March 12, 2026 Board of Finance and Town Council Finance Committee Budget Public Hearing

001Good evening, everybody. Um I want to welcome you to the public hearing with the Board of Finance concerning the 2026-2027 municipal budget. If you would rise and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence. >> Recording in progress. >> I pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. So, I want to welcome everybody here this evening. Um and I'm going to just a little bit of housekeeping first. Uh this is a public hearing on the proposed 2026-2027 operating budget. That's the money that we spend to run the town on a day-to-day basis. Trumbull residents are welcome to speak about any line item within the

002budget. You may speak in support or against any item on which we spend money. You may talk about things you'd like us to spend money on that may not be included in the budget. You are respectfully reminded to keep your comments about the budget and not directed at any specific board members by name or party. Um Mrs. McGannon, who's sitting down here, who works in the First Selectman's office, uh reminded me of that back in 2011, uh when I spoke at a public hearing and I didn't make my comments in the best of ways. >> I was in fourth grade though. >> You were in fourth grade at the time and I was just in preschool. But those are learning experiences and I welcome anybody to speak. It's really important that you participate in the

003process. I'm happy to see students here, parents, and other members of the community. Uh we do our public comments a little bit different than the Board of Ed does. So we don't require pre-sign-ups. There is a sign-up on the podium if you'd like to speak and you are present in the room. And there are about 40 people online. If they wish to speak and if you can hear me at home, you're going to use the raise the hand feature on Zoom. You know, put your hand up. When you are being admitted, you are going to get a request to accept being a participant or a panelist on our Zoom call. When you accept that, you'll be moved into the panelists column on my screen and I'll be able to call on you. And my plan

004is to alternate between people here in the room and people at home. Um the other thing is we allow 3 minutes for comments. We ask that you be respectful of that. If you are simply reiterating something that someone else has said and you wish to just state that, we're okay with that as well. You must state your name and your address. Um and you're welcome to simply say I support X Y or Z or I don't support X Y or Z if that's sufficient for you. Um likewise, if you've sent comments by email, please be courteous and let those who've not had a chance to voice their opinion speak first. And should we have time, we'll welcome everybody to comment further. It's very important and I want to remind everyone um as of now, there

005have been no cuts to the Board of Education budget. The First Selectman, Board of Finance, and Town Council look at the Board of Education operating budget as one line item in the overall town budget. Once the final allocation is given to the Board of Education, neither the Town Council, the Board of Finance, nor the First Selectman have any line item control over how that is allocated. So, it will be important for you to remain active in the process to let the Board of Education know what your priorities are, as well. And with that, um anyone who hasn't signed up at the podium and wishes to put their name on, uh please do that now. And I'll ask Phil to bring in the um first five uh panelists into the Zoom call. >> Okay. I do

006have two people with their hands up now, Jennifer Clayton and somebody unnamed called Zoom user. I will bring them both in now. >> Okay, thank you. We'll start our comments this evening with um Electra Fariello, and then Dina Meisner here in Council Chambers, and then we'll move to Zoom. Okay? Electra? >> Okay. Hello. My name is Electra Fariello. I have spoken to some of you in this room in person or by email. I've been attending meetings in person. I'm a vice president on the Daniels Farm Elementary School PTA, and I'm a former educator with a master's in teaching. I am hoping that the Board of Finance, Town Council, and Board of Education has recognized the increased parent engagement in this year's education budget process. I am advocating for a higher allocation to next year's education

007budget because it will directly impact the quality of learning, opportunities, and outcomes for all students. Adequate funding ensures safe and proper transportation, smaller class sizes, up-to-date instructional materials, well-supported teachers, and access to critical programs such as special ed and enrichment activities. When schools are properly funded, they can address diverse student needs, close achievement gaps, and create safe, engaging environments where all students can thrive. Investing fully in education is not just an investment in schools, it's an investment in a stronger workforce, healthier communities, and a more prosperous future for everyone. While my children are only in fourth and second grade at Daniels Farm Elementary School, they've already been directly impacted by cuts to the education budget. My son qualifies for TAG, and that program was cut well before I knew what it was. My daughter's second

008grade class at Daniels Farm is too large for little learners to properly thrive. By cutting teachers, specialists, and paras, all children will suffer. My children have only just begun their educational careers, and I fear that they will continue to continue to feel more negative impacts if the education budget is continuously fighting an uphill battle. I'm here to advocate for them since they are not here to advocate for themselves. Education is the cornerstone of what makes Trumbull stand out. Strong schools are the town's primary asset, shaping its reputation, driving property values, and anchoring the community's long-term stability. Our schools also act as community centers in a town where we lack a central hub. I hope you will all agree and believe in the necessity to increase the education budget. Education means a lot to me, and

009I hope that we can all work together to properly fund the town's education system, and then allocate the money responsibly. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> I also wanted just to mention that I forgot prior in my comments that as a board, we do not respond to your comments this evening. Um if you receive responses to your emails, those are um done separately, but we don't respond during the public hearing. Um call Dana Meisner next. >> Hi, I'm Dana Meisner but the girls will be speaking. >> The button on the Yeah. There we go. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Kate Curley. >> Hello, my name is Mia Spaltroff. >> Hi, my name is Layla Fadell. >> Hi, my name is Caroline Devine. >> [clears throat] >> Hi, my name is Brielle

010Kaiser. >> Hi, my name is Sam Baglio. >> Hi, my name is Charlie Meisner and I'm in 7th grade at Hillcrest Middle School. I'm asking you today to support funding the budget in front of you and do not make any changes. Over the last few years, there has been a lot of cuts to the budget and changes that has been that has affected us in all different ways. Our class sizes are bigger and we don't get the support that in schools that we used to. And now I want to talk to you about something that may seem like a small cut to you but affects many middle schoolers in a big way. One of the cuts this year that is being discussed is cutting middle school after school activities and sports including my favorite basketball.

011So, my teammates and I are standing here before you tonight and we would all be devastated if this cut happened. As you might remember from middle school, it could be a challenging time and it is not always easy to be there. After a long day of school attending tests, doing work and more, instead of going home, we look forward to basketball. Looking forward to basketball every day makes us all happier. It helps relieve the stress out of our days and allows us to meet more people across different grades and come closer with them. Also, we are more motivated to keep our grades up to stay on the team. Lastly, participating in sports teaches us valuable life skills such as leadership. For example, I would never talk at a town meeting unless it was about basketball.

012Also, >> [laughter] >> also, it helps with teamwork. As you can see, most of my teammates are here with me today cuz we are all working together to have basketball stay. And these are all qualities that will serve us well in middle school, high school, and beyond. As representatives of the Trumbull middle schools, we get to represent Trumbull when we compete against other towns. I'm not sure if you're aware, but we play 10 other teams from five towns: Fairfield, Newtown, Bethel, Stratford, and Monroe. Our schools have reputations of some of the strongest competitors, and we are proud to show our skills and sportsmanship in these games. Having prepared middle school athletes helps us to continue a strong high school program. And when you have a good teams, you sell more tickets to games, which helps

013our athletic budget. While I focused on basketball, I know other middle schoolers would talk about their own favorites like cross country, play, art, or other clubs. Each of these activities help our middle school experience and allow us to grow. I hope that you will not cut our budget further and realize that even though you think making small cuts won't affect our schools or the students that much, but it will. We care a lot about these activities and hope that you notice that and support us in not making these cuts. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Jared. >> [applause] >> I really appreciate the fact that you came and stand in front of everybody to talk about why it's important to you, and we appreciate your comments. Thank you. We're going to go to our

014first Zoom attendee. Hopefully, this works. We have Jennifer Clayton. >> Good evening. Can you hear me? >> Sure can. >> Okay. My name is Jennifer Clayton. I live on Beacon Hill Road here in Trumbull, Connecticut. Um I want to first of all just thank you for the time to speak tonight. I agree with Electra and the wonderful girls who just spoke and supported the basketball after school program. Um, I have a PhD in cognitive psychology and I work at the Porter Center for Teaching and Learning at Yale University and I've been in learning about learning and teaching about education and education uh, programming and assessment for over a decade at this point. I come to you tonight with two concerns. One is a concerned parent. I have two children a kindergartner and a second grader

