The Hartford Board of Education approved a budget Tuesday night while also asking the city to increase funding for the district that they say hasn’t been done in a decade.
The Hartford Board of Education approved a budget Tuesday night while also asking the city to increase funding for the district that they say hasn’t been done in a decade.
The budget the Hartford Board of Education approved aims to address a deficit of $30 million.
Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez tried to find as many cuts as possible, but the district still has a $6.7 million funding gap.
“The budget over the years has required us to make some really difficult decisions just to stretch the dollar, when we didn’t think we could stretch the dollar anymore,” she said.
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If the city can't fill that funding gap, services that help keep high school students on track for graduation and create career pathway could suffer. Middle school athletics are also at risk.
Parents and teachers said the potential cuts could hurt students.
“This means higher class sizes, less course offerings, less support, less enrichment,” Carol Gale, president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, said.
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“Just as much as the cuts hurt our students, they also hurt our community. They hurt our potential to work together as parents, families, school board members,” Rosmaly Rodriguez, a Hartford parent said in translated remarks.
Board members spent hours going back and forth on whether to add the $6.7 million into the budget or not.
The board ultimately decided to move forward with a $452 million budget, while also passing a resolution to formally ask the city for more money to close the $6.7 million gap.
The superintendent said the district will do whatever it can to get further funding.
“We’re not going to stop advocating,” Dr. Torres-Rodriguez said.
The superintendent will present the school budget to the city council next week for a final vote.
In a statement, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam’s office said the city would work with state leaders on long-term funding solutions.
“The City of Hartford remains committed to prioritizing education and ensuring our students and teachers have the resources they need to succeed," he said.
