Submitted by Brian Raabe, Greenwich
The Republicans on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) and their tie breaking vote in the form of Harry Fisher as Chair have defunded Greenwich Schools in the amount of $4.0MM. It is done.
To quote Mr. Fisher, “I believe we are achieving success in leading the BOE to address structural changes in its business model that will have lasting impact in years to come without adversely impacting student achievement.”
First, the BOE doesn’t have a business model as Mr. Fisher calls it, they are the stewards of capital applied to shaping young minds. The only profit imperative is an educated, thoughtful citizenry.
Referring to it as a business says a lot about the BET’s approach.
Second, on what basis does Mr. Fisher conclude that this new “business model” will have a lasting impact with “no adverse impact.”
Mr. Fisher is not an educator. He has no learned basis for his conclusion. It’s a human experiment with your children. The results will only be known years ahead, with no way of undoing their ill-effect.
Finally, the Republican members of the BET suggest in various public letters that like any household budget, there is fat to trim.
The “fat” the BET swears exists has the Board of Education considering a dawn start time at GHS (something the town concluded was a bad thing 8 years ago) and eliminating one of the GHS Houses.
No fat to trim.
Muscle. Bone.
According to an ACTUAL EDUCATOR, the house system is the bedrock of what makes a large school thrive:
And what of the BET applying their household budget logic to the rest of the line items in the town budget.
The budget expense itemization can be found here, scroll to page 55 in this PDF (its labeled page 4 – TOWN OF GREENWICH 2025 – 2026 Budget.)
https://www.greenwichct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/48561/Proposed-Budget-FY-2025-2026?bidId=
I truly urge anyone with a public-school student, or who cares about education, to hit the link above. Dry, detailed, the kind of thing that’s easier skipped – but please.
See where your tax dollars are going instead of funding Greenwich High houses or maintaining a start time that doesn’t feel like educating above the arctic circle.
Had the BET considered any one of the following items in their “household budget” admonition to the BOE.
Item 57131 – Prior Year Losses.
This will be more than DOUBLING, to a total of $5.0MM. Suggesting last year’s numbers were off…
Item 52360 – Rental/Maintenance Software.
$6.0MM a year on software rental? We are not launching satellites.
Item 51100 – Overtime.
$8.5MM dollars. What is it about staffing that the town spends $8.5MM on overtime. Has the Republican BET looked to optimize?
Item 51300 – Temporary Salaries.
$8.6MM. Where? Why? Who?
Item 51110 – Payments for Holiday Services.
$1.72MM. That is almost half the school budget cut. Please define BET. Strikes one as excessive.
Item 57123 – Contribution To Capital Proj-z.
Capital Projects are up $3.0MM. Is that the right spending level when education is at stake, a $17.5MM total.
Item 56010 Property Damage.
$3.0MM. Please define. Employees damaging private property in their day to day, storm damage to town property?
These few items total $50MM.
To quote the Republican BET verbatim, “Most households start with excess spending — not essentials — when trimming budgets. The same principle should apply here.”
Amen.
Education is ESSENTIAL.
By defunding education, the Republican BET does not see it that way.
The examples above suggest their priorities and attention are elsewhere.
Fully funded public education is a right.
Secure that right in November.