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Parents and staff press Middletown board to preserve IB, STEM and teacher positions amid proposed budget cuts
Summary
At a March 17 board meeting, parents, teachers and staff urged the Middletown School District to restore or reconsider cuts in a proposed budget that would reduce a 5.21 proposal to 3.99 and would eliminate or restructure the IB program at Lawrence, a McDonough STEM teacher, interventionists and 6th-grade Spanish; the board did not vote and will meet with the common council next week.
More than a dozen public commenters and multiple board members urged the Middletown School District Board of Education on March 17 to reverse or rethink proposed budget cuts that would reduce the district's earlier 5.21 proposal to a 3.99 plan and eliminate or restructure several classroom and support positions.
Parents and teachers said cuts would harm students and program continuity. "I would just really welcome the opportunity to hear more about why this program has been phased out," said parent Logan Dancy, urging the board to explain why the McDonough gifted/STEM extension had stopped admitting students from other schools and why the teacher role is on the chopping block. Parent Sigurd Atherton said, "You need to have a STEM teacher who specializes in this," calling a specialist essential to any school branded STEM.
Other parents focused on Lawrence Elementary's international baccalaureate (IB) program, which staff say would effectively be eliminated if a single IB-related teacher position is cut. "Eliminating [IB] risks dismantling all the work that has been put into this program," parent Latasha Williams said, urging the board to pause and engage families before making the change. Sandy Mackey, who works in workforce development, told the board IB teaches critical-thinking and collaboration skills employers value and asked for more time and creative funding options rather than terminating the curriculum.
Teachers and union leaders warned of classroom impacts if certified staff are reduced. "Having this class every other day made me want to come to school," said Middletown High teacher Caitlin Stiles, reading student survey responses as evidence that teacher-led classes affect attendance and school climate. Brooke Carter, a longtime district employee and union leader, pressed the board to review return on investment for district systems and to consult school-based staff before making staffing decisions.
Superintendent Dr. Adley framed the budget as an attempt to balance programming with fiscal responsibility. He reminded the board that questions and staff answers (more than 100 items) had been posted online and said the 3.99 plan reflects staff recommendations designed to maintain programming while responding to fiscal constraints. "I brought in a budget that I feel is fair, maintains the programming in the district until it's transitioned over to a new superintendent and is also respectful to the community at large," he said.
Board members questioned details and alternatives. One board member urged the board to seek a flat-funded budget rather than accept what they described as roughly $1.25 million in reductions that would cut interventionists, kindergarten preparatory access and several high-school positions. Another board member asked whether existing supervisors or coaches could absorb some duties before adding or redesigning positions.
Staff answered a wide range of operational questions. On curriculum, the district said Project Lead The Way would be adopted as a single elementary-level science curriculum to replace multiple inconsistent programs; the rollout relies on a combination of grants listed in the Q&A packet and would be supported by a new K'5 science coordinator to train and coach teachers. On interventions, staff described a rotation model in which students rotate into dedicated math and ELA intervention or enrichment blocks so more children receive targeted support; staff said the plan aims to increase the number of students served while changing how interventionists are scheduled.
Special-education staffing would be reconfigured: the district plans to reassign and reimagine existing SPICE (instructional support) teachers and compliance monitors so a set of instructional support partner teachers and compliance monitors attend PPTs, finalize IEPs and free classroom special-education teachers to provide direct instruction. Staff said that change is intended to address compliance workload that currently pulls special-education teachers away from instruction.
The board also discussed redistricting steps tied to school construction: staff said about 35 incoming K'2 students would return from Farm Hill to McDonough in the proposed plan to ease overcrowding, while older elementary cohorts would remain at Farm Hill as cohorts age.
On early-childhood offerings, staff described a sliding-scale fee proposal for the KPA (kindergarten preparatory) classrooms and estimated roughly $45,000 in annual income across the five classrooms; board members asked how the sliding scale would accommodate families unable to pay.
No final budget vote was held. Superintendent Adley announced a joint meeting with the common council next Monday where councilors could ask questions; the board plans to reconvene for deliberation and a vote later in the week. The meeting adjourned after a motion to adjourn was made and seconded.
What's next: the board will continue deliberations after the common-council session; parents and staff were encouraged to contact state representatives and councilors about funding and unfunded mandates.
