March 5, 2025
Present members: Liz Barlow, Monica Logan, Heather Lombardo, Donna Nolan, David Peling, Karen Richmond-Godard, Ali Zafar and Student Representatives Sofia Brenson and Katie O’Neill.
Also present: Superintendent of Schools Cheri Burke.
Public Comment
Mike Kramarenko, Notch Road, shared a list of concerns as follows: he does not agree with biological boys playing sports with girls, he reported a rumor of a middle school student kicked off a bullying-reporting website for overuse of the site, elementary school students accessing a website that brings students to inappropriate information for their age and a national website to report diversity, equity or inclusion appearing in publicly funded schools K-12.
Robert Killackey, Brook Pasture Lane, stated that an SRO Program is a good program for Granby to consider, however, the cost is not small. He suggested the board also look at a School Safety Officer (SSO) position which would be a retired officer, for example, who could receive an hourly rate without benefits. This option may enable the hiring of multiple School Safety Officers as opposed to sharing one SSO.
Michael Fitzgerald stated he recently read an article in the Drummer [March issue, page 3, Finance sets guidelines to constrain mill rate growth] based on a 5 percent budget and stated the article read more like an opinion piece as opposed to an article commenting that the State of Connecticut is short-changing Granby. The article went on to state that if the original BOE budget is accepted at 5.67 percent, the mill rate would be 6 percent; however, the article also stated that if a 3.25 percent budget was adopted, the mill rate would increase 3 percent. He inquired about the relationship between the mill rate and the proposed budget percentages. He also stated that the Federal impact on the budget is unknown; however, the town needs to invest in our schools as opposed to under investing in our schools.
Robert Flanigan commented on $250K savings that was recently realized in the transportation contract and also stated the BOE gave back $750K a couple of years ago. He stated that he sees buses around town with only two or three students on them and asked the board to consider consolidating bus routes.
Jodi Okenquist is disappointed with the guideline of a 3.25 percent increase stating it is out of touch with the district’s priorities and students’ best interests. She loves the strings program for her third grader. She said that recently a staff member was lost to a neighboring district due to salary and this is not the first time. She does not want to see large class sizes and would like to see a budget that maintains enriching programs for students.
March 19, 2025
Present members: Liz Barlow, Monica Logan, Heather Lombardo, Donna Nolan, David Peling, Karen Richmond-Godard, Ali Zafar and Student Representative Katie O’Neill.
Also present: School Superintendent Cheri Burke
Finance and Operations Report
Director of Operations and Finance Nickie Stevenson presented the February Budget Expense Report and stated personnel and program account expenditures remain stable. The available balance in the technology support personnel is due to the anticipated receipt of ARPA Grant funds from the town to offset shared expenditures. Special education expenses continue to fluctuate and will continue to be monitored for potential shifts and changes. The Q-and-D Fund remains consistent and the expectation is to end the year with a positive balance. Revenue to the town is anticipated to increase by $183,730 due to the additional $40M investment by the State of Connecticut for special education expenses incurred by school districts for the FY25 school year.
Public Comment
Kevin Hobson appreciates all the work done on the budget with the focus on the students. There is a need for the tech ed program and creative ways were found to come up with keeping the staffing as well as the challenging HVAC mandate.
KC Petruzzi, science teacher at the high school and president of the Granby Education Association, said the Plus One Budget was forward-thinking for students, staff and the facilities. The board of finance funding guideline does not support the district’s goals. She has negotiated three teacher contracts and realizes the difficulty in funding services, especially with less confidence in state and grant funding. She shared that regular education classroom teachers are very visible; however, it is impossible to do the job without specialists such as paraprofessionals, social workers, special education teachers. Teachers would not be able to deliver differentiated instruction to students without these specialists. Specials and elective teachers are also critical to help students find their passion. She stated that reducing these positions or programs would have a detrimental effect on all students. Going forward, investment in our schools is a shared responsibility of the community and if the community wants the investment to pay, long-term strategic planning is necessary. She concluded by stating that the GEA will continue to lobby for funding and she encouraged everyone in the audience to attend meetings and to vote.