Milford Residents Vocal on Reinstating $1.8M Into School Budget

MILFORD, CT — Many parents, students and community members voiced their support in restoring the $1.8 million cut from Milford Public Schools 2023-24 budget.

Earlier this week, the Board of Aldermen held a public hearing on the budget regarding all facets of the budget.

Nearly all of the two-hour public comment session was dedicated to community members asking the Board of Aldermen to vote on reinstating the $1.8 million.

The Board of Education will present before the Board of Aldermen on April 25. The Board of Aldermen will vote on the proposed general budget in May.

In January, the Milford Board of Education approved a $106.48 budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, representing a 4.23 percent increase over the current spending plan.

In March, the Board of Finance approved a 2.58 percent spending increase, representing a 2.6 million increase over the current school budget. However, the finance board approved an overall increase. It was still $1.8 million less than the Board of Education had sought.
Many supporters wore shirts that read “Save Milford School” or red to shore their support for the public schools.

“My grandson is going to JFK, and he’s in fourth grade, and I’m very happy up to now with what has happened,” David Aldridge told the Board of Aldermen on Monday. “If you’re going to cut the budget, which 77 percent of the expenses are people, then you’re going to be firing people. That’s the only way to do it.”

Closing Harborside Middle School was on top of people’s minds during the public meeting as several parents, supporters, and students voiced concerns over the possible closing.

“With the speculation the district is going to be forced to close a school, likely Harborside has put us in a tailspin,” said Liz Shipman, whose children go to John F. Kennedy Elementary School. “I expected the transition to middle school to be hard, but the idea that we are going to add another 200 students to West Shore, more teachers and staff, change schedules and teams, and all the other disruptive accommodations that go along with a school closure are just inexcusable.”

During a Board of Education discussion on March 29, school officials said closing a middle school would result in a $1.7 million one-year saving and may target Harborside Middle School because the school needs restorations totaling $28 million.

Other concerns over the budget deficit are eliminating programs, including STEM, World Language at elementary schools, and freshman sports.