[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6051002,"mediaKeyId","3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7","parentId",3459648,"title","Norwalk schools face $3–4 million gap; officials warn staffing and arts cuts likely","audioSeconds",1596,"startMs",116000,"endMs",1712000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7&start=116&end=1712","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7/thumbnail_116000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6051002/Connecticut/Norwalk-schools-face-34-million-gap-officials-warn-staffing-and-arts-cuts-likely","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051002-5f493097301e48494d823f0848d11618/orig.mp4?Expires=1771092215&Signature=dpCkmiLA8qKH1M3vH9HaSW7wgDhr70pUjEMmuA-M8rYUBBzEhfR1B62GdmOnqO5vcwoS8fhw3pAyeMOBwhBV9G52wwM-ilwdCvl6taj8kAMOOmRHx7CYwI-oOG936NSRnYRhlLaQ6dTemg85B-KwKKL-qojFj8sVzStCcWdyVPCvPXm0M1nKe84i6qLrvBC6XSt~PZtkJCzlAuvRgArylnfzumbYEzcTeJ9w-rwk~gchSqS4hh4YRzoSVp~WKmaIIG4e2Ern7WR9QoEE5E02eTvm8dXAH1-U5nIRhOEIM22cOXE3vSVBKFkAV~mScp5CDktWptm8tpzA6bPc~5jCVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Norwalk Public Schools ","date","2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","article","Norwalk Superintendent Dr. Strayhorn and district finance staff told the Board of Education at a May 6 special workshop that the district must close an estimated $3 million to $4 million shortfall to meet a city-imposed 4% budget cap, a gap that could require further staff reductions and program eliminations.

The shortfall is the result of the board’s earlier 9.7% budget request being reduced during the municipal process. \"We came forward to the board with a 9.7% request,\" Dr. Strayhorn said, \"and . . . we had to reduce our budget by approximately close to $14,000,000 and that is a significant asset of the system.\" Finance staff later described additional reconciliations and cost pressures that leave a remaining gap of roughly $3–4 million as of the May 6 workshop.

Why it matters: personnel costs make up nearly 80% of the district’s operating budget, so most possible reductions affect school- or student-facing positions. Finance staff said earlier reductions and reorganizations have targeted central office where possible, but with the scale of cuts required the district expects some school positions and programs to be affected.

What officials said and what’s already been done
- The Board of Education previously approved a tentative budget reflecting a 9.7% request to city officials. The city’s budget process — including a mayoral recommendation and a Common Council cap — resulted in a 4% allowance that the municipal budgeting authority finalized in late April/early May, the presenters said.
- Finance staff told the board the district has identified about $14.5 million in reductions across schools to date and achieved approximately $860,000 through a central-office special education reorganization. At the same time, health-insurance renewals added roughly $2.4 million in costs, and a planned $2.5 million drawdown from carryover funds is no longer available, officials said. Finance staff summarized the net result as reductions of about $9.9 million to date but a remaining $3–4 million gap.
- The operating budget timeline requires the board to approve a reconciled final budget that ties to the city cap; finance staff said that approval must occur by the board’s June 3 deadline.

Potential impacts and the district’s process
District leaders said that, because of collective-bargaining rules and seniority rules, further reductions will likely trigger a reduction-in-force (RIF) process that could reassign or release employees across schools. \"Administrators that are in your schools now might not be the same administrators that will be there in September,\" Dr. Strayhorn said, attributing possible changes to seniority-based placement rules. Finance staff emphasized the district’s intent to minimize disruption but cautioned about an expected ripple effect.

Officials highlighted programs already affected: several elementary schools have reduced or eliminated arts, band and string positions; the district no longer has strings or bands at the elementary entry level and has reduced elementary arts staffing except at a small number of schools with specific arts focuses. Finance staff also said special-education costs are a major driver of overall spending and that proposed state legislation addressing special-education funding is being watched but would not fully close the current gap.

Questions from parents and SGC representatives focused on whether every nonstudent-facing option had been exhausted before cuts to classroom teachers. Finance staff said central-office reductions were prioritized but acknowledged that, when personnel account for roughly 80% of expenditures, program-level cuts often translate into fewer people in schools.

