Middletown BOE candidates emphasize teacher pay, staffing and budget transparency

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Candidates for the Middletown Board of Education told an audience at a candidate forum hosted by the Middletown Federation of Teachers and Middletown High School National Honor Society on Oct. 27 that their top budget priorities would be boosting staff pay, addressing paraeducator shortages and increasing transparency around spending.

The emphasis followed repeated candidate statements that teacher recruitment and retention and support staff shortages are the district’s most urgent operational problems. "Teacher burnout remains unacceptably high, and we continue to hemorrhage seasoned and dedicated staff," Republican candidate Chris Cardella said. "This has to stop." Democratic candidate Alex Cohen said supplies and classroom resources would be his first focus: "We want the supplies, we want the resources." Independent candidate Liz Crooks said her "students first" approach would guide budget choices and pointed to recent mitigation decisions as a warning: she said the district faced a $2,100,000 mitigation cut in June and administrators had pursued other avenues to preserve student programs.

Why it matters: Candidates agreed that staffing shortages and compensation affect classroom instruction, special programs and student outcomes. Several cited statewide and federal funding pressures and recent local staffing losses as reasons the board must set clear budget priorities.

What candidates proposed

- Compensation and retention: Multiple candidates called for higher pay for teachers and paraeducators and better supports. Dean Krupa said the district must prioritize filling teacher vacancies first; Adam Hain emphasized transparency and greater parent access to meetings to encourage accountability.

- Paraeducator shortage: Candidates repeatedly cited the para (PARA/PERA) shortage. One candidate noted there are "38 PERA openings right now" in the district, and speakers suggested potential responses including higher pay, recruitment beyond state borders, stipends and formal mentorship or training programs for new paras.

- Program protection and priorities: Several candidates said they would resist cutting extracurricular programs such as arts, robotics and athletics. Alex Cohen and others specifically said they would advocate to keep arts and extracurriculars intact rather than trimming them at budget time.

Clarifying details from the forum

- Candidates repeatedly described federal funding cuts affecting special-education and other targeted supports. - Crooks cited district outcomes she found troubling: about 35% of students earn a four-year college degree within six years, 15.4% of 11th graders are proficient or above in math, and the district has lost "more than 20 math teachers" over five years. - A mitigation figure of $2,100,000 was mentioned by one candidate as a recent budget challenge.

Discussion, not action

No formal board actions or votes occurred at the forum. The event served as a public exchange of policy positions; candidates repeatedly framed many proposals as priorities they would pursue if elected, rather than as enforceable board decisions.

Speakers (selected)

- Chris Cardella, Republican candidate (resident, forensic social worker) - Alex Cohen, Democratic candidate (resident) - Liz Crooks, unaffiliated candidate (educator, former board member) - Adam Hain, incumbent candidate (educator) - Dean Krupa, candidate (retired pilot, coach) - Kim Reardon, candidate (math instructor)

Ending

Candidates asked for voter support and emphasized collaboration with teachers, parents and administrators to make the district a more attractive workplace and to protect student programs amid funding pressures.