Milford's Board of Education Budget Increased By Board Of Aldermen

MILFORD, CT – The Board of Aldermen approved an increase to Milford’s Board of Education 2023-24 budget during the Board of Aldermen budget meeting on Thursday.

After the vote, the Board of Education’s budget was $106.29 million.

The vote was along party lines except for Ward Willis (D-2), voting no, stating he promised his constituents he would vote in favor of the complete restoration of the budget, and Daniel German (R-4), who was the lone Republican to vote in favor of the motion.

The new Board of Education total was an increase to the Board of Finances proposal of $104.6 million, but not the entire amount the Board of Education had initially proposed of $106.48 million.

Alderman Matt Arciuolo II (D-1) introduced the amendment to increase the Board of Education by $1.65 million.

“It’s been heartwarming to see the outpouring of support that residents have for our education system and the system Dr. (Anna) Cutaia (superintendent of schools) has helped steward and build,” Arciuolo II said as he addressed the audience who came to support the funding of the Board of Education budget. “I’ve had phone calls with people who me to save Harborside Middle School, but I’ve also had phone calls with people on a fixed income who are scared their taxes might go up.”

During the budget meeting, Minority Leader Anthony Giannattasio (R-1) was the first to introduce an amendment to set the Board of Education budget at $106.44 million.

“After careful consideration with the city and Board of Education leaders and countless conversations with members of the Milford community, including the parents, its time to restore the Board of Education budget to what was originally requested,” Giannattasio said. “I welcome the opportunity to continue to partner with Dr. Cutaia to form a long-range plan to make sure we are not placed in this situation again. That Milford schools remain the pride of Connecticut.”

Arciuolo II introduced his amendment to increase the Board of Education by $1.65 million instead of the amendment made by Giannattasio of $1.8 million shortly after.

“During our testimony with Dr. Cutaia, we asked her what the magic number needed to save Harborside, and she offered it up, and this number we are proposing, is that number plus $177,000,” he said. “This is more than enough to keep the school operational and give her the resources she needs to move the plan forward.”

Chair of the Board of Education Susan Glennon said she’s grateful the Board of Aldermen could sift through all the data and facts presented to them in support of their request.

“The Board of Education, year after year, has presented a budget that reflects what we need, as a district, to move forward in a manner that has been largely supported by both the community and the appointed and elected officials who are involved in the budget process,” she said. “This year was no different, except that our needs in the coming year related to simply maintaining the status quo as we recover from the profound effects of the pandemic on education coupled with the inflationary times we are currently experiencing.”

Glennon said she acknowledges the efforts of the families who validated their work and told them they were on the right track.

“We are committed to doing right by the thousands of students and staff members of Milford Public Schools as we continue to build a system that centers on their needs going forward,” she said. “While the decision of the Alders fell slightly short of what we truly need in the coming year, I thank them for their support tonight and look forward to a healthy and productive partnership in the future. The Board of Education will meet on a date to be determined to make the necessary adjustments to balance our budget.”

After the vote, Milford Democratic Candidate for mayor Kerri Rowland released a statement saying she was thrilled by the Board of Aldermen’s decision.

“Since I announced my candidacy, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with hundreds of Milford residents. What they’re looking for is Milford’s leaders to come together to find long-term solutions to our city’s budget problems,” she said. “That’s why I am committed to working with Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters because we’re all part of team Milford.”

Before the meeting took place, Minority Leader Andrew Folwer released a prepared statement saying he called on the city’s Aldermen to keep Harborside Middle School open by restoring education funds that were “savagely cut” by the Board of Finance instigation of former Democrat Mayor Ben Blake.

“Unless an Aldermanic supermajority restores sufficient funds when it votes on the City’s budget on Thursday night, members of the Board of Education, the citizen’s duly elected representatives to oversee our school system, will have no recourse but to close Harborside,” he said. “The tantrum thrown by Ben Blake, the political mentee of current Mayor Richard Smith, will come at the expense of our schoolchildren and the expense of the good name of Milford.”

The prepared statement said Fowler called on each Alderman to let their constituents know before the budget voting begins how they will come down on the cut to education funds.

“The lack of public leadership to commit to undue Blake’s revenge at the Board of Education he so deeply detested is shocking. The many good people of Milford who deeply care about this issue, who have worried day in and day out about the fate of Harborside Middle School, did not deserve to be strung along by silence and passivity from those who control the fate of the budget. In the end,” Fowler said, “The Aldermen must do the right thing. They must vote to restore the funds that, at Ben Blake’s orders, were savagely cut. If Harborside closes, they can join Blake, Milford’s Democrat political establishment, and the Board of Finance as the principal reasons why this travesty happened.”