Decisions, next steps and constraints
- Formal actions described at the workshop: the Board of Education had approved the 9.7% tentative budget; municipal officials set a 4% cap and the municipal budgeting authority took final action in late April/early May (those municipal votes were reported by district staff at the meeting). The district must approve a reconciled budget that matches the city cap by June 3.
- District staff said they will continue working with school leaders and unions over the next three to four weeks to identify specific positions for notice under RIF rules; detailed position lists are expected to be available in roughly three weeks, staff said.

Officials asked the public and school governance council members to expect further communication as the district completes the reconciliation and to look for materials posted to the district budget web page. Finance staff noted the district’s budget book and online resources include multi‑year staffing and budget-line detail for schools and departments.

A closing note from leaders: district officials repeated that they intend to protect classroom instruction where possible but warned that the scale of the required reductions makes school impacts likely. \"We will try to minimize the impact across the organization as best that we possibly can,\" Dr. Strayhorn said.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Norwalk Public Schools BOARD/SGC ANNUAL WORKSHOP MEETING - May 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Norwalk Superintendent Dr. Strayhorn and district finance staff told the Board of Education at a May 6 workshop that the district must close an estimated $3 million to $4 million gap to meet a city-set 4% budget cap, a shortfall that could require further staff reductions and the elimination of some elementary arts and student supports.","taxTitle","Norwalk School District, School Districts, Connecticut","taxId",13003,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6050990,"Norwalk SGCs highlight literacy, family engagement and SAT prep as top priorities",1952,3759000,5711000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7&start=3759&end=5711","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7/thumbnail_3759000.jpg","/articles/6050990/Connecticut/Norwalk-SGCs-highlight-literacy-family-engagement-and-SAT-prep-as-top-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050990-e19d3ad43aefe6aec21bcedcc7beefb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771092215&Signature=f1ncz3CkxsoyDy2rLujBqFxMw7WZTDCEX0PLAxnjDgjIS0buo1JU0JuVrAKERgeAoqpVXFd0sNngB8oy1XHjxzdel1K4OLDzrAscn5HjtsFEdn85CaQQ4MDCyBmZUv1R3-cDPF8SX-1zyMEGaojm6SQHBEYAv7MJ0U1C2BsqkEfnSnBVyS6nDugoySgbIbeHM7y57cGq-zkWA3IKPUih8U9CrnkOxruru8NBWYsKKcXh7vSjBxTJUoGjgb5hgDkBTO7Bl6gth-wxeqOPDWZ35MdWQ1M-4U-U7tXAgAZT5MgbZA9xVjYyNRDWeSvIcDXixtAGiAqhVXrbWoPKrEWzDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents, principals and school governance council (SGC) co-chairs used the May 6 Board of Education workshop to share successes and challenges from school-level SGC work and to set priorities for 2025–26.

Principals and SGC members reported concrete wins: improved PSAT/SAT literacy scores in some high schools, decreased chronic absenteeism at particular campuses, expanded student voice and leadership programs, and local initiatives such as device replacement and facility upgrades. One principal described the momentum that followed efforts to improve student connectedness: improved test performance, higher belonging scores on Panorama, and reduced absenteeism.

Parents and SGC members also described persistent challenges. Several speakers said time demands make ongoing parent participation difficult and urged low‑lift engagement options. Members urged broader promotion of college‑ and career‑readiness successes — several presenters said students had earned placements at selective colleges, workforce certification programs and athletic scholarships. The district said it will highlight recent scholar placements at an upcoming board meeting.

SGC priorities and next steps
SGC co-chairs and table groups listed top priorities for next school year, with common themes including literacy growth, family engagement and building an SAT culture. Other priorities mentioned were communication, playgrounds and attendance initiatives. District leaders asked SGCs to capture successes and challenges via a QR code during the meeting so the district could collect examples for cross‑school sharing.