015in Daniels Farm Elementary. Looking at uh, the proposed cuts if the budget only goes through at 4% uh, really feels very frightening to me as a parent here in Trumbull. Um, I urge you to approve the budget in front of you. It includes maintaining excellence as Electra already alluded to enriching programs and really a a strong curriculum to keep class sizes small, keep our teachers engaged to avoid burnout. We need our paras. We need their professional development as teachers. We need their curriculum writing. All of that seems to be non-negotiable at this point. The other piece of the concerned parenting is that the cuts potentially for administrative staff. Administrators are the glue. As an administrator myself in higher education, they are uh, the people who keep things running, right? If the faculty and the teachers

016are doing the teaching and doing the learning in the classroom with the students, the administrators are trying to keep everything smooth and everything kind of ironed out. And so, uh, I really urge you again to consider um, as that wonderful student just said, little cuts make big impact. The second reason I'm in front of you is as a Girl Scout leader. Um, I use Daniels Farm Elementary at least once a month after school. It's a safe and wonderful place for people to gather, for my troop to gather, to be able to not worry about transportation, for parents to be able to uh, know that their children are supported and in a safe place so that they can learn and grow in the Girl Scout program. And so again, the proposed potential cuts really cut into

017the ability for after school programming. And so, I'll just wrap up to say thank you again for the time to speak tonight. And please consider very strongly supporting the budget that has been proposed by Dr. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jennifer. >> [applause] >> Next is Zoom user. >> Hi, that's me. Can you hear me? >> I can. >> Hi, my name is Katherine Sara Vegas. I live on Topaz Lane in Trumbull. Um I'm going to be I'm obviously less tech savvy than Jen and less eloquent as well. I'm president of the DFS PTA next year. Um I just wanted to pop on very quickly and echo Jen and Electra's comments. I I think you guys all know Electra has been working really hard to push parents to finally have a voice. Um and I

018just want to say that I think even if the Board of Finance can go up a little little little bit, we'd all be so happy. And that's it. >> Thank you, Katherine. >> [applause] >> Tina Faison >> Oh, I apologize. I do have another hand raised up. When do you want me to let me know when you want to switch back? >> Um why don't you move that next hand into the um as a panelist and we'll take a uh comment from in house here. >> Okay. >> All right. Uh Tina Faison >> [clears throat] >> Hi, um my name is Tina Faison and I'm speaking to you today as a um parent in town. Um >> Can you just tell us your address? >> Oh, sorry. I live on Settlers Ridge Drive. Um I

019currently have a second grader at I'm sorry, I have a third grader at Daniels Farm and I have a sixth-grader at Hillcrest, and we are one of those families that moved to this town for the education specifically. We were in a town where education was clearly not a priority, and one of the reasons that we decided to move to Trumbull was because of the school community and the better funding for the education, and it's something that we absolutely don't regret. Um but as a parent, I'm concerned that we are not going to be able to maintain the current level that we have um if we don't fully fund our school budget. Um one of the things I heard at the meeting last week was about how our um scores have been still great. We're performing

020really well despite the fact that we don't have the same funding as other towns, despite the fact that we don't always get the increases we want to our budget that are requested, and I think that is really just shows the kind of strong foundation we have in town with really good teachers. We have a really good parent community here. Um and these are the things that I think we need to really be able to maintain to attract other parents like myself that are care a lot about [clears throat] school and community. Um and it's it's going to keep our school system strong. But on top of that, I think that we um need to make sure that our class sizes are staying small, we keep paras in the classroom, we have bus systems that are

021reliable um and not overcrowded. I think those are basic things that parents look for in a good school system. Um on top of that, I think that we need to focus on not just maintaining, but also growing and helping our children to thrive um in our school community. So, some of the things that were talked about as maybe potential cuts or maybe even seen as extra things or the things that I think actually really make us shine as a community. So, just personally speaking, my my children both um take advantage of after-school activities. Um my son is in sixth grade and the transition to middle school is not necessarily easy, but having the availability of both clubs and after school help from the teachers and the late buses is really important to my son and

022also to me as a working parent. So, um, I really hope that you guys will >> [clears throat] >> consider increasing the funding for our schools in the upcoming year and thank you for your time. >> [applause] >> Kate Engel Drum. >> Hi, Kate. How are you? >> Hi, everybody. How are you? Thanks so much for giving me the time to speak. I want to agree with the parent I I live on Inca Drive in the Daniels Farm area of Trumbull, also formerly of Norwood Terrace in the Middlebrook area of Trumbull. So, my kids have experienced the absolute greatness of the teachers of both schools and I came today to express my full and unwavering support for the proposed um uh budget by Dr. Stemwall. Like many families I shared, um, I live in Trumbull

023for specifically for the reputation of our public schools. Um, specifically my children have benefited immensely from the manageable class sizes, uh the math specialist and literacy consultant program. Uh my daughter in particular, um, had benefited from the direct work from her classroom teacher in addition to um, some specific reading intervention work um that she had needed in her early years. Um, and our special education and paraprofessional program. Um, again, specifically my daughter who requires individualized support um based on a learning disability. Um, I want to be clear that I support the budget um even if it necessitates a tax increase. I view our schools not just as an expense, but as the primary driver of our property values and the overall health of our community. So, um making the kind of two plus million-dollar cuts

024and reducing services would totally uh be a sort short-sided move that impacts our uh most vulnerable students and truly it would have long-term effects um and the long-term appeal of our town. Um I thank the Board of Ed and the district administration and the Board of Finance for your leadership. Um but it's here's uh I I I would love everyone to truly consider the voices of all the parents that you're hearing from. Um we value a fully funded education system and like I said, um you know, save our education if you even if you have to raise our taxes. THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UM TYLER PAGE NEXT. >> HI, my name's Tyler Page. My name's Tyler Page. I live on Sunset Avenue. Uh I'm an associate professor at the University

025of Connecticut. Uh and I'm here in my capacity as a parent and I support what everybody has been saying. I at our last meeting, I was one of the 125 people who stood out in the hallway because there wasn't room in this room for everybody and I I helped collect the signatures and brought them in. You know, 7 years ago, my wife and I were living in another part of the country. We'd never lived in New England uh and we loved everything about where we were living except for the schools that we were going to put our special needs little boy in. And so when UConn offered me a job, even though we'd never lived in New England, we considered it. But we spent a lot of time looking online trying to find a place

026Is there a place that was affordable, that had a good community, that had good schools? We talked to multiple real estate agents and we kept hearing Trumbull, Trumbull, Trumbull. So, we persuaded UConn to fly my wife out. We attended church here. We went to the mall. We drove around the city and we spent a lot of time getting to know the community and we fell in love with it. And we love it here. We've been here since 2020. We've added two more little boys to our life. We've been ecstatic with the school system and the support that's been given to my special [clears throat] needs little boy. And I I'm just struck by how much of my life is driven by the fact that this town had great public schools. Uh and I think that's

027why we're all here. We care about the public schools and we know [clears throat] that the public schools are really important. Now, I get it. As a Board of Finance, you've got a really hard job, right? Life has trade-offs. Very few people I was going to say nobody, but after our last speaker, very few people want to pay more taxes. And at the same time, you know, everybody wants more money and I get that. I don't know every detail of your budget. And I as someone who works in government myself, I understand budgets are tight right now. But I do know one thing about priorities and that is this, you got to feed the goose that lays the golden eggs. And here in the city in the town of Trumbull, these schools are the goose

028that lays the golden eggs. They influence who comes here. They influence who stays here. They influence the quality of our children's education and their potential earning potential as they grow up. It influences the amount of money that you're going to have in future years to spend on different priorities. And so, I just think cutting it would be short-sighted. And if I'll say one last thing as a college educator, I'm looking at my students today and seeing them more than anything else needing to be more ready to be skilled professionals younger. The world of AI is decimating entry-level white-collar jobs. And my students have to have to be better, have to be able to use AI, but also have to be able to do things at a higher level than ever before. And that puts even

029more pressure on our school system to do a better job so that our children can thrive. Uh thank you so much. Uh appreciate all you do. >> [applause] [applause] >> Lauren Amiott is online. You want to unmute, Lauren? >> [clears throat] >> Yep. Working. Okay. So, I just want to echo Sorry, Lauren Amiott Kentline. Um I want to echo everything that's been said here tonight so eloquently. I am fully in support of increase this budget as a mother of a child with special needs where a paraeducator works with him daily to ensure that he isn't lost uh in the in the classroom and is able to keep up with his friends and peers and be accepted as one of them. It is essential that we continue to support the children, all children, of all their

