This fall, Granby teachers and the Board of Education will begin negotiating a new contract before the current agreement expires in June 2027. Most residents are aware that Granby educators are paid significantly less on almost every level than their counterparts in every Hartford County district, including the Hartford Public Schools.
For decades, debates over Granby’s tax rate have led to a pattern of doing only what is necessary to get by. As a result, we have struggled to provide competitive compensation for educators and staff, adequately maintain facilities, keep pace with the changing needs of our students and plan effectively for the future. The consequences are now impossible to ignore. Student achievement has steadily declined and some of our most talented teachers have left for districts that offer better pay, stronger support and greater professional opportunities.
Granby must stop thinking from one budget cycle to the next and start investing in long-term success.
The financial case alone is compelling. According to the Learning Policy Institute, replacing a single teacher costs an average of approximately $11,800. During the 2023-24 school year, teacher attrition in Granby reached 17.8 percent, roughly double the Connecticut state average. With approximately 17 teachers leaving that year, the district likely spent more than $200,000 recruiting, hiring and onboarding replacements. While attrition improved to 11.5 percent in 2024-25, this progress reversed last year with many beloved and respected educators leaving the district for better opportunities and support elsewhere.
But the cost of turnover goes far beyond dollars and cents.
When experienced teachers leave, schools lose far more than employees. They lose mentors, collaborators, institutional knowledge and the relationships that help create strong school communities. The Learning Policy Institute has found that schools and grade levels with higher teacher turnover consistently experience lower student performance in both mathematics and English language arts. Frequent turnover disrupts continuity for students and places additional burdens on the dedicated educators who remain.
For too long, Granby has practiced a version of being penny-wise and pound-foolish. What may appear to be savings today often becomes a larger expense tomorrow, whether through employee turnover, declining student outcomes or costly infrastructure problems that result from deferred maintenance.
As contract negotiations begin, Granby faces a choice. We can continue patching holes and hoping for better results, or we can invest in the people who make our schools successful. Good teachers are hard to find, expensive to replace and invaluable once they’re gone. The old saying is true: you get what you pay for. Our children, and our community, are worth investing in.