MONROE. Conn. — Eleven parents, some of whom are teachers and para educators in the Monroe school system, spoke in favor of restoring $1.85 million in funding removed from Superintendent Joseph Kobza’s budget proposal for 2026-27 during the public participation portion of the Town Council meeting Monday night.
Some asked for an advisory question to be included on the ballot for the budget referendum on May 5, asking residents to vote “no too high,” “no too low” or “yes just right.”
The Board of Education has cut $250,000 and First Selectman Terry Rooney reduced it by another $1.6 million. The first selectman has cited Education Cost Sharing funds from the state remaining stagnant, putting more pressure on communities to raise property taxes, a significant health insurance increase, and the need to keep Monroe affordable for seniors and others living on fixed incomes.
Many parents are upset about a proposal to move eighth grade to Masuk High School, close the STEM Academy, eliminate funding for clubs and freshmen sports, as well as eight-to-11 certified staff and five-to-seven non-certified staff positions, among numerous adjustments Kobza and his administrative team came up with to accommodate the smaller increase.
Kobza made a $78,553,993 education budget request with a 5.16 percent spending increase, which has since been reduced to 2.68 percent. The superintendent has said built-in costs of the operating budget — salaries, health insurance, transportation and special education increases — accounted for 5.05 percent of his requested increase.
Katie Tolan, a parent, started the Monroe Parents for Education Facebook Group, which has 551 members, and garnered over 700 signatures to a petition urging the Board of Finance to restore funds to the Board of Education budget.
“Strong schools are what make Monroe Monroe,” she said during the public comments portion of the Town Council meeting Monday. “They’re the cornerstone of any town. With all due respect, the senior center is not. Although I happily pay property taxes to support it, because I believe it is an asset to the community.”
In a plea to include the superintendent’s entire proposal in the budget referendum, she said, “let the people decide if they want to run or if they want to crawl.”
Riya Pooskur, a Masuk student in her second year as a student representative for Board of Education meetings and third year as co-historian for the Class of 2026, said, “I’m here tonight to speak on behalf of the student body, the 3,500 students whose education will be directly impacted by the budget cuts.”
Pooskur said her parents chose to move to Monroe years ago, because of the quality of its schools. During her time as a student, she has seen fellow students excel academically, start their own businesses and win state championships.
“The students of Monroe, when given the right opportunities, are capable of amazing things,” Pooskur said, adding this is not despite their education, but because of it. “This outcome is a reflection of the programs, teachers and resources that this community offers.”
She said the current budget tells the student body they are not an investment the town finds worthy. “This budget cut will only limit our opportunities for growth and development,” she said. “Changes like larger classes, fewer clubs and electives and starting our second language classes at an even later time will only hurt the students.”
Sarah Jordan, a home and business owner in Monroe, said her family moved here for the schools.
“The budget cuts of the last four years make me wonder if we made the right choice moving to Monroe and opening my business in Monroe,” she said. “Those cuts are going to result in reduced staff, larger class sizes and the loss of important programs.”
To make the next generation better, she said the town needs to “support these kids make them feel safe and make them feel supported … we’re not looking at huge capital improvements, we’re just trying to keep the teachers we have.”
Elizabeth Richer said, “the first selectman has stated that he needs to look out for all of the residents in Monroe, not just those with children in the schools. While I agree that the needs of all our citizens should be reflected in the town’s budget, the quality of our schools impacts the entire town.”
She cited findings from the National Bureau of Economic Research showing every dollar of community investment in public schools returns at least $20 in home value, and strong school districts command home prices 10 to 20 percent higher than comparable homes in average districts, and sell an average of eight days faster.
Richer also said The New York Times cited a study showing a five percent improvement in school test scores correlated to a two percent increase in home values.
“This isn’t an emotional matter,” she said. “It’s a financial matter. I will continue to urge the first selectman and I will implore the Board of Finance to restore the full Board of Education funding.”
Tiffany LoConte, a parent and a first grade teacher at Fawn Hollow Elementary School, said there is “a startling lack of parity” in the town budget with a 6.33 percent increase in spending on the municipal side and 2.68 percent on the Board of Education side.
She said the school district “being forced to cut 13 to 18 staff members, including eight to 11 certified teachers,” is the functional equivalent of losing 11 teachers and having to close Monroe Elementary School.
“To do this at a time when our enrollment increased nearly 10 percent over the last few years and continues to climb steadily with additional housing being built is irresponsible and shortsighted,” LoConte said.
When she attended open houses, while looking to move here years ago, she said every one highlighted and celebrated the quality of Monroe’s public schools, and the wonderful things she had seen and heard made her pursue a teaching job in Monroe’s school system.
LoConte asked for budget equity and an advisory question on the ballot.
Mike Rubin, a father who moved here from Shelton years ago, said he left the city because of cuts to the education budget and wanted his children to have more opportunities. While booster clubs and PTOs supplement the budgets for Monroe’s schools, Rubin said they cannot make up for $1.6 million.
He said he is willing to pay $15 more in property taxes a month for the children and asked that the Board of Finance restore education funds.
Ashley Arroyo used her finance and accounting background to make her case for restoring funds to the education budget proposal and also asked for an advisory question to be on the ballot. “In a recent interview, Mr. Rooney said children should be the last affected by this and they are the first affected by this,” she said.
David Santore said he grew up in Connecticut and lived in Virginia for a time before he and his. wife moved to Monroe to raise their family. “We will be sending our first to Fawn Hollow next year,” he said. “Frankly, with the news of these cuts, it feels like the rug was pulled out from beneath us.”
He said he is willing to pay $30 or more a month in taxes to support funding the school system needs. Another father who spoke echoed that sentiment.
Julie Avellino, who has been a broker in town for 21 years, said the first time homebuyer, nationally, is now 40-years-old, and the average first time parent with a four year degree is in their 40s, “which makes many of the parents in this town, now and in the future, also seniors.”
Avellino said her oldest daughter graduated in the Masuk Class of 2023 and all three of her children were Stepney kids.
She remembers sitting in kindergarten orientation with the mother of an only child. “She was retired at 52-years-old,” Avellino said. “You cannot separate seniors from parents anymore, unless you want to be completely blind of demographic change across the entire United States of America.”
She advocated for restoring education funding.
Colleen Lukas, the mother of a Fawn Hollow third grader and a para educator at Monroe Elementary, said she moved to Monroe for the highly rated schools.
She recalled growing up in New York in a town with similar challenges to Monroe 25 years ago, including aging buildings and increasing needs of technology.
Rather than cutting budgets, Lukas said her town invested in its school system, building a new school and adding technology labs and sports fields. “The district and the town has flourished,” she said. “The town continues to be one of the most desirable places to live.”
Lukas said this is an example of what can happen when a community invests in its schools.
“The idea that the budget is not fully funded and supported by the first selectman is a shame to me, and tells me that he really hasn’t spent very much time understanding the needs of the district and how these cuts will impact the community,” she said.
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