030needs. Um and any risk to that is what makes this a very very scary reality. Um and I am a mother of a kid with special needs and I'm a mother of a kid without special needs. And I feel similarly for both. I think that what trouble offers uh this town from a school standpoint is what makes it a very attractive place to live, and any threat to that is a threat to the viability of this town. It's a threat to our success as a um place in southern uh Connecticut, and I am I beg you to consider kids like mine who need these supports to be successful in this world. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Sarah Fallon Hi Sarah. >> Hi everyone. Good evening neighbors. I just wanted to >> Can

031you just give us your address, please? Your address. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> My family and I live at 62 Saxony Drive. And we moved here because Trumbull was one of the many towns that we looked at in New England that have excellent excellent schools. We came here with two young children and we recently welcomed a new baby. We've met a lot of excellent neighbors. Lenny, actually you were one of the first neighbors that welcomed us to the neighborhood. So thank you for that. And we are currently planning for the next 15 to 20 years in this town. And like many families, we made a significant financial commitment to live here specifically because of the strength of our public schools. Our children are counting on them and so is the investment we've made in our

032home. And now unfortunately, there's a growing perception that Trumbull is not expanding economically and that businesses are locating elsewhere. And in that environment, strong schools are one of the most important assets this town has because they protect our property values, they attract other families and they provide long service term stability, [clears throat] which are obviously things that are important to all of us, not just people with children and children in the public schools. So I want everyone to remember tonight, especially the Board of Finance, that fully funding this budget is a choice about the kind of town we want to be and whether we are serious about protecting the long-term strength and value of Trumbull. To the Board of Finance, I want you to know the families investing in this town are paying attention and

033we are pleased asking you to protect Trumbull's future by prioritizing our schools. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Bolu um Adewemi, did I say that right? So, good evening, everyone. Um I'm Bolade who live on Enclave Drive. Um and I've been up here before. I'm pretty sure I've shared my story and like Tyler, we it's essentially the same thing. We lived and never I I grew up in New York City. I went to school in New York City. I went to medical school in New York City. And then when I was going to move, I was like, "Oh, there's nothing north of the Bronx." We moved to Maryland. And um we have a son with special needs and I tried to get him into a into a private school in Maryland cuz that's what everyone does

034over there, apparently. And the school [clears throat] told me, "Yep, we don't think we can support your son. And we cannot make any exceptions for him. Anything that you wanted to do for him would have to be done on your own time." And this was a school that was charging about $40,000 in tuition for kindergarten. So, my husband and I had a conversation about moving back closer to home cuz we're in New York City. [clears throat] And I applied for jobs out here and I happened to get a job one in here in Connecticut and at Bridgeport Hospital and one in New Jersey. And then we started looking around at what would be the most important thing would be somewhere we could put our son for school. And one of our colleagues, one of my

035colleagues at work, suggested that we looked at Trumbull. And that's how we ended up here. And we have had he has had such a turnaround in the four years that we have been living here. And I'm a visual person, so I brought today something I wanted to share with you guys, if that's okay. So, we're going to pass this around. Thanks. So, um at our first PPT meeting at Daniel's Farm School, I cried through the entire thing. I was hopeless. I was a mom that had no idea what I was navigating. I had my son had been We had been told in Maryland that our son would maybe never speak. He would never be able to go to school normally. He would never do this and that and it was not a good picture. And

036then our at our first PPT meeting um at Daniel's Farm, the team was like, "Well, we have no idea how how your son's going to handle this. Um we don't even know if we can keep him here." And then I looked at my husband like, "Wow, we moved here and now here's another set of people telling us that they can't do anything for our son." But they said we're going to do a 3-month trial and see how things go. Well, this picture I I've kind of handed out was done by his OT on his first day of in his first month there. It's in November after the PPT meeting. They said he should draw a person. So, the first picture you see is him drawing his version of a person. And then every month until

037June of that year, she asked him to draw the same thing. Said the same thing, same words. And you can see how his progress has improved over just the 8 months that he was there as a 5-year-old. Um if this is not a testament to the work that these people are doing in our schools, I don't know what is. Because like I had to email them for a copy of this cuz when they sent they gave me the first one, my parents-in-law took it. They're like, "We're going to frame this." Then they gave me the second one and I framed that and then my mother took it. >> [laughter] >> So, when I was um when we were talking about coming to this meeting, um I emailed the school and get and said I need

038another copy because I want to show everyone what you guys have done for our family. And I'm sure our story is not unique. Um my son is in class, he's in school. We had his teacher conference today. He's doing fantastic and that's because of the work that is done in our schools. So, I know that it's a difficult time to say financially, you know, things things are hard for everybody and I understand that. We see it. We as parents, we feel it. I'm sure you feel it in your families. But, our schools are really doing phenomenal work and I think for them to continue to change lives, literally change lives, we need to fund the budget. >> THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> DENNIS SPITZ. >> HELLO. >> SORRY. [clears throat] >> HI, DENNIS. >> Um

039hello, everyone. Uh my name is Dennis Spitz and I'm one of the founding members of the Trumbull Special Education PTA. >> Can you just give us your address? >> Oh, yes. 30. Uh I live on Edinburgh Lane near Tashua. Uh so, I also work in accounting, specifically uh I focus on nonprofit organizations. So, I know all about how difficult the decisions that you have to make uh due to budget constraints are. Despite that, I'm here to ask for the school budget to be fully funded even if it raises my taxes. Um I have two children, twins. One goes to Tashua Elementary and while I worry about the impact that um the budget would have on her, who I really want to talk about is her twin brother, uh who is in special education SRP program

040at Middlebrook Elementary. Constrained budgets often try to impact services that affect the least amount of people, and unfortunately that means my son is more likely to be significantly impacted. When he started at Middlebrook, I often wondered whether he will have a future, but as time has gone on, thanks to the help that he's getting from school and all wonderful staff there, he has blossomed and made improvements and progress that just 2 years ago I wouldn't have imagined or expected. If his services get cut, however, not only can this impact his progress, [clears throat] but he may revert and regress. Not only would that inevitably impact his life for the rest of his life, but it would mean in the long run he would need a lot more services, services that in some way, shape, or

041form will probably come as an expense to the town itself. So, part of what I want to ask for is for that to be considered that um the potential future costs that would come from not funding the schools now. Um thank you so much for your time, and uh I appreciate listening to me. >> Thank you, Dennis. >> [applause] >> Karen Rupp. >> Hi, good evening. I'm Karen Rupp on Colony Ave. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak in front of you and to speak in front of my community. Um I'm a parent of two students, a first and third grader at Frenchtown Elementary School. I'm the incoming uh Frenchtown PTA president. I have a doctorate in education. I work in higher education. I teach in higher education. My husband, who will probably

042be speaking at the next meeting, works in secondary education. By our careers, I stand in front of you as someone who believes in education. Education is the number one most important thing a community can invest in. The decisions made today in this budget cycle will not just shape this year. We all know that. This decision will shape the future of our town for many years to come, and you've heard that in many of the comments this evening. If we continue to underfund our schools, this impact will last so much longer than this budget cycle. It will affect our town's reputation. We've heard that tonight. It will affect our ability to retain the talented teachers who are on the Zoom, who are in this room, because they will leave if they are not getting paid what

043they deserve to be paid to teach our children to reach those high marks. That is not on accident. That is because our teachers are committed to our kids. Our administrators are committed to our kids, and they will leave if we continue to not fund our budgets. And most importantly, our students will be impacted. I am just another person you telling you tonight that research shows kids will be impacted if we do not invest in our children. I have had the privilege and the opportunity to speak to the first selectman through this process. I've had the opportunity to participate in the meetings before this. I've also heard statements in this room from our leaders suggesting that the budget decision is not in your hands. I've heard people state that it is other people that are making

044these decisions. There are other people we must talk to. I don't disagree, but I do disagree and simply do not think it is true that all of you in this room do not have the decision to impact this budget. Many people in this room and online are watching because we believe you can change the budget that has been proposed by the first selectman. You do have this ability. You have this right. And I would say you have this responsibility to make a decision that protects the children and our town in the future. So, I urge you to increase the first selectman's budget that she approved by doing so fully funding our schools as as Dr. Semel has proposed in his budget. I do so knowing the risk and the impact that it will have on

045other budgets in our town as well as our taxes. But, I ask you to do this to fund our future, to fund our town, but most importantly fund our kids. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Um I've just been reminded when you do speak, you do need to give your um street address as well um when you give your name. So, that include your whole address. Thank you. Are there anybody else online who wishes to raise their hand? If not, I You have voted. You can move You can move >> George, I'm I apologize. >> That's okay. You can move those two into the room and I'll go for another one in uh house here. Rochelle Giordano. Hello, Rochelle Giordano, 11 Win Hall Lane. Hello, esteemed Board of Finance members. Thank you for

