After three Republican members of the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation on Friday published a letter to the editor expressing their willingness to support a $1,957,842 interim allocation to restore transportation for GHS to maintain the existing 8:30am start time, Monday’s night’s BET may have come as a disappointment to some.
Facebook comments were bountiful and many asked whether a restoration of about $2million would be at the discretion of the BOE or could be conditioned. Some urged the BOE to restore jobs that had been cut in school media centers. Others urged the BOE to retain the 8:30am start time at GHS.
And the letter spurred other letters.
On Sunday the BET Democrats published a letter in response (BET Democrats Support BOE Budget Increase), saying they’d stand ready to support this restoration of funding.
But it was not to be.
Early in Monday’s BET meeting, Democratic member Leslie Moriarty was cut off by the three Republican BET members who did not sign the letter: chair Harry Fisher, and BET budget chair Leslie Tarkington and law committee chair Karen Fassuliotis.
“I wanted to say I intended to make a motion tonight to add an item to the agenda for an increase for the BOE funding. This motion was a response to a published statement from 3 BET members that they were supportive of additional funding for the BOE,” Moriarty started.
“Excuse me,” Fassuliotis said.
“I am making a comment…” Moriarty said.
“Sorry but you don’t have the floor,” Mr. Fisher said. “Please defer.”
“I’m explaining why this motion is not being made,” Moriarty said. “The law department indicated that the motion would not be in legal order.”
“You’re commanding the floor and you’re not in order. Please,” Mr. Fisher said.
There was no further discussion of the letter from BET Republicans – Nisha Arora, David Alfano and Lucia Jansen – who signed the letter along with harbor master Paul Cappiali, who signed as a BOE member, though that is in dispute due to ongoing litigation.
A different Republican, Jen Behette, has been recognized by the BOE as a member since last October.
As for the cuts the Board of Education made in response to the budget approved by the BET in April, the schools superintendent, Dr. Toni Jones, confirmed in an email to families on Friday, May 16, that the BOE’s vote to change GHS school start time from 8:30am to 7:45am in the fall was a move to save money on transportation costs.
“…the Board of Education made the decision to change the start time for Greenwich High School for the 2025-2026 school year, but it was not an easy decision,” Jones wrote on Friday.
“The savings were equivalent to 20+ people being displaced on top of the first 21½ reductions made during the last meeting,” Jones wrote. “Adjusting the start time for GHS, and a minimal change for elementary and middle schools, saves the district $1,957,842 to offset the reductions required by the BET budget that did not support basic operational needs which meet contractually required salaries, utility costs, and transportation.”
Jones said the BOE had been as thoughtful as possible, approving a GHS first bell at 7:45am for student clubs and teacher office hours for check-in and tutoring, with the first instructional block to begin at or around 8:00am.
The school superintendent said more information would be shared in coming weeks.
“GPS is heartbroken for those whose jobs were reduced, some of which have been with us for 15+ years or more,” she continued, adding that every effort would be made to employ these staff members in other capacities as retirements and resignations take place over coming months.
“Each union contract is unique in how positions are managed, so it is a very complex task,” she added.
“We will turn our efforts over the next few weeks towards celebrating our Class of 2025 and the Moving Up ceremonies across the district as we head to summer and look for a positive end of the year,” Jones concluded in her email to families.
GEA sign outside Greenwich High School. May 4, 2025
See also:
BET Democrats Support BOE Budget Increase
May 18, 2025
Alfano, Arora, Jansen, Cappiali: A Targeted Interim Fix to Preserve High School Start Times
May 16, 2025
Greenwich BOE Approves 7:45am Start Time at GHS ; Declines to Eliminate Cantor House
May 16, 2025
BOE Struggles to Shave $4.1 Million from the Greenwich Schools Budget
May 4, 2025
April 22, 2025
BET Cuts $4.1 Million from Greenwich Schools: Audience Chants “Shame on you”
April 4, 2025