The New Britain Common Council held a regular meeting on April 22, 2026, beginning with public participation at 7:02 PM and concluding at 10:23 PM. The meeting was dominated by extensive public testimony from educators, parents, and residents urging increased funding for the 2026-2027 school budget, citing potential cuts to special education, staffing, and programs. The council also took up several resolutions, tabled two items, and appointed Colin Osborne to fill the vacant Ward 2 aldermanic seat.
I want to uh welcome everybody to the regular meeting of the Common Council for our April 22nd. Uh we'll begin as always with uh public participation. It's now 702 p.m. Just ask that uh please remember to state your name and address clearly for the record, and you limit your speaking time to three minutes. I'm gonna call up from the list first in order. Uh but if anybody hasn't signed up and hasn't spoken and wishes to speak, uh we're here uh for as long as anybody wants to speak, and then some also check on anybody calling in remotely. First name on the list is Joe Fordier. Good evening, members of the council. My name is Joseph Fordier, and I'm an uh an assistant principal over at Pulaski Middle School. I come before you tonight on behalf of Palascay Middle School to ask for a thoughtful compromise and a meaningful increase to the 2026-2027 school budget. Over the past two years, we have not stood still. We have built something real and measurable. At Palaski, we have reduced student referrals by 751 incidences year over year, and we are on pace to reduce them even further this year. This is not by chance. It is a result of intentional systems, consistency, and relentless effort from our staff. We have implemented clear and effective school-wide practices, tardy and skipping policies, cell phone expectations, stronger family communication, consistent grading, and structured behavior protocols rooted in restorative practices. These systems have created a safer, more predictable environment where students can focus on learning. Our commitment to instruction is just as strong. This year alone, our administrative team, and instructional coaches, have conducted over 400 learning walks, provided targeted feedback to strengthen teaching in every classroom. We are focused on Bell to Bell instruction and high-quality tier one learning, aligned with state standards. We've also built systems that ensure this work is sustainable, like our lead teacher program, which meets twice monthly to refine instruction, analyze data, and plan meaningful, engaging lessons that meet the needs of all learners. Invested in over 200 student resources and implemented a comprehensive monitoring system to push students toward grade level proficiency and beyond. We're building a school culture that students believe in. Without a significant increase in our budget, we risk losing the very momentum we have worked so hard to build. Reduced staffing will stretch will stretch our capacity beyond what is sustainable. Class sizes will rise, perhaps beyond contractual limits. Restorative practices, restorative practices may give way to increased suspensions because we simply won't have the personnel to do the work the right way. Teacher burnout will grow, absenteism will increase, and students will feel the impact first. It is much easier to lose progress than it is to build it. The students in New Britain deserve more than maintaining the status quo. They deserve continued growth, opportunity, and stability. We're proud to be Pulaski Generals. We're proud of the systems we built to support academics, social emotional development, and future readiness. But pride alone cannot sustain progress. Capacity does. I ask you tonight how can we continue moving forward if we no longer have the resources to do so? Please partner with us, find a compromise, invest in our schools so that the progress we've made is not only preserved but strengthened for the future. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Forder. We can hold our applause to the end. We'll get to the next speaker. Thank you. Next speaker is Derek Roberts. Hello. Good evening, members of the council. My name is Derek Roberts, and I'm speaking tonight as a proud graduate of New Britain Public Schools, a long-term educator, a current assistant principal at Pulaski Middle School, and yes, Derek Roberts, my address, 222 Main Street, downtown New Britain, Connecticut. I'm also speaking tonight as from uh current assistant principal at Pulaski Middle School. Um my career beginning as a BSA or actually a temp custodian S17 during the long hot summer months at New Britain High School and growing into a role as a school administrator is a testament to the value of the New Britain School District. I also echo Mr.