046your continued volunteerism, engagement with residents, and support of our town. As a homeowner in Trumbull, an employee of a business located here, and a parent of three children in Trumbull public schools, I am paying close attention to each step of the budget process. On February 27th, 2020, interim Superintendent Ralph Izzaguirre described the challenging budget year in a letter to parents. One not unlike the challenge before you today. Many of you were involved then and may recall that the 2.7% increase ultimately allocated resulted in devastating cuts. Those cuts were never fully realized because of the pandemic and the limitations that followed. Today, there is a $2,720,000 gap between First Selectwoman Tesoro's proposed 4% increase and the Board of Education's request. This gap is even larger than the discrepancy in 2020. While I appreciate that the administration

047continues to increase the education budget, and I value the support, the gap between what is requested and what is funded appears to grow deeper each year. Many parents say they moved to Trumbull for the schools. I did, too. And I also recognize that strong schools support strong property values. Continuing to fund education below the requested level may begin to have broader implications. We often celebrate that our district is ranked 11th in the state, which is certainly an accomplishment. However, it is worth noting that Trumbull was ranked sixth not long ago. In previous years, each elementary school was recognized as a the of distinction, an achievement our educators and students should be very proud of. These changes are not a critique of their work, but they may signal pressures beginning to show in the system. Enrollment

048continues to increase year-over-year along with the number of students requiring specialized services. At roughly $19,000 per pupil, support of the education budget must follow that trend. The current requests include modest investments to address transportation challenges and staffing needs across the school levels. Practical needs that support the functioning of our schools. This annual conversation seems to repeat itself each year. I would like to see a shift in that conversation. Rather than placing pressure on the very education system that draws families to Trumbull, it's time to focus on broader revenue growth including opportunities through business development. Inflation has been difficult for everyone, but in times like this, the dollars allocated to education must be more than a response to rising costs. They should be represent a true investment in our schools. If we want to preserve Trumbull

049as a town where families choose to live and where our children may one day raise their own families, I respectfully urge you to fully support the Board of Education's request. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> [applause] >> George M is online. >> [cough] >> Good evening. >> Hi, George. >> Hopefully you can Hi. Good evening. Um respected [clears throat] board members, thank you for this opportunity to speak. I just have a few words. >> You're going to need to give us your name and address first. Start with that. >> Uh George George Matthew at 22 Stella Street in Trumbull. >> Thank you. >> And yeah, we've had uh several speakers already who've who've spoken far more eloquently than uh than I can. Um I'm the parent of two children, one at Booth Hill

050in 2nd grade and one in Hillcrest in 7th grade. And um we relocated here in 2023 from northern Virginia. And like a few of the parents who um who spoke before me, uh we we had excellent schools for our older child, but our daughter has special needs and a large part of why we moved to Trumbull and the school district was really um the uh obviously it was a job opportunity for me. Uh I'm not in education. I'm I'm a lawyer, so uh please don't hold that against me. Uh but uh it was a for job opportunity and then came the question of where we would um build a home. And as I think has been articulated before, Trumbull certainly was at the top of the list and um uh single-handedly for uh special education

051reasons and uh the quality of education uh that uh children could receive. And uh as has been echoed before, that was certainly a concern uh for us um when our daughter arrived into this world. And I'll tell you 3 years in here, this is this is easily um far surpassed anything we could have imagined. And um uh it is largely a 100% because of the services the special education services that uh our district provides and uh specifically um for my daughter's school at Booth Hill. You know, um having paraprofessionals and maintaining this level of support allows our certified special education teachers to focus on the work that they're specifically trained to do. And instead of simultaneously managing behavioral needs and providing one-on-one support, um but this is all um uh, something that um, I don't

052I don't need to expound on um, the the board very well knows. Uh, I merely am here to advocate for my daughter um, who's in second grade and for many like her um, who are uh, currently um, can't advocate for themselves. Uh, but um, I I stand firmly with uh, Dr. Semmel and um, I'm fully aligned with his vision of um, of uh, requesting uh, the amount necessary to keep our town and our schools uh, functioning at the same level. Thank you again for this opportunity. And have a good evening. [clears throat] >> Thank you, George. >> [applause] >> All right. Advanced Specialty Care. If anybody is waiting online and wishes to speak, please use the raise your hand feature now. >> Hi, can you hear me? >> We can. Your name and address? >>

053Dana Lambert Monaco, 212 Sterling Road. And I'm here kind of speaking from a different perspective. Um, I'm speaking on behalf of being a uh, over 55-year-old in the community and speaking just against uh, any sort of tax increase. Trumbull is becoming is not affordable to stay as a place to maintain as parents of a 31-year-old disabled son who we have made extensive renovations to our home for his handicap needs. We are now having to look elsewhere to live due to the rising costs of Trumbull. So, I'm here just to ask tonight, I hear everybody's thoughts and we put our kids through the Trumbull school system as well. Um, but I'm asking the board to not approve a tax increase um, to have people that want to stay in Trumbull the ability to stay in Trumbull

054due to the tax the tax basis. It's, you know, I was hoping to retire here, um but if the taxes keep increasing, you know, we will be forced to leave. So, uh thank you for your time and that's all I had. >> Thank you for speaking out. Camilla Bork. >> Hi, how are you? Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to talk. I'm Camilla Bork and I live at 1435 Huntington Turnpike. Um I appreciate all the parents um and everyone that has put in the hard work for here. Uh I am a parent of three kids. Um I have a daughter who's a senior at high school, a third grader, and a kindergartner. Uh we moved here when my oldest was entering high school and my little and my middle one was starting kindergarten because

055of how much we respect uh the Trumbull schools. And I've greatly benefited from all of this um extra support and resources that both Trumbull High School and Booth Hill School has given to my kids. Um that support has tremendously helped it helped them be the students that they are today. Um and I can fully see that um specifically for my senior in high school and the impact that just at the high school level that she's received and her off going to college now in August um is an exciting achievement for us. Um I know during the last meeting um that we were there as well, um maybe a comment was said that, you know, while we have a maybe a uh not big budget increases that our grades are doing well, our teachers are doing

056well, but I think the reality is is our teachers are tired and they shouldn't have to be doing well with what they're receiving so far. Um I say this as a member of my PTA for my school, someone that um actively volunteers um and participates, um and I see all the work that our hardworking teachers do every single day and I I think any support we can give them is the best support and I and I sympathize with the fact that the taxes are going up. I mean even for myself it's it's definitely something that we're willing to figure out because we moved to this town because of our kids and the school systems but but what I will say since moving to Trumbull is I've encountered so many families that grew up in Trumbull,

057went to college, moved away and came back to Trumbull to raise their families again. So I think like another parent said this is a historical moment right now and the impact of what happens today is going to impact our future. So I would just ask the board to consider funding what Dr. Willis is requesting. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Sarah Broas >> Good evening. My name is Sarah Broas. I live at 25 Doris Street and I have three children in the Trumbull public schools, one at Trumbull High School, one at Madison and one at Tashua. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight and for listening to the voices of the community. I've previously shared concerns about the impact of reducing the school budget below the superintendent's proposal. Like

058many parents here, I've stayed actively involved in this process over the years. As both an educator and PTAC board member, I'm here to advocate for maintaining the commitments that are necessary to fund our schools. The Board of Education budget budget was carefully built to maintain the programs, services and staffing our students rely on. Reducing it means laying off dedicated educators and staff who support students every day. Those losses will be felt directly in classrooms Now, through larger class sizes, reduced support, and fewer opportunities for students. I agree with what the parents before me have said and the brave students who have been volunteering to speak on behalf of their own kids. This is also an equity issue. As more costs are shifted onto families through pay-to-play fees, fundraisers, PTA PTA payments to keep activities and

059buildings open, participation becomes limited to those who can afford it. That equity divide even exists already within our own elementary schools. That leaves some students without access to opportunities for connection and belonging. Research consistently shows that student engagement in school activities reduces risk factors such as substance abuse, depression, and self-harm. When access is reduced, so are the protective factors that keep students connected and supported. I also [clears throat] think it's important to remember that the contracts driving many of the obligated fixed costs in this budget were approved by this body. Those agreements represent commitments made to the people who work in our schools. When the budget does not fund those commitments, an increased burden shifts onto students and staff. I understand that funding these commitments may mean taxes increase, but public education has always been

