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Stop the Education Push-Back

Every year, Clinton Superintendent Maryann O'Donnell and the Board of Education (BOE) spend countless hours preparing a fiscally responsible budget. Despite their due diligence and the fact that Clinton has one of the lowest per-pupil expenditures among surrounding towns, Clinton has a difficult history in passing education budgets.

In October 2022, the majority of the Town Council agreed on an acceptable target of 2.5 percent for an overall budget increase.

On March 2, Superintendent O'Donnell presented the 2023-'24 BOE approved education budget, a 2.59% operating budget increase, to the Town Council. At the March 8 Town Council meeting, Tom Hollinger made a motion, seconded by Dennis Donovan, to randomly cut $350,000 from the proposed education budget. The motion carried. Meanwhile, the 6.9% town budget increase was approved with no discussion.

At the April public hearing, all speakers spoke against the $350,000 education budget cut. Town Council member Hank Teskey made a motion, seconded by Chris Passante, to reinstate education funding. The motion carried, and voters agreed. The education budget passed by more than a 2:1 margin at the May referendum. We need Town Council members who represent what the voters want.

We have the opportunity to stop the education push-back in Clinton and give our students the education they need and deserve. Investing in education is necessary to attract families to Clinton and to be competitive with other districts. Please join me in voting for the candidates who will responsibly support education. Vote for Hank Teskey and Brian Roccapriore for Town Council and Jason Adler, Alan Samet, and Catherine Staunton for BOE on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Laura Colebank

Clinton