Hamden High School and sees every day the increasing needs of students.

"Some students come from unbelievable stressful situations," she said. "Both the number of students dealing with these issues and the intensity of the issues is increasing each year.

"Hamden is going to crack" is the budget continues to be cut, she said. "I don't want to be known as Hamden — where good enough is okay."

Hamden High School sophomore Danielle Brignola said her Advance Placement U.S. Government class is something she looks forward to everyday.

"We feel like we can truly learn everything possible," she said. "AP classes prepare you for the responsibility and workload in college and it really is something special."

Spring Glen School parent Phil Kent said he went to Wednesday's meeting at the request of his son, who was upset at the prospect of losing the music program.

"It's something he really looks forward to when he goes to school," Kent said. "To him, it's like another language — a way to broaden how he thinks and something that affects what he hopes to accomplish in his life, and I urge you not to take that away."

But not everyone supported the higher school budget.

"We have residents who can't afford the tax increase," said Michelle Mastropetre, who is a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. "I ask you to support what the mayor proposed and not one penny more."

Mastropetre said she was upset that there was a message on the Hamden Public Schools website urging parents to come out to the hearing to support the budget.

"I think it went too far," she said. "To blame the council goes too far — I wish they would get people to write their legislators in Hartford to get more ECS money for the town because that is where the real problem is."

"I can't believe the children are being used," said former council member John Flanagan, "saying 'don't give us the superintendent's budget and we are going to cut programs.

"The threat every year is that programs will be cut," he said, "but have they ever come back to say they tried a program and it didn't work so they eliminated it?"

Flanagan agreed that the root of Hamden's education funding problem lies with the diminished ECS funding.

"Everyone in this room needs to get on the people in Hartford," he said.