New Britain residents urge council to avert school cuts as teachers, nurses and programs face layoffs

Dozens of parents, students, teachers and school staff packed a New Britain Common Council public hearing on April 28 to plead with aldermen not to approve proposed budget cuts that would eliminate positions and programs across the Consolidated School District of New Britain.

The hearing, convened by the council chair, focused on the mayor's proposed fiscal-year budget for 2026-27 and the district's projected funding shortfall. At issue were layoffs of hundreds of positions on layoff lists and proposed reductions to athletics, bilingual supports, family-school liaisons and district nursing services.

Why it matters: Speakers said the proposed reductions would immediately affect classroom safety, legally required special education services and students' daily access to counselors, nurses and extracurriculars. Several speakers urged the council to use a measured portion of reserves, move money between departments, or press the state legislature for additional aid to avoid immediate layoffs.

"Every dollar restored to this budget is a classroom that stays open," said Eric Downer, business agent for Teamsters Local 671, who represented members providing school transportation and urged the council to restore cuts that would hit families and workers. Several educators criticized the state ECS funding formula, saying it has not been updated since 2013 and leaves urban districts like New Britain shortchanged.

School leaders and staff gave detailed examples of the potential impact. Anita Fazio, principal of Gaffney Elementary, said the school recently lost seven teachers and described the proposed cuts as "breaking point" for buildings that rely on consistent staffing. Elizabeth Dietz, the district nursing supervisor, warned that eliminating two district nursing positions would jeopardize emergency coverage and care for students with chronic conditions; she presented counts of visits and medication administrations to illustrate the workload.

Parents and students described extracurricular and support programs as lifelines. Students from Pulaski Middle School and New Britain High School said losing teams, band and after-school activities would remove critical sources of belonging and mentorship. Athletic and program leaders warned that proposed reductions (including elimination of some middle school sports and large percentage cuts at the high school level) would undermine pipelines that prepare students for higher-level competition and scholarship opportunities.

Speakers offered options rather than only criticism: some urged a one-time use of reserves in the $3 million–$5 million range as a bridge to protect core services, others called for reexamining mayoral or departmental increases, and union leaders asked the council to press the state delegation for emergency funding. Several commenters pointed to neighboring Meriden, where local pressure secured state funding, as a model for civic pressure that produced results.

Context and next steps: Council members acknowledged the size and difficulty of the shortfall. The chair reiterated that the council will not vote on the full budget at the hearing and outlined a schedule of upcoming budget review nights. Aldermen said they would continue negotiations with the Board of Education, the mayor's office and the state delegation before final action.

What remains unresolved: Speakers cited an $11 million current gap and district requests near $18.9 million to maintain services; how much the council can allocate locally, whether reserves will be used, and whether state aid will arrive in time remained undecided by the hearing's close. The council reserved June sessions to consider the mayor's budget and the Board of Education's final request.

The council adjourned the hearing after multiple aldermen thanked the public for turnout and pledged further work on the budget; no formal votes on budget items were taken that night.