Schools budget reflects realities of the district

Last month, the Board of Education voted to approve the superintendent’s proposed 2024-25 Operating Budget in the amount of $333,737,756, which represents a 6.43% increase over the 2023-24 budget.

The requested increase is driven by contractual wage increases as well as inflation-driven increases in fixed costs for transportation, special education, building maintenance, and health care benefits. Nearly half of the proposed increase addresses the “fiscal cliff ” created in spring 2020, when the Board of Finance (BOF) and Board of Representatives (BOR) cut $12.5 million from the FY21 budget request due to uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds have been used to maintain more than 100 staff positions and student services that otherwise would have been eliminated, but those funds expire at the end of this school year.

Stamford is by no means overspending on education. SPS currently ranks 13th in per pupil spending in Fairfield County, behind Greenwich ($26,696), Westport ($24,871), Darien ($24,069) and New Canaan ($23,054). Stamford is also spending responsibly: compared with the state average, we spend 10% more on instruction and student support services and 50% less on our central office.

Our proposed budget already reflects significant savings. Maintaining all current programs, services, courses, and staff in FY25 would require a nearly 10% budget increase. Through operational efficiencies, a strategic reduction in staffing, and allocations from other funding sources, the superintendent and her team identified $11 million in savings to bring the requested FY25 increase down to 6.43%.

To put the requested increase in perspective, Boards of Education in Danbury and Norwalk — districts that are demographically and socio-economically similar to Stamford — have approved increases of 20.9% and 8.2%, respectively for FY25. Boards of Education in more affluent districts including Westport (8.08%), New Canaan (6.17%), Darien (6.48%) and Greenwich (5.60%) also approved significant increases.

The proposed operating budget now moves to the BOF and BOR to be reviewed and voted upon. These boards can either approve the budget as submitted or reduce it. Over the last 10 years, the average BOF/BOR approved increase was 3%. Receiving only a 3% increase this year would mean a $10 million reduction in the proposed budget. This would result in devastating cuts to programs, services, and staff that would negatively impact students.

Your continued support and advocacy will be crucial as the proposed operating budget goes before the BOF and BOR. You can help by contacting members of the Board of Finance and the Board of Representatives to express your support. You can also sign up to speak to city board members during the joint BOF/ BOR Public Budget Hearing on Wednesday, April 3 at 7 pm.

This year’s proposed operating budget reflects the realities of operating a large, urban, high-needs public school district at a time when approved budget increases have not kept pace with inflation and federal grants are expiring. Thank you in advance for supporting the BOE’s proposed operating budget for the benefit of Stamford’s 16,400-plus students and nearly 3,000 dedicated staff.