Submitted by Matt DesChamps, Democratic Candidate for the Board of Estimate and Taxation and Sophie Coven, Democratic Candidate for the Board of Education
There is no more important investment a town can make than in a robust public education system. Greenwich has made this investment. Our town allocates over half its operating budget to our public schools. Our teachers are among the best paid in the state.
Measured by results, this seems to be working. Our students are among the best performing in Connecticut, and are recruited nationally by the most prestigious colleges and universities.
Unfortunately, our school infrastructure has not kept pace. We have allowed our school buildings to deteriorate to dangerous levels – quite literally. The two main examples right now are Central Middle School (CMS) and Old Greenwich School (OGS).
• CMS was deemed unsafe for human occupancy and temporarily closed in February 2022.
• OGS has a myriad of safety issues including poor air quality, inadequate fire suppression sprinklers, lack of ADA compliance and sewage flooding into kindergarten classrooms.
Investing in educational facilities is costly. These two capital projects are estimated to cost approximately $112 million and $42 million, respectively. Taxpayers are right to ask about the price tag and the benefits received from such large-scale educational investments.
So, why should our community—parents with public school children, and residents without any kids in the public schools—commit to funding public education, and these projects?
Educating our future leaders and workforce
Ninety one percent of students in the United States attend public schools. In Greenwich about seventy-five percent of children are enrolled in the public schools at some point during their K-12 years. Quality public education allows children to gain the knowledge and skills to be successful citizens in our town, and in our country. Our schools are preparing future American workers and leaders. In 1957 John F Kennedy told those gathered at the Teachers Association Convention:
“We the people of America have entrusted into your hands the future leaders of this nation, the most powerful nation on earth – and the way in which you fulfill this trust, in the guidance and direction which you give to America’s youth, will have a more profound effect on our national future than perhaps any decision we may make in the Senate.”
Investing in future generations is the right thing to do so they can thrive and be productive, and it also benefits society as a whole. Many of the business and political leaders and educators in Greenwich today graduated from our schools, we should want that tradition to continue.
Improving our home values
Why do people move here? Ask any realtor and they will tell you the quality of the public schools is a major selling point for families with school aged children. In fact, in a National Association of Realtors Community Preference Survey, school quality was among the top four community-related factors influencing homebuyer decisions. But what about residents without children in the public school system?
Greenwich has approximately 70% of its residents either without public school aged children in their household or send their children to private or boarding school. For this population, the idea of paying for public education and large-scale educational facilities may seem like a cost without a tangible benefit.
However, this is not the case. The National Bureau of Economic Research states there is a strong correlation between school expenditures and home values. A report entitled, “Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending” found that for every $1 dollar spent per pupil, there was a $20 increase in home values. That is an impressive return on investment.
Whether you have children in the public schools or not, an investment in our schools is an investment in our community, and in our nation’s future. As candidates for the Board of Estimate and Taxation, and the Board of Education, we will ensure that the school buildings our students learn in match the excellence of the education they receive.
Matt DesChamps
Democratic Candidate for the Board of Estimate and Taxation
Sophie Coven
Democratic Candidate for the Board of Education
Please Vote Row A on November 7th!