Submitted by The Greenwich PTA Council Board of Directors, John Fisher, President
One week ago, the Greenwich PTA Council (PTAC) Board of Directors issued an Open Letter to the BET that was published in the Greenwich Free Press. (PTA Council Asks BET for Special Meeting to Reconsider Schools Operating Budget April 24, 2025)
To recap: at the request of community members, the Greenwich PTA Council (PTAC) hosted an online Petition to the Greenwich Board of Estimation & Taxation (BET) requesting that the BET call a special meeting before May 5th to reconsider the BOE/GPS operating budget for fiscal year 2025-2026, and to vote to increase funding to better meet the financial needs of the Greenwich Public Schools.
Over 1,500 people signed the petition in the first 2 days.
That number has continued to grow. On Wednesday morning the PTAC Board sent another letter to the BET members informing them that over 1,860 people representing a broad cross section of the community had signed the petition. As of noon on Thursday, May 1st , that number has grown to 2,000.
The First Selectman issued a public statement calling on the BET to reconsider the budget. The RTM overwhelmingly passed a resolution requesting the BET re-open the Schools Operating Budget to better meet the financial needs of Greenwich Public Schools.
When will the BET listen?
The local private schools also have something to say about this. One local private school sent a mailer to hundreds of parents in the community yesterday saying “As public schools face growing challenges…” parents should consider the private school option. They tout smaller class sizes, individualized advanced learner instruction, enrichment programs, extended-day options, and sports and extracurricular programs at no additional cost.
The “growing challenges” that the public schools face are totally, completely, and entirely the result of the BET’s $4,048,621 cut to the proposed public schools operating budget.
To deal with that $4.05 million cut, the BOE and school administration are discussing cost cutting options that include cutting 15 educational staff (impacting classes and student services), eliminating an extended day program for some of the most in-need students, reducing foreign language instruction, reducing PE, moving school start time to 7:30 am. They’ve discussed charging students to participate in sports. The contrast with the private schools could not be clearer – the town of Greenwich stands on the verge of selling out our students.
And yet, in the RTM Budget Oversight Committee meeting on Wednesday night, BET leaders wondered aloud why the BOE and GPS administration hadn’t found these cost savings before making the proposed budget.
Here’s a clue: it’s because these cost savings are terrible; these cost savings degrade and demean our schools; these cost savings are things that no one thinks are a good idea. Everyone has said so: the First Selectman; the RTM; 2000 community members. Even the private schools say so.
When will the BET listen?
The Greenwich PTA Council Board of Directors
John Fisher, President