New Britain Common Council Meeting - April 22, 2026: School Budget Hearing and Ward 2 Appointment
New Britain Common Council Meeting - April 22, 2026: School Budget Hearing and Ward 2 Appointment
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.
Consent Calendar
- Items A, B, D, and E were adopted unanimously (13-0).
- Item C (monthly checks report) was adopted after discussion about providing electronic copies to council members.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joseph Fordier (Assistant Principal, Pulaski Middle School): Asked for a "thoughtful compromise and meaningful increase" to the school budget. Reported that Pulaski reduced student referrals by 751 incidents year-over-year and that administrative team conducted over 400 learning walks. Stated without a significant increase, class sizes will rise, restorative practices may give way to increased suspensions, and teacher burnout will grow.
- Derek Roberts (Assistant Principal, Pulaski): Echoed concerns, stating the current proposal "falls extremely short of the high standards our New Britain community expects."
- Jacqueline Escalase (35-year teacher, resident): Criticized Mayor Sanchez for not fulfilling campaign promises to prioritize education. Asked, "Does this current budget truly prioritize our children?" Urged the council to fund the Board of Education budget to the maximum extent.
- Mark Spaulding (Director of Pupil Services): Warned cuts would harm special education services. Noted that 25 autism classrooms cost about $500,000 each to staff, while outplacing 10 similar students would cost $1.7 million. Currently, 166 students are outplaced, down from 180.
- Madeline Figueroa (taxpayer, grandparent): Asked for a one-time $2-3 million draw from the fund balance to prevent catastrophic staff layoffs. Said, "The math is not mathing."
- Elise Archibald (resident): Urged rejection of cuts, citing research that every $1 invested in education leads to $20 increase in property values. Said, "Let's invest in New Britain's future, not its decline."
- Desiree Costa (principal): Stated the current proposal represents a reduction of approximately $1.6 million compared to last year. Said, "There is no more to give." Warned of cuts to staff, sports, arts, special education, and field trips.
- John Kristapic (resident): Raised water department billing issues, including high interest rates on unpaid bills.
- Ann Spire (retired teacher, advocate): Supported moving special fund monies into the education budget. Asked the council to search for at least another $1 million for education. Said, "Every dollar counts."
- Tamika Perkins (parent): Urged protection of special education services and paraeducator positions. Said, "Cut the special education services and school closures would shift the burden onto already strained teachers."
- Danielle Palmerlow (product of New Britain, district employee): Noted that the baseline for the educational budget has been the same since 2020, while costs of living rise. Stated New Britain receives about $17,000 per student per year versus the state average of $23,000.
- Lara Bokey (District Coordinator of 6-12 Curriculum, President of Local 51): Said the superintendent requested an $18.9 million increase, but the mayor's proposed budget decreases allocation by over $1.5 million. Warned of "massive catastrophic impacts" including class sizes of 30 and elimination of content-specific teachers, arts, and support staff.
- Myrna Cuevas (parent of child on 504 plan): Asked for funding for reading specialists, math intervention, and paraprofessionals. Requested quarterly accountability reports on class sizes and services.
- Lucy D'Anofrio (mother): Asked the council to invest in children, saying, "Behind every number is a child."
- Julia Ainsley (parent of child with profound autism): Said cuts would erase skills that took years to build. Pleaded, "Do not make these decisions at the expense of children who have no voice in this room."
- Amanda Glowicky (parent, district employee): Urged a meaningful increase, warning of larger class sizes and strain on teachers and special education students.
- Christina Soto (paraeducator, parent): Highlighted shortages in speech pathologists and BCBAs. Said her daughter would not be where she is without dedicated staff.
- Tyrone Richardson (Academics and Accountability Officer, 6-12): Said he has had to inform about 50 staff members that they may receive pink slips. Called the superintendent's budget transparent and devoid of "fluff."
Discussion Items
- Metabasset District Budget Presentation: Art Simonian and John Dunham presented the clean water facility budget. The overall budget increased 17.7%, but New Britain's assessment increased only 3.6% (about $270,000) due to use of reserves and a credit from Middletown's joining. New Britain's flows have decreased due to the flush program, which lowers assessments. New Britain's average increase over the last eight years is 3.2%.
- Earth Day and Sexual Assault Awareness Month Proclamations: The council recognized Earth Day (April 22) and proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. A proclamation was presented to the YWCA Sexual Assault Crisis Service.
- Item 6 (AW Stanley Park pool pump repair): Tabled pending clarification on whether the contractor (CT Custom Aquatics) is on the city's approved on-call vendor list.
- Item 9 (Health department software subscription): Tabled after concerns about lack of sole source documentation.
- Item 10 (Balloon vendor for Celebrate New Britain): Adopted after clarification that it was a sole source agreement.
- Item 11 (Resolution honoring Alden Russell): Adopted unanimously.
- Item 12 (Sexual Assault Awareness Month