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Parents urge clearer spending priorities and targeted interventions after mixed test results
Summary
Parents told the board that recent budget and strategic-plan choices appear to prioritize visible upgrades over academic interventions for high-need students; one speaker cited third-grade reading proficiency at 55.4% and asked for immediate plans for interventions and clarity on potential surpluses.
Several parents used the public-comment period at the Old Saybrook Board of Education meeting to press for greater transparency and concrete interventions after a year that left high-need students behind, they said.
Colleen Artimia urged the board to treat cosmetic projects and building improvements as secondary to instructional programming, citing concerns about MTSS, special education, and families who have left the district because their children’s needs were not met. She used an analogy of “flipping a house” to argue that superficial repairs can mask deeper instructional problems.
Casey Barrett presented specific accountability figures and a set of requests. Barrett said third-grade reading proficiency is 55.4% and third-grade math is 46.4%, and reported percentage declines for high-need students in ELA (down 2.4%), math (down 2.3%) and science (down 1.9%) last year. Barrett asked the board for three actions: an accounting of anticipated surpluses beyond the 2% carryforward, a concrete intervention plan for high-need students for the current budget cycle, and immediate parent participation in budgeting decisions for interventions.
Why it matters: Board budget and strategic-plan decisions determine staffing, interventions and resource allocation that affect vulnerable students. Parents and advocates told the board they need clear, time-bound commitments rather than a “wait and see” approach.
Details and context: Barrett also noted that Old Saybrook spends 21.7% of total expenditures on special education compared with a Connecticut state average of 25.7%, and argued the district’s most vulnerable students appear to have lost ground despite headline accountability improvements. Board members acknowledged the need for more detail and said staff will provide additional budget- and intervention-related information.
Quotes: “If the district wants to close the achievement gap, try talking to parents of high-need students,” Barrett said. “We’re asking for transparency, concrete details, and a plan that does more than hold the line.”
What’s next: Parents requested immediate participation in this budget cycle. The board indicated staff will return with more details on potential surpluses and proposed interventions; no binding decisions were made during public comment.