060a shared investment. A small increase spread across the entire community ensures that all students, not just those whose families can afford extra fees, have access to the opportunities, stability, and support that strong public schools provide. I respectfully urge the Board of Finance to support the Board of Education revised budget and increase the allocation to fulfill the existing obligations to maintain current staffing and programming. We are not asking for more, we're asking you to fund the commitments that have already been made. Doing so would eliminate the need for layoffs and allow our schools to maintain the stability and staffing that our students deserve. Thanks very much. >> Thanks. >> [applause] >> Melissa Ferro. >> Hi, Melissa Ferro. Hello, my name is Melissa Ferro. I live at 59 Barn Swallow Drive and I come to you tonight

061not only as a Trumbull parent and taxpayer, but also as a Trumbull educator. My family story is like many others we've heard tonight. My husband and I bought a house in Trumbull 6 years ago because of the town's strong reputation for excellence in education. Now that our children are school aged, our son is a kindergartner at Daniels Farm and our 4-year-old is close behind him. I urge you to continue to make education a top priority for Trumbull and fully fund the Board of Ed budget. I'd like to focus on the possible reductions in the budget that I feel would impact our children the most if the budget is not fully funded. First and foremost, cutting any amount of teachers, never mind possibly 16, would be a huge disservice to our students, especially at the elementary

062level. Less teachers means larger class sizes. Larger class sizes means more teacher burnout. I know I'm one of them. T- Trumbull teachers are amazing and I see firsthand how hard my colleagues at Middlebrook work day in and day out. They handle everything and anything that is thrown at them from new curriculum to new students that move in halfway into the school year. We just make it work. However, teachers are getting sp- uh spread pretty getting spread pretty thin and quite frankly a bit stressed out. Larger class sizes would only add to that stress. Next, I'd like to address the possible reductions in paraeducators. Paraeducators are invaluable. As a special education teacher, I work closely with our special education paras. They provide academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support while helping helping our students with special needs access

063their least restrictive environment in the general classroom setting. As a kindergarten student, my son loves his classroom paraeducator. He always comes home sharing stories of how she helps his classroom with everything and anything. Paraeducators are truly the unsung heroes of our education system. Whether it's a special education para or a general classroom para, we cannot afford to lose any of them. Lastly, the possibility of closing schools early to reduce um custodians and therefore canceling after-school enrichment programs would really be heartbreaking. Um our son just started robotics a couple weeks ago and he loves it. He comes home with little projects and um someone else mentioned earlier the talent the TAG talent and gifted program was cut a few years back and losing those after-school enrichment opportunities would be again heartbreaking. I heard the bell. Thank

064you for your time and consideration. I do not envy the tough choices you all have to make, but I implore you to invest in Trumbull's future by investing in the education budget fully. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. [applause] Miller. >> Jessica Miller. Hi there. My name is Jessica Miller. I live at 79 North Sto Place in Trumbull with my husband and twin 10-year-old daughters who go to Booth Hill. Um we moved here in 2014 like everyone else for the schools, but the reason even more than that is I'm also a teacher and I had a very high bar that needed to be met when we were finding a school system where we wanted to raise our kids and Trumbull's it. Um I teach at another in another district in Fairfield County and for years

065teachers have been asked to do more with less. And by not fully funding the carefully constructed Board of Ed budget, I truly believe that my children and all the other children in Trumbull will suffer. I do believe that they have been very thoughtful in all of the line items they have put together and why we need them. And our teachers have risen to the occasion here in Trumbull year after year regardless of what happens with the budget because teaching is their passion. And they're always going to do everything they can for their kids and regardless of what happens they're going to make it work. But why make it harder? Teachers have been working tirelessly forever in the profession because it's what we love and we love the kids. If we have the ability to give

066them the resources that they so desperately need in order to give our kids the best education possible, then we should do that. And yes, it's going to be hard and yes, it could mean taxes go up and frankly, I think a lot of people in town are willing to do that if it means giving our kids the future they deserve. If we want to keep bringing in families who want to raise their kids here, we have to give them a reason to do so, which means we need strong schools who can provide the kinds of opportunities that we've come to expect. And I would ask again for the Board of Finance to fully fund the Board of Ed budget the way it currently stands because it's the only way that we're going to be able

067to give our kids the kind of future that we had hoped for them when we moved here. Thanks. >> Thank you, Jessica. >> [applause] >> Dana Aponte and then Dan Garrity. Bye, girls. Thanks for coming. >> Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I'm Dana Aponte, 29 Horseshoe Drive. Um and I'm a mom of two and I'm also an educator for over 20 years and I'm a vice president of the PTA at Frenchtown Elementary School for the past 2 years. I've dedicated countless hours to the Trumbull school system because I believe in its value. I am here to advocate for the current budget that is being presented to you. When Dr. Semmel presented this year's budget, I think it was last week. I've lost track of time. Um he started with a very

068important slide. It said, "What kind of school district do you want?" This is a vital question that can even be taken a step further by asking, "What does the town of Trumbull and its citizens value most?" Positions like interventionists, administrators, and other support staff are not extras or wants of a school district, but rather essential positions. These are the people who step in when a child begins to struggle, whether it's behaviorally or emotionally or academically, sometimes before the child even understands what's happening themselves. They help the student who is confused about why they can't read or do math like their friends, the student who's frustrated because learning feels harder than it should, or the student who begins to believe that they are not good at school. I personally have experienced this with my own child.

069By having a reading intervention at an early age in elementary school, she is no longer in need and is reading above grade level. Without that, I'm not sure where she would be. I also have a child who is part of the talented and gifted program. And due to budget cuts, we've already seen that disappear. And we all know that most likely that is not coming back. These supports can change the entire trajectory of a child's experience in school. Instead of instead of falling further behind and losing confidence, they get the help they need when it matters most. When those supports are not available early, the needs do not disappear. They grow. It is It not only identifies students who are struggling and provides them aid earlier. It is also cost-effective and is a most more

070impactful way to provide teachers even with professional development. Teachers learn more from their peers than outside consultants. Without the literacy consultants we currently have, this would not be possible and cause the district to spend money on outside professional development, which has less impactful results and can be much more expensive. These larger problems cost the district a lot more money over time. When looking at Connecticut's intervention data, more than half of the children who receive early intervention services never require special ed services. Without these services, the opposite is true. Many more students end up qualifying for special education if there is not an early intervention. In Connecticut, a single special education placement can cost over $30,000 per student. And some of the out-of-district placement that we have seen cost way more than that. Investing on keeping

071well-staffed schools now is not just about helping students. It's also one of the most fiscally responsible decisions a district can make. Furthermore, rebuilding and adding teachers back as needed over the next several years will be a major uphill battle. We saw this when there were major cuts, like was spoken before in 2020, that didn't really get seen because of the pandemic. We are just now feeling that we are well staffed and working as a well organized entity. Connecticut is experiencing a serious teacher shortage. Many educators are leaving the profession due it to growing lack of support and resources needed to do their jobs effectively. This directly aligns to the question that we heard at the Board of Finance last week about how teachers are able to achieve high scores with the staffing they currently have.

072Teachers are being stretched too thin and eventually that rubber band will break. The teachers burnout throughout education is real and it's leading to a lack of qualified educators. Across the state many districts are still struggling to fill open positions several months into the school year. These realities make decisions about staffing even more critical. At its core this is about doing the right thing for our children. Supporting this budget means investing in the prevention in prevention rather than paying much more later for remediation. When we fund schools we are funding opportunity, confidence, and a success for our students. We are making a smart investment in the long-term financial health of our school system and our entire community. Thank you. >> Thanks, Dan. >> [applause] >> Uh Dan Garrity. >> Hi, good evening. Uh my name is

073Dan Garrity. Uh I live at 4 Merrill Road uh in Trumbull, Connecticut and I want to open up by saying thank you uh to all the members of the Board of Finance. I really appreciate uh you representing us. And uh I just want to give you a little bit of back bit of background about myself. I've been in Trumbull since 2001. I uh moved here after I got married to my wife who went to Trumbull public schools and 4 months later survived the attacks on the Twin Towers um in Manhattan. Stayed in Trumbull and while I was on and off of active duty as a citizen soldier, I decided to go into the Trumbull public schools and begin teaching. Immediately fell in love with education and realized at that time when the understanding of the

