Educators, students and parents rallied ahead of a town council meeting, voicing their concerns about a proposed $2 million cut to the Board of Education’s budget.
NEW MILFORD, Conn — In New Milford, about 20% of teachers were recently laid off, putting things in limbo for the future of the school district.
Emotions were high at the start of Tuesday’s town council meeting.
It kicked off with kindergarten teacher Tricia Ambrogio reading off the names of teachers who recently received pink slips.
“The most I believe in our district was cut from middle school,” Tricia Ambrogio said. “Middle school is that time where students need a little extra tender love and care and they’re going to be in bigger classes and that’s just going to be a lot harder for them.”
Educators, students and parents rallied ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, voicing their concerns about a proposed $2 million cut to the Board of Education’s budget.
“We have after-school programs that some of them will get cut too and that’s affecting some people that need to go after school to do stuff,” said Kathryn Ambrogio, a third grade student.
Heather Sullivan, a K-2 literacy specialist teacher and parent, is worried about what the cuts will mean for students like her young daughter who rely on special education services.
“My first grader is autistic, and she receives so many SPED services,” Sullivan said. “Something that I’ve heard a lot of the Board of Finance talk about and even town council is our cost for pupil. Equal's not equitable. My son is a cheap student, my daughter probably cost three to four times that amount.”
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Gretchen Ewers, a sixth grade English and language arts teacher, received a pink slip. She’s worried about what’s next for her and her former students.
“When there’s a behavior in the classroom, it’s hard to teach around that and if there’s nobody to take the kid and help them deregulate, help them get back to regulated, then it’s going to hurt everybody,” she said.
Ginny Landgrebe, chemistry teacher and New Milford CEA vice president, said decisions are being made by people who don’t care about the school system.
“It is truly devastating and I know everyone goes, 'no one is really going to get cut,' yeah, if 1.6 and technically, if you add the town council's cut, it’s 2 million. That’s a lot of money and it’s a lot of teachers,” she said.
People who spoke at the town council meeting called this budget cut a slap in the face and called out the New Milford Board of Finance.
A speaker said the board member who proposed the cut admitted that the number was a spitball sort of thing.
The town referendum vote will take place on May 20.
Kaye Paddyfote is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her onX and Instagram.
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