These are not normal times

Everything about Covid-19 and the situation we currently find ourselves in are not normal.  Our daily lives have been completely upended.  The jobs that teachers are doing has changed and they have adapted to continue to support our city’s students.  We have also come to realize that our schools provide enormous, often unrecognized, value beyond the straight-forward education of our children.  This value has certainly not been recognized or acknowledged by the powers that approve the budgets for the Stamford Public Schools and especially not by those who want to significantly cut the budget now, in the middle of a global pandemic.  As these are not normal times, now is the time to reinvest in our schools and in our children.  Cutting the schools' budget now would be an absolute travesty. 

Now, I realize city revenue is down because of Covid-19 and the economic impact is still unknown and I think it's reasonable to assume it's going to be massive. No one wants tax increases and I commend the various boards who are making tough decisions to try to keep property taxes in line with last year.  However, to drastically cut the school budget is essentially punishing the children, and those who have been bending over backwards for them since March.  The teachers and the schools have done an amazing job of shifting to a Covid-19 distance learning model with only a few days’ notice. While the transition has certainly not been perfect, everyone involved should be commended for their Herculean effort.  These individuals should be rewarded, not punished.

Assuming schools are allowed to open in September, we will most likely see new challenges as we continue to battle this virus.  We must be prepared, both logistically and financially, to adjust. Dr. Lucero and her administration are building multiple contingency plans to prepare for various scenarios. This strategy will allow the administration to move faster when a planned or unplanned challenge arises, to ensure our children are in an environment that is safe and allows for an ongoing solid education plan. 

Meanwhile, what is the city doing to prepare financially for these unknown scenarios?  Right now they appear to be simply reacting to what has already occurred and not focused on what our actual needs are going to be in the coming fiscal year. 

Finally, let’s consider that Stamford has become the economic backbone and the shining star of the state of Connecticut. Stamford has continued to build and grow, attracting people of all ages and backgrounds to our community. This growing population allows all of us to enjoy an immensely diverse community that exposes our children to everything that is great about the world in which we reside. This growth has continued in spite of years of neglect by every elected official who has ignored our failing school infrastructure, turning down capital requests, under-funding much needed repairs, allowing mold to close sections of some schools, and even an entire building.  This discussion was finally highlighted in the fall, when the Stamford Facilities Management Group attempted to address these shortcomings. They put forth proposals to correct these years of neglect. Because the Board of Representatives failed to act, again, these serious issues with the school infrastructure and facilities remain, and our children and their educators remain second-class citizens. 

Slashing the school budget is not an acceptable option.  Now is the time to invest in our schools, and in our educators, so that our children can safely thrive through the pandemic and more importantly when it is finally over.  These are not normal times, and certainly no one planned for this pandemic at last year’s budget-planning sessions. Let’s not treat this year as just another budget-planning session.  This is not normal.