074real importance of school in life and education was the paramount for myself as in the recovery, realized that I would dedicate my life to public education. And though I have been in other districts, I am now currently also teaching in Trumbull, but I have really here I'm really here as a parent of three children. My daughter is now a sophomore at Holy Cross College of the Holy Cross, which was an incredible achievement for her and she got in there because of the quality of the Trumbull public schools, I have no doubt. She went through the Trumbull public schools, she went through Madison Middle School Middle School right as COVID hit and she despite all of the the setbacks that all teachers had in the classroom and students had working remotely, she was able to thrive

075because of the quality of the education that was even provided in that online world. My son now is a senior at Trumbull High School and he has had an amazing experience through Trumbull. But we've seen the impact of budget cuts and and budget struggles over the years as parents. For example, on my wife's side, many of them are competitive swimmers. And Jack was an early swimmer and we wanted to get him on the swim team and when we lost the pool and things like that, we were raising our voices, but we found other avenues and other directions to go by willingly getting in the car, driving to Milford night after night. I'd get home at 9:00 or 10:00 at night because that's where our our swim team was practicing, but it was a sacrifice we

076were willing to make to be part of the team and despite not being funded, our kids needed somewhere to be. Um my daughter, my youngest daughter right now is about to go into Madison. She's in fifth grade. And I have to tell you that the thing that um I want to focus on tonight is those kids. And I know I have a limited amount of time, but this I when I looked at the amount of cuts that could be at the 4% level, I it absolutely took my breath away. Um it it really scares me. And I will tell you why. Um and if I'm a little emotional about it, I I I can't help it. When I first in 2002 when I when I was first interviewing for jobs, I met uh an icon

077of public education in Connecticut named Dr. Gerald Corcoran, who worked at at Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut. And he said, "One of the biggest things you can do as an educator in Connecticut in Fairfield County in particular is be here after school. Be here for kids who don't want to go home to empty houses. The parents that live in this town and these towns around here, they're working hard. Many of them work late hours. They're coming in on the trains. They're coming in from Manhattan. I knew myself cuz I had commuted to Manhattan. And that was one thing I saw was when I volunteered to stay after school, to be on to be in clubs, to be in activities, kids thrived. That's where they learned many of the life skills that they don't learn

078in the classroom. And when I looked at the cut at 4% that the idea that we would lose secondary school activities, advisers, and competition expenses, that to me is startling. I can't imagine what our middle schoolers and our high schoolers will do if we don't have bussing, we don't have transportation, we don't have clubs and activities and things like that after school. I can't imagine what will happen. I look at the Yale University, the the ruler system, their their center for emotional intelligence. And over and over we are told that students need trusted adults in their life. They need people that they can go to outside of the classroom. It's not all learned in the curriculum. You know, that is why so many of us as as educators believe in the phrase in loco parentis,

079that we are in the absence of parents. While while those kids are with us, we treat them as if they were our our own children. And to lose an opportunity there, I think as a town, uh is is quite scary. Numbers like losing 16 teachers, I can't imagine. I mean, that is gutting to to any organization, uh but 16 teachers, that is where the curriculum is meeting is meeting our kids. Paraprofessionals, as a as a classroom teacher who became a special education teacher, I lean on my paraprofessionals whenever I work with them. The students who work with paraprofessionals often watch them like a hawk. They are that parent-like figure in the classroom with them every day. We need these positions. We need our kids to have somewhere to go that's healthy and going to grow

080them um in an after-school program. We need this funding. I am here asking you sincerely, increase my taxes. I wish we could exceed the request that was put forth by the Board of Education. I think we need to be more competitive in terms of what we are offering our students um not only uh as a school district, um but as really our collective investment. And there is there is no greater collective investment for our town than in the students that uh in our children. Thank you. >> Thank you, Aaron. >> [applause] >> This is a last call for hands raised online. Uh Jenny Z, you've declined to be accepted in as a panelist three times, so if you want to speak, Phil's going to give you uh another chance to do that. And then um

081Irene De Coco is on the screen. Irene, have you connected? >> Hello. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Irene Zaccagnino and I live on 42 Skiffing Pond Road. I'm a mother of 8-year-old twins in the Daniels Farm district. I'm here tonight to ask you to please consider funding education beyond the first selectmen's proposed 4% increase. With only a 4% increase, the Board of Education will be forced to make $3.4 million in cuts. Behind those numbers are real programs, real staff, and most importantly, real children. Um, one of those children is my daughter. My daughter has a learning disability and this year she said something to me that absolutely broke my heart. She looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm not smart like the other kids in my class." No parent should ever have to

082hear their 8-year-old to say that about themselves. But thanks to her teachers at Daniels Farm, her special ed teacher, um, that is concentrating on her reading and her math, uh, in our school, she's been getting the small group support and individual individualized attention that she needs. Because of them, she has improved dramatically. She started to believe in herself again. She started to raise her hand more in class and she started feeling like she belonged in class. Those specialists are not just teaching her academics. They're helping her rebuild her confidence, her self-esteem, her belief that she can succeed, and now those positions are in jeopardy. My daughter is not the only child who depends on the support. There are many children across our district who rely on these specialists to help them keep up and catch

083up and feel confident in the classrooms. When we talk about the budgets and the percentages, it can feel abstract, but for families like mine, these decisions are deeply personal because for my children, so many children like her, these supports are not extras. They're the difference between the child is believing I'm not smart enough and the child believing I can do this. I urge you to please look at the 4% increase and consider the real impact these cuts will have on our children. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much. >> [applause] >> Jenny. >> Uh yes, can you hear me? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um thank you and sorry about that. I'm on my phone and um hold on a second. Okay. Uh so Jenny Zambrano. Um hi Lenny. Um I'm at 32

084Edinburgh Lane. Um I'm a parent of special needs um but also the president to our Trumbull SEPTA Special Education PTA. Um so I'm here to speak on behalf of SEPTA. I'm happy to see so many special needs parents here um speaking on behalf of their families. And I'm trying hard to cry on behalf of on behalf of them but I you know, want to say that I have been advocating a lot for the families in our town. Um we have a lot of committees that we've set up for all the reasons that the parents are here stating such as busting, um hidden disabilities, mental health, social groups, summer camps. Um so as you have already heard, you know, the children already face a lot of limited opportunities. In fact, many families struggle to find even

085basic recreational programs their children can attend. That's why we're even working with the school system who has been gracious enough to listen to us and to try to help to brainstorm with us to create the first adaptive summer camp which we are just even grateful for you listening to us because currently there are virtually no programs designed to meet their needs. Um these students and their families already carry a heavier weight than most. Equity means recognizing that and ensuring they have access to the same experiences as other children. Um approving this budget allows us to continue building those opportunities, the supports, the services, and inclusive programs that make our community stronger and more compassionate. Um so this is not just a financial decision, it's a decision about families, about fairness, access, and whether every child

086in our town truly belongs. I myself am a CFO going through contractions in my organization, and one of the things um that I will say here because I feel like it's relevant is that um telling our executive team, let's, you know, as we go through this contraction period, let's not sacrifice quality, but start building the future blueprint of what we want our organization to serve in our communities. So thank you. >> Thanks. >> [applause] >> Katie L, and then we'll go to Choo Choo. >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yep. >> Hi. Uh I'm Katie Lynch. Um I live at 130 Old Field Road. Um I'm an educator um for 16 years, not in Trumbull schools, but in a district nearby. And I just wanted to share my sentiment that if we're at risk

087of losing educators due to the current budget proposal that Town Selectwoman has given, we're not just losing, you know, people in the sense like saving money. We're losing experience. We're losing things that they have shared with other colleagues or the time the district has put in all that professional development. Um that is something that is invaluable, And I would hate to see, you know, so many amazing individuals in this district that we've heard over and over how wonderful they are. I echo everything all these parents have been saying. I think you need to understand that this isn't just a simple cut and that we can squeeze a little bit here and save some money. We're losing more than just money here. So, please think about that that it's really important to maintain investment in our

088town and to protect our entire community. Thank you. >> Thanks, Katie. >> [applause] >> Shushu? >> Hello. Hi, everyone. Um glad to >> Uh-oh. >> I'm sorry. I'm I'm going to bring her back. I clicked the wrong name back to the um attendees. >> Oh. >> I do apologize. >> All right, Houston. Thanks. >> Yep. >> I asked Phil uh what he wanted his call sign to be uh for the wingman tonight. Yeah. So, he didn't like, you know, mother hen and baby chicks, so we let that go. Oh, hi. >> Hi. >> There you are. >> Okay, I guess I'm back. Hi. >> Sorry about that. Wrong button pushed. >> No worries. It happens on every Zoom call. Um so, my name is Shushu Tekyi uh of 82 Francis Street in Trumbull. Um we

