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We Need the Support

On Tuesday, April 18, Guilford votes on the combined town and education budgets. Last year, only one in seven registered voters (less than 15 percent) participated in the first referendum, which failed by 41 votes.

In terms of the Board of Education portion, representing two-thirds of the overall budget, the process begins in October with an unpaid, elected, nine-member board (of which I am a part of). There are numerous meetings with district leadership, including teachers and principals, where we seek to understand the needs and priorities of the district. There are multiple public forums and opportunities for input leading us to set forth a budget that we feel balances the needs and desires of the community and the taxes that we’d like to see remain stable.

The State Department of Education’s NexGen Accountability Report ranked Guilford Public Schools sixth in Connecticut. Guilford High School is ranked in the top 10 by ConnCAN. We are consistently outperforming schools with similar demographic makeups while keeping pupil spending well below that of many comparable towns. The success of our district is evident academically, athletically, and was most recently prominent in the first-rate musical and theatrical performances of Sweeney Todd.

We are close to fully funded on the high school bond, our proposed increase over two years is below the rate of inflation, and despite projections of a decline in school-age population (occurring in neighboring districts), our census has remained stable—perhaps due to the quality of the product we provide. More than ever, we need the support of our town in providing the resources that maintain this standard. I encourage your readers to find time to vote on April 18.

Christine Cohen

Guilford