Closing remarks
Superintendent Dr. Strayhorn and board members thanked SGC volunteers for their time and urged parents who cannot attend meetings to use email as a way to submit concerns and ideas. \"Thank you for being part of this journey,\" Dr. Strayhorn said in closing remarks to SGC members and parents.","During the May 6 workshop Norwalk school governance council members and principals shared successes such as SAT/PTECH gains, and raised challenges including parent time constraints and sustaining momentum; SGCs set priorities for 2025–26 that emphasized literacy growth, family engagement and attendance.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6050995,"Panorama results: Norwalk reports gains in school safety and staff leadership; student engagement remains low",867,2782000,3649000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7&start=2782&end=3649","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3459648-45a46705f592ce68c0fc85ff59195eb7/thumbnail_2782000.jpg","/articles/6050995/Connecticut/Panorama-results-Norwalk-reports-gains-in-school-safety-and-staff-leadership-student-engagement-remains-low","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050995-efe169eafb951c8166358e340eecaf0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771092215&Signature=V3xes9CT6l1kYT5tjthufqaTfYJ7BcYWS76aqhnFvuC5L1NhrAhceQ~J~9V0nwShnvQLBgoYNRmLIfp2mEI-t-Oz43rRbNxSXiO4qEhRvUPGALUug20n5EVkdAxbscM3SMEaVx0LSfJr-lXKDIE-YA6Uc1KitrMfJZL9lkm~73~bc0da9zGU3Clf0FVuJRGMAjuk254poUs6CAzBEuuCN7DHwa1uCNbpf89Y6iBRVV7vho7XxeakOsZgpSVhgixuSZK8UhQC5NqIzZteeETWrf0FihzOThiTW1QXatSEZ315WjLZfK0oR9tp6tpfDziwZ6fNOcKHV0IbNcgftOEf7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Diana Pilardo, who led the district’s Panorama survey presentation at the Board of Education special workshop on May 6, reported gains in school safety, school climate and staff leadership relationships across stakeholder groups but persistent weakness on measures of student engagement outside the classroom.

Pilardo told the board that the district’s annual, anonymous climate surveys ran in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole and covered students in grades 3–12, teachers, staff and families. \"We see positive trends in school safety and school climate across students, staff and families,\" Pilardo said, noting a rise in family-reported school safety from 66% positive in 2023 to 74% in the most recent survey. She also highlighted a double-digit increase in teacher perceptions of staff leadership relationships over a multiyear trend.

Key findings presented
- School safety and school climate: Families, students and staff all registered higher positive responses compared with prior years; family responses for school safety rose to 74% positive, Pilardo reported.
- Staff leadership: Positive responses about school leadership and trust rose significantly; overall staff leadership results showed a multi-year gain and a 5-percentage-point increase from 2024 for districtwide staff, with some middle-school teacher cohorts recording larger gains.
- Student SEL and engagement: Elementary students showed modest gains in some SEL topics (growth mindset and emotional regulation), but secondary students reported lower positive responses overall. Student engagement — especially the question asking how often students discuss class ideas outside school — had among the lowest positive responses (35% at elementary; 20–27% at secondary for comparable questions).

Pilardo and district leaders connected the survey results to recent investments in mental-health supports and activities. \"A strong perception of safety and climate supports our goal to increase critical thinking in classrooms,\" Pilardo said, arguing that a secure climate helps students take academic risks.

What the district will do next
Pilardo and district leaders said the next priorities will be improving school engagement and reducing chronic absenteeism. The presentation included breakdowns by grade band and by survey item; Pilardo noted that response rates were stable year to year, and family participation remained the smallest respondent group, a pattern she said is typical in large-scale school surveys.

The presentation will be posted on the district’s budget and data pages, officials said, and staff recommended district- and school-level follow up to target engagement and family outreach work.","District presentation of Panorama climate and SEL survey data showed increases in school safety, school climate and staff-leadership measures, while student engagement and out-of-school academic discussion scores remained relatively low, district staff said May 6.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Norwalk schools face $3–4 million gap; officials warn staffing and arts cuts likely

Norwalk SGCs highlight literacy, family engagement and SAT prep as top priorities

Panorama results: Norwalk reports gains in school safety and staff leadership; student engagement remains low