089moved here in 2020. Um so, um it took us a long time, about 6 years, looking for a home um to be able to finally make the choice to move to Trumbull. I have lived in Kennedy Gardens in general um for almost 20 years, but when we had a child, um it was time to actually start considering the best option. So, I echo what everybody was saying before in the sense that I am not an educator, but I am a passionate learner. I care much about education, being a product of that myself, right? I grew up in the private school domain internationally before moving here in the US. So, I know what good education is. So, when it was time to look for um you know, where my son will fit in, Trumbull became a

090no-brainer. It became a no-brainer, and I will even go on to say that it was a journey as well, even though Trumbull was very high on the list, and we purchased a home for that reason. When we started experiencing the education within the Trumbull school system, it seemed too good to be true. Where I even went to look for other options to see if they would offer something more. So, I went looking into private schools as well. And I'm echoing everything everybody said to just add to the fact that Trumbull school systems are great, but it's not because they are great, and we are seeing great results out of them, that we should be cutting the budget for that reason. If the education budget is representing today 67% of our taxes that we pay, we

091should be able to be seeing that result. It should be a no-brainer. Um I am in the corporate world, so I'm going to use that as an example. Out of the corporate world in a global role, I have seen a lot of turnover, have seen a lot of changes because of budget cuts. And when that happens, you do not just lose the results, you don't just lose out of the results that you are going to get. You lose the passionate people, you lose the resources, you lose the the knowledge base that goes into uh the results that you are about to you know that you are expecting or that you are experiencing before. So I am saying all this to say that it would be quite imperative to approve the budget of Dr. Semel, please.

092My son is in the French town system. He is not special needs and my heart goes out to every every special need parent. We hear you. But at the same time it every single child is going to be affected in that room as well. Not just special need, not just gifted, every single child and us as parents as well. There are other things that we do see as population of Trumbull that investments are going into in terms of apartments and so on that some of us question. Could there be other ways to be impacting into the budget as opposed to having cuts? So those are things that I am happy that at least we have this forum to be bringing up our voices, but please do not cut this budget. Maybe we should open up

093forums rather. We have a lot of people within Trumbull that could contribute to bringing up ideas, brainstorming, and seeing other ways that maybe we can all collectively contribute towards the future of our children. You know in in the field. So that's all I had to say today and I will be sure to be there on Saturday as well to add my voice again, but this is very important to me. I I I thrive on great education and yeah, I'm I'll be there on Saturday as well. But that's all I had for today. Thank you. >> THANK YOU, JUDITH. >> [applause] [snorts] >> OKAY. OUR LAST TWO SPEAKERS THIS evening will be Laura Arena and then Carla Sarato- Sara- I'm going to wait until you come up, Sara. I'm not even going to try. Sara, I

094will need your address though. Okay. Can I go? Good. >> Hi, I'm Laura Arena, 15 Old Coach Lane. I am the Tashua PTA president and a parent of a third grader, a kindergartner, and a 4-year-old. I'm also a proud alumna of the Trumbull public school system. Um I want to remind everyone about tonight's hearing, um public comment, that correct me if I'm wrong, but anyone who speaks tonight can be speaking on any aspect of the budget, not just the Board of Education. And so, knowing that, I think it's a testament to our town and our priorities that repeatedly person after person after person, we have heard, "Please, please, please support our school system and increase the allocated funding to the Board of Education." And the public library, love them, too. Um when brought to a

095town vote, overwhelmingly the town voted to support a new Hillcrest. And that is one of the few times as a as a taxpayer that I felt like, "Wow, my individual vote really makes a difference." Sometimes it feels like we have elected officials who we elect and they may or may not listen to what we have to say. And so, overwhelmingly to me that says taxpayers said, "We're okay with paying a little bit more money to have our schools be the best they can be." I mean, I love Hillcrest. It looks the same as it did when I went there many years ago. Um and so, and then and last week at the meeting um with the Board of Education and the Board of Finance, to me it was evident as a parent um much credit

096to Dr. Sammel and to the Long Hill administration team. I walked away from that meeting feeling like, "Wow, we have the right people in these roles." They clearly have done their homework. They are articulate. They know what they're talking about. The Board of Ed uh Board of Finance questions that they gave them, it seemed like they had really done their homework. They came prepared. They had talked to other school districts. They've looked into every creative solution they can for how to make our money go as far as as it can. And so with that, I ask, "These are the experts. Let's listen to their voices and listen to what they're telling us that they need." I know it's so hard to balance a budget, but um but it's my opinion that we shouldn't be putting

097them you know, I also hear from Board of Finance members that uh well, it's the Board of Ed who decides what to cut. But let's not put them in a position where they have to make cuts. Let's put them in a position where they're thinking, "What more can we do for our students and our families?" And I want to end my remarks tonight with a just a quick anecdote to remind you as you're going through these crazy budget books of numbers and spreadsheets on your computer and paper that behind those numbers are real students, real people. Um I am the proud mom of a very rambunctious 5-year-old boy who is in kindergarten. Um he does not have special needs, but he just has a lot of energy. And so if you haven't spent time in

098a kindergarten classroom, please over the next 2 weeks, I'm sure Dr. Sammel would be happy to have some volunteers. Um and that will show you the true value of the kindergarten paras. So my student after lunch, because those lunch rooms can be a little rowdy, would be disregulated. He'd come home he'd come back to the classroom and have a little hard time settling back in. His kindergarten para at the start of the year, every day she would take him for just a 2-minute walk down the hall, calm his body down. That enabled his teacher It helped him, sure, but it enabled his teacher to focus on the 19 other children in the classroom who were regulated. And if that kindergarten para wasn't there, then her attention would have been divided and it would have been

099on my child who was being a bit disruptive. Um so just I know it's a hard decision, but again, please, I really encourage you to increase the allocation of funds to the Board of Education. Um you have this this um this right to do so, and I ask that you please exercise that right to increase it. So, thank you. >> [applause] >> CARLA? >> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, LAURA, FOR signing me up. Didn't have a plan, but my name is Carla Serafegus, and I live at 16 Wendover Road. My sister-in-law spoke on Zoom tonight, as well. Um I currently have a second-grader and kindergartner at Tashua Elementary School, and another child who will attend in the 2027-2028 school year. I was born and raised in Trumbull, as was my husband. We are products of the

100Trumbull public school system, and I fear that my children will not receive the same education and benefits that we did. My husband is a small business owner who drives 40 minutes to work, 40 minutes home from work, as I'm sure many of us do. We had the ability to choose from many towns when deciding where we would plant our roots that would be closer to his business, but instead we chose Trumbull, specifically because we knew how great the public school system is. It's my belief that the Board of Finance should trust the expertise and professional judgment of the leaders hired, including the Board of Ed and the administrators who are reporting back to the Board of Ed, and recognize that these individuals are trained, they're experienced. They are the ones who are best positioned to

101make informed decisions for our schools. Just a quick little story from today in speaking to my daughter's kindergarten teacher during conferences today, she made it a point to explain how she couldn't do her job as well as she does without the support of our kindergarten paraprofessionals. Our teacher couldn't be here tonight as it is parent-teacher conferences, as you all know, but I assured her I would share at least that one concern of hers. As many have said tonight, we are constantly asking our teachers to do more with less. How can we expect them to stay so dedicated when we don't show them the the support that they deserve? Will we feel the full effects of teacher burnout next year? Perhaps Perhaps not right away, but we should ask ourselves whether we want to continue on

102a path that risks pushing more of our educators in that direction. I don't want to pay higher taxes, either. But my husband and I fully support fully funding this budget. As small business owners, we are highly affected by these rising costs today. But our priority is education, and if that means reassessing our family budget and making a shift and and making our own cuts in order to support this, that's that is a priority that we believe in. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> I do have comments from Evan Farr, who asked these be read into the minutes. I spoke with Mr. Farr, and he was okay that these were just submitted, um and just for the gist, he's writing to express his concern about cumulative tax pressure uh facing Trumbull residents over

