The Milford Board of Finance has reduced our Board of Ed Adopted budget by $1,286,419 — a huge blow to a skeletal budget where the requested increase was made solely to address rising fixed costs, unfunded mandates, and losses in federal funding.
This decision WILL require CUTS to current programming and staff. It will have a devastating impact on Milford schools.
We are asking Milford’s Board of Alderman to restore $1,286,419 in the Education budget and allow the Board of Education to conclude the Long Range Facilities Plan for our schools, a plan requested by Mayor Giannattasio that allows for school consolidation in a carefully planned manner.
If funds are not restored this cut could mean
- forced school closure
- loss of sports and extracurriculars
- Increasingclass sizes
- Eliminating progress in education, world languages, career pathways, AP Classes, STEM labs, and more
Links with further Info:
Milford Public Schools Budget Central
Video of Superintendent’s Budget Presentation
Board of Education Discussion on Impact of Reduction
Make no mistake: this is a sensible budget that protects the exceptional programs that make our schools stand out — and honors the 18 months of careful, community-driven planning the Board has undertaken. Premature cuts and school closures would derail that progress just as we near the finish line. Now is the time to tell the Board of Aldermen to fully fund our schools.
This is an economic issue. Meaningful investments into schools mean thriving cities: people choosing to move into and stay in Milford. A 2020 study found that a 1% increase in school spending increases the value of homes by .95 percent. Households highly value spending on the salaries of teachers and staff.1
Our children need support NOW. Cuts will place a greater burden on Milford’s school system at a crucial time for children, teachers and staff.
This is a workforce issue. Milford’s decision-makers have led strong progress toward high-quality education, world languages in all grades, career pathways, STEM labs and more. These are supports our students need to be prepared for the workforce.
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1Bayer, P.J., Blair, P.Q., Whaley, K. A National Study of Public School Spending and House Prices. 2020. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Taubman/PEPG/colloquium/2021-02-18-pepg-colloquium-blair-et-al.pdf
MilfordEd Advocates 