Greenwich speakers urge BET to fully fund BOE operating, advance Riverside renovation

Dozens of parents, teachers and school leaders told the Town of Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation during a public hearing that cutting the Board of Education’s proposed 2025–26 operating and capital budgets would force teacher and program reductions and delay needed building projects — most prominently the Riverside School renovation.

The comments, delivered over more than an hour, pressed the BET to close an estimated $4.0–4.1 million gap between its spending guideline and the BOE request and to approve $2 million in architectural and engineering funds the BOE seeks to move the Riverside renovation into design. "View the budget not as a cost but as an investment in our town's future," said Margaret Jackins, a Greenwich High School teacher of 20 years.

Speakers framed the request as both an operational and capital issue. Parents and PTA leaders highlighted capital lines they said must remain intact — including a $2.7 million cafeteria project at Julian Curtis School, $5.8 million in accessibility work at Western Middle School, a $5.2 million geothermal HVAC rehab at Hamilton Avenue School and a $500,000 cellular-improvement line at Greenwich High School — while educators emphasized immediate classroom needs: substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, special-education supports and retention of classroom teachers.

"The plans focus on necessity, not luxury," said John James, a Riverside parent, describing the feasibility work that reduced the Riverside scope to an estimated $41.5 million from an earlier $48 million figure. Several speakers said the BOE-approved educational specifications (ed specs) reflect that feasibility work and that the $2 million A&E request is required to keep the project on schedule and on budget.

Teachers and union leaders described operational strain. "Last year, 32 teachers left Greenwich; this year, 53 have gone, and it's only March," Jackins said, citing classroom coverage problems, rising class sizes and fewer paraprofessionals. Lillian Perrone, president of the Greenwich Education Association, told the BET that many positions previously funded by federal grants such as Title I and ESSER have ended and that mandated services must be preserved.

Supporters repeatedly warned that cutting the BOE budget would affect programs typically reduced first in downturns: Advanced Learning Programs (ALP), arts, physical education and language instruction. "These programs are vital for fostering creativity, critical thinking, and well rounded development," said Stephanie Krupa, Julian Curtis PTA co-president.

Several speakers pointed to longer-term consequences beyond classroom experience: a potential decline in enrollment, impacts on property values and difficulties attracting and retaining teachers. Alex Quintana, a Greenwich High School graduate and parent, said underfunding could begin a cycle of program loss and enrollment decline.

Not all comments were unanimous on every detail. Alex Popp, a Riverside teacher and feasibility committee member, urged additional review of the ed specs, warning that enlarging some classrooms could invite larger enrollment in ways not yet fully vetted. James Waters, chairman of the RTM Budget Overview Committee and the Old Greenwich School Building Committee, responded that Old Greenwich’s classroom sizes differ from Riverside’s and that the feasibility committee had considered those distinctions.

The public hearing closed at 9:05 p.m.; the BET indicated it will reconvene the following evening to continue deliberations.

Why it matters: The BET’s funding decision determines whether the BOE can proceed with both day-to-day staffing and multi‑year capital projects that proponents say are necessary to maintain the district’s academic programs, classroom support and building safety. The Riverside renovation is the largest capital item discussed and is the subject of converging operational and capital arguments: parents and educators said the building’s physical constraints impair current instruction and access, while feasibility work cited by speakers concluded renovation — not replacement — is the preferred approach.

Votes at a glance: The transcript of the public hearing recorded widespread public support for the BOE request and multiple capital priorities but did not record any formal BET votes during the hearing itself. The only formal procedural action in this session was the closing of the public hearing at 9:05 p.m.