103the next several years. He wanted people to be aware of a 4% increase in this year's budget, a 10 to 15% from the residential tax burden shift due to revaluation, anticipating 2% per year in baseline cost growth, and significant additional increases to require required to cover long-term debt services. So, there this is being submitted for the record. And we received many emails as a board this evening. There's no other hands online. Is there anybody left in the room who wishes to speak? >> Hi, my name is Sarah Hart. I live at 72 Colony Avenue. >> Can you just spell your last name so I get it? >> Sure. H A R T. >> Thank you. >> I'm a parent of three children. Two of them go to Frenchtown Elementary School, and I'm also a teacher

104at Hillcrest. My husband and I moved to Trumbull because of the schools, just like everyone else that has been speaking tonight. We moved from New York City. It was kind of a big adjustment. We didn't move here for the night life. We had a single priority in mind. We are both teachers, and we wanted to send our children to the best possible public schools that we could afford. And so far that has been one of the best decisions we've ever made. One of my concerns as a teacher is kind of the rhetoric about teachers doing more with less. I have to say teachers are people. They're not saints. They have limited time. They have their own families. They have their own households to pay for that they have to be considered of. In fact, I

105do worship the the teachers that my children have had. So, I will say are saint-like in that way. But, I have concerns just about the very real consequences of this budget on teachers and their decision-making. I want us to think about the town that we want to be. We want to attract the most talented, passionate young teachers who are just starting out in their careers. And teachers are savvy, and teachers talk. And if we pass a budget that does not fully fund the needs of our community, then we will not attract the kind of teachers that we would like to see complete come be in our school system. Um teachers who are talented, who have multiple job offers, who have incredible resumes, will find jobs in towns that will fund their budgets. They will invest

106their lives and their careers in a place where they can feel secure. Um I am a teacher. My husband is a teacher. We have nothing extra to offer in terms of money, but I beg you to raise our taxes if that's what it means to secure our our children's future and my students' future. My students deserve everything. Um our teachers are dedicated. We give as much as we possibly can. If I could work more hours in the day, I absolutely would. Um but there are limits. And if we raise class sizes and we take away a paraprofessionals and we take away all of the activities that my students thrive on, um then we can't do our jobs. So please, please, please raise my taxes. I can't afford it, but I'll make it work. Thank you.

107>> [applause] >> Is there anybody else left in the room who wants to speak? >> Good evening. My name is Alana Stein, and I live at 32 Finchwood Drive. I'm the parent of an eighth and a sixth grader at Hillcrest and a fourth grader at Booth Hill. And you'll have to excuse me. I'm a little nervous speaking tonight because this issue matters so much to my family. I'm here tonight to ask the Board of Finance to fully support Dr. Sammons' proposed budget. I understand that a large portion of the increase is due to rising health care costs. These are real expenses that the district cannot simply ignore or absorb without consequences. When those costs go up, but the budget does not keep pace, the cuts inevitably come inevitably fall on the students. Our family experienced

108this firsthand a few years ago when the district eliminated the gifted program. Like many families, we tried to advocate advocate for it at the time, but the decision had been made and the funding simply wasn't there. More broadly, Trumbull does a good job serving the typical student, but it's important that we meet the needs of the many students who fall outside the middle. Whether they're students who need additional support, whether it be academic or mental health, or students who need more of a challenge. When budgets are squeezed, those specialized services are often the first things to disappear. We're also seeing class sizes that are already larger than ideal. If specialist positions are cut, the burden on classroom teachers will only increase and students will feel the impact. Trumbull has excellent schools and strong schools are

109one of the reasons that we chose to move here a couple years ago and that many families choose to live here. Maintaining that standard requires investing in the resources that support all learners. We're willing to pay higher taxes in order to meet to in order to continue to meet the needs of our children in the public school system here in Trumbull. I respectfully urge the Board of Finance to approve an education budget beyond what the first selectwoman has proposed and fund what Dr. Semmel has proposed so that critical positions and programs are not lost. Thanks for your time. >> [applause] >> Hello. My name is Vicky Tolla Shelby. I'm at 112. >> I'm going to help Barbara out. Can you spell that for us? >> T as in Thomas, O as in orange, L as

110in love, A as in apple, hyphen Shelby. S H E L B Y. And we're at 112 Hilltop Drive, or was also known as the place to be for Halloween. >> [laughter] >> So, we purchased our home way back in 2008. As has been said before, I was born and raised in New York and went to medical school in New York. I can see the other doctor here. And when I took the job at Yale as a hospitalist, I was looking at different neighborhoods with the most important goal being the best possible education for I at that time I had one son and now I have two. And thanks to Trumbull education, my eldest got into the University of Connecticut College of Engineering where he was pursuing robotics engineering until he had a change of

111heart. So, dealing with that. But my other son, little guy, is in Where is he? Sixth grade at Hillcrest, doing phenomenal. The transition from elementary to middle school was made so easy thanks to all his loving teachers who the parents were more nervous about the transition than the kids. They were so ready to go on and they're all excited about going to school and the teachers are so loving. They're very dedicated. And I am a group of I am part of the huge group of parents who yes, charging more taxes. This is the reason why we chose Trumbull. Could have gone anywhere. Guilford I mean, we looked we looked at different places. But I fell in love with Trumbull specifically because of education. And chose to make our home here in Trumbull and we love

112it. We love it. Thank you very much. And of course, I don't envy your position in making these decisions, but you've heard for so many of us saying, "Yes, please charge us more taxes. We're willing to pay because that is the reason why we we have so many great people coming to Trumbull, so much variety of people, too. So, and that was most important, that's why I didn't go to Guilford. And I stayed in Trumbull, so thank you. >> [applause] >> We'll take one last one last. >> I really don't have anything prepared. My name is Stacy Powell, I'm 114 Teller Road. I'm a Trumbull resident here. I moved here in 2003, much like other people, in hopes of having a good education for my children. Prior to having children, we decided to move here.

113I I'm an educator, also. I have had my children go through Daniels Farm, Hillcrest, and my youngest is now a senior at the Ag Sci program in Trumbull High. I was able to take advantage of Tech Ed and special education services for my oldest to actually was able to exit out of those services because of the services that he did receive. I am also speaking as an educator here in Trumbull. Five years ago, I began working as a teacher in Trumbull. I started as the math specialist at Middlebrook. When we went through first round of cuts, my position as a math specialist was cut and I was placed in the classroom. I'm now at Frenchtown teaching third grade, and I'm just speaking on behalf of parents and of educators. Um, we hold our own. We

114are doing well, as Dr. Semmel said, but as other parents and teachers have said tonight, we are spread thin with larger class sizes and more responsibility and less services. And our literacy consultants and our math specialists, our special educators, and our classroom teachers are with these children all day, every day, and provide so much support to them that I just want to encourage you again not an easy decision to fully fund our Board of Education budget that Dr. Samuel has put forth so that we can continue doing the services and education that we provide in Trumbull. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Okay. Last call. All right. You're really at the last one. >> You said one more so I wasn't going to ask. I'm Stacy Zarelli. Z A R R E L

115L I 210 Beacon Hill Road, Trumbull. We bought our house exactly 10 years ago. I was pregnant with my first. My husband was 40 and we didn't know what that was going to look like. So, we were told Trumbull had good schools for special ed. And I'm being told that again tonight. Thankfully, my daughter will be 10 years old next week. She's perfectly healthy. She has received no special ed needs at the Trumbull public schools, but I bought for that purpose. I bought in Daniels Farm because I was told that's where you want to go. I have a 5-year-old entering kindergarten next year. No special needs, but I will strongly still support this school and everything you offer these parents because I was not sure if I was going to need those services and I

116knew Trumbull was place to go. And I don't want to have children in this town ever feel like they don't have the needs that they rightfully deserve or the parents who came here along with us who also need those. And I also want you to continue the after-school programs because my daughter as a 10-year-old is thriving in them. Girl Scouts. She does rec basketball, which my husband coached with her for the first time this year, and they both built a bond that I've never seen between them before. My daughter does ASE programs. That money goes back into our school through our PTA. Daniels Farm has one of the best PTAs in this area. I would have to say we do have the best PTA. And we do a lot of services. Sorry. >> [laughter] >>

117But we do do a lot of services in which we have ASE and other programs that the money goes back into our school and the kids are thriving after school building friendships. That matters to me. And we need more of that. And that's what I'm asking you. Please support Dr. Sammons. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Okay. Seeing nobody else looking to speak, I'm going to close this public hearing. Thank you for coming out this evening. The next public hearing will be on Saturday, March 21st? Yes, Saturday, March 21st at 10:00 a.m. at Madison Middle School. Thank you. Yeah. >> Mhm.