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Hey taxpayers… are you really getting your money’s worth in the Stamford Public Schools (SPS)? Knowing we can get to the root of issues by following a simple budget, this is also a quick way to understand what is really happening in the SPS. Reviewing these five areas helps taxpayers follow the decision-making trail as well as ask deeper questions:
Overall Budget… With 94.7% going to wages & benefits, special education, transportation and facilities, this means that SPS only has about 5.3% to spend on initiatives (professional development, textbooks/workbooks, instructional technology, internet, software, supplies, athletic equipment, telephone, copiers, postage, furniture, insurance, dues & fees). So, what are the learning initiatives for this next year in areas of curriculum, Instruction and assessment? What can the families and community members expect to see for results… I-Ready skill as well as curriculum mid-term & final test scores? Behavior incident decreases? Consistent engagement and rigor in all classrooms at elementary, middle and high schools?
Allocations… Before the 2024-25 final budget was approved (totaling $330 million), there was a $3 million cut. This resulted in a $2.3 million staffing loss (May 14th Reallocation Presentation). Creatively, many positions were combined across the schools, but this still means less attention to students and programs. How will this be monitored? Will updates be shared with the community and families?
Very few administrative jobs were eliminated from the remaining $0.7 million cut. In fact, since 2020, SPS has added 5.5 new administrative positions on a yearly basis at both school and central office levels. How do we as taxpayers know that these new administrative positions are effective and produce results? Lateral moves and title changes are the only indicators. Achievement scores remain stagnant. Can student and cohort scores be compared annually and longitudinally by grade level? By school? By District Reference Group (DRG)? Will leaders ever be held accountable?
Not Enough A/Cs… Knowing SPS will have four brand new school buildings over the next ten years (Westhill HS, Roxbury ES, KT Murphy/K-8 South School—Upper & Lower), it is surprising that 89 classrooms will still not have A/C this fall. Will those students and staff be accommodated in other air-conditioned rooms? Is this equitable for all SPS students and staff?
Retirements & Resignations… This coming year, exit interviews will be required by law—sadly, this has not been tracked in the SPS. Over three years, the total number of retirements (100) and resignations (257) average about 10% turnover per year. The reasons why people are leaving are important to know. Is SPS training new teachers to only lose them to surrounding districts? How are employees really being treated in the SPS? Are teachers choosing to stay in Stamford and have successful careers—why or why not?
Master Staffing Plan… Although school faculties were visited by the superintendent and a master staffing plan was developed, teachers felt their input was limited or not valued, again. Why is this a surprise knowing that the Board of Education has also ignored teacher voice over two separate years (2022 & 2024) when votes of no confidence for central office leaders took place? Why is morale so low across the district? Where is the tipping point when respect continues to be lost?
Follow the money and follow the unspoken silence. Who is not asking the deeper questions behind the budget or doing their due diligence? Learning can only thrive when respect comes first.
Dr. Rebecca Hamman currently serves as a member of the Stamford Board of Education. Her comments are her own, and do not represent the official views of the Board of Education or its committees.
