Letter: Calls on Lauretti, Shelton aldermen to properly fund schools

This decision making has cut 80 staff positions over the last five years while enrollment has increased by 81 students, and growing, this year alone.  As a result, classroom sizes have soared to unprecedented levels with some classrooms at a 29:1 student/teacher ratio. 

Without classroom size caps in teacher contracts, enrollment can continue to increase without remediation. For the 2022-23 school year, school administrators used a band-aid approach to hire two new teachers in November. Tutors were suggested for other crowded classrooms. Unfortunately, these tutors never came to fruition. 

Classrooms remain loud and chaotic, basic books and resources are shared between too many students and teachers are burnt out by handling large classrooms. Also, the demand for post-pandemic mental health services is immense. School counselors and psychologists are shared between schools which do not meet the full need of the district. A 250:1 student/counselor ratio at the high school is clearly not sufficient. School security is jeopardized. 

With all the new and planned residential and commercial development, the city should anticipate continued enrollment increases and be prepared vs. being blind-sided and patching with last minute teacher hires, tutors that cannot be hired due to staffing shortages and classrooms that simply remain untouched and crowded. 

At the recent Feb. 9 Board of Aldermen (BOA) meeting, it is made clear that there is a surplus of funding available that would more than adequately fund the school system without increasing taxes. Instead, the BOA and mayor are considering lowering taxes when the city has a school system that is in dire need of funding. To quote the BOE members, “Providing a well-rounded educational program for a community’s students is the most important obligation a city government provides its citizenry.” 

Mayor Lauretti and BOA members should expect to hear from parents via written letters and our presence at the upcoming meetings. Enough is enough. Education needs to be appropriately funded and prioritized in this city. The budget set forth by the superintendent and the BOE is truly “status quo” to maintain services at the level at which they are at and address only some overcrowded classrooms. This is not even enough. It is bare bones and still leaves many classrooms crowded and basic services at a minimum. This budget is not an aim high, meet in the middle compromise. This budget covers the cost of running the school system as-is in a high inflation economy. Underfunding will most definitely result in staffing layoffs and compound the issue of overcrowded classrooms in the face of new city development. Let’s work together to do better Mayor Lauretti. 

Melissa Hanas

Shelton