School districts around Connecticut have been facing budget cuts this spring, and teachers, students, parents, and community members have been fighting to ensure schools are fairly funded.
In Plainfield, teachers organized and were able pass the schools’ budget at a second vote, minimizing cuts to education.
“Plainfield teachers are happy and relieved that the budget passed on the second round,” says Plainfield Education Association Public Relations Chair Chris Rusaw. “While we already lost some positions from cuts after the budget didn’t pass on the first vote, we’re happy to not lose any more staff.”
Last year Plainfield conducted its every-five-year reassessment of property values, and given current market trends, property values went up. In a town with an older population, increasing property values led some residents to worry about increases to their property taxes.
After the education budget failed at a vote May 20, the Board of Education was asked to find $790,000 in cuts. A capital improvement study that assessed the district’s buildings led the Board of Education to decide to shutter the building where the early childhood center and superintendent’s office had been located—moving them to another building with excess space. With that consolidation the Board also eliminated a school nurse position, custodians, and one elementary teaching position.
The PEA organized and showed up at town meetings to ensure no additional cuts would be requested. At a special Board of Education meeting Rusaw and other educators who live in town spoke up to ensure no other positions would be cut.
“We’ve been doing more with less for so long,” Rusaw says. “When we cut education, we’re not enticing people to come to our town—we’re not making our schools places where people want to send their kids.”
“You have these towns that are going through and cutting and cutting, and they’re doing it in ways that are absolutely going to harm classroom teachers and harm students,” CEA President Kate Dias, told the Connecticut Post in a discussion about the devastating cuts to education being proposed in towns across the state. “You’re really talking about the reduction of opportunity for our kids.”
Luckily in Plainfield, teachers’ efforts and organizing were enough to sway the day, and the Board of Education budget passed 249 to 74 at a second vote.
“Going forward, we’re hoping that Plainfield residents will come out en masse to vote the Board of Education budget in the first time,” Rusaw says. “We will ensure our motivated teachers continue to advocate for our town, students, and staff at the polls.”
