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Parents, teachers urge Verona Board to preserve Lanning second‑grade section as budget cuts force consolidation
Summary
At the May 13 Verona Board of Education meeting, dozens of parents and teachers urged the board to reverse a plan to collapse an incoming second‑grade third section at Lanning Avenue School, arguing larger class sizes will harm students; board members said budget limits and state funding rules constrain options and pointed to unresolved pilot‑funding discussions with the town.
Dozens of parents and teachers pressed the Verona Board of Education on May 13 to maintain a third incoming second‑grade section at Lanning Avenue School, saying the district’s decision to collapse three sections into two will raise class sizes to 25–26 students and harm instruction for young and special‑needs learners.
“We are not asking for more. We are asking for what has been,” said Cassidy Perna, a third‑generation Verona resident and parent, urging the board to reconsider the consolidation and explore alternatives such as reallocating surplus or adjusting other budget cuts. Sarah O’Connor, a parent and former district teacher, said, “Plain and simple, that is a loss to Lanning and our children.”
Board members and district leaders responded that the budget was balanced under tight constraints. Superintendent (as identified in the transcript) said the district faced an $800,000…
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