The town of Norwich, like too many around the state, is facing a budget crisis. The Norwich City Council wants a zero-percent increase, $62.5 million school budget. The town is already planning to close two elementary schools and eliminate non-mandated programs, but the school board will have to make an additional $1.5 million in cuts to achieve the $62.5 million figure.
Cuts of this magnitude have a serious effect on the quality of instruction students receive. 71 teachers could lose their jobs. When class sizes increase and programs are cut, students lose out in a big way.
The Norwich Teachers League is asking the town to reconsider the effect these cuts will have on the future of children in Norwich. Educators who work with students every day know firsthand that a lack of individual attention and decreased opportunities mean that more children will struggle to achieve.
The city council will vote on a final budget June 7 or 14. Before they make a final decision Norwich teachers want them to think long and hard about the children whose future they will be sacrificing if they stick with the proposed budget.
On May 6 nearly 100 people protested the budget cuts in front of city hall prior to a city council public hearing, which was packed with concerned citizens. Educators, parents, and students showed their support for quality education in Norwich.
Watch video from the rally below. (If you can’t view the embedded video, watch it here.)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Dp0_dv6ic]
