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Parents, aides and residents urge higher para pay after reported 32 resignations
Summary
At the Aug. 15 Stonington Board of Education special meeting, multiple parents, paraprofessionals and residents urged the board to raise para wages after speakers said 32 paras resigned in the last two years and described reliance on para support in classrooms.
At its Aug. 15 special meeting, the Stonington Board of Education heard a string of public comments urging higher pay and better contract terms for paraprofessionals, whom several speakers said the district needs to retain.
Michelle Mania told the board she had compiled a list of 32 para names she said resigned in the last two years; other speakers, including para Kim Harris and parents Marcail Riggs, Bruce Yarnall and Rachel O'Dell, described how they rely on para support for students and urged the board to address wages and working conditions. Marcail Riggs voiced support for higher para wages and recounted personal classroom experiences illustrating the need for para support. Kim Harris identified herself as a district para and spoke about current para pay and comparisons with other district contracts.
The comments also touched on broader staffing and compensation themes. Several speakers contrasted para wages with administrative salaries and called for the board to prioritize retaining classroom support staff. Parents described one-to-one para needs for specific students and said contract terms affect continuity of support.
Board members acknowledged the remarks. Kevin Agnello summarized historical salary data and the timeline of para negotiations earlier in the meeting; Dan Kelley and others thanked public commenters for attending and said they anticipate resolving the contract without arbitration. Chair Farouk Rajab and other board members later agreed to a non-meeting with the board's legal counsel and Alisha Stripling to discuss negotiations and next steps.
What happens next: board members encouraged the public to contact the Board of Finance with budget questions and said district administration and the board will continue negotiations; no formal contract action occurred at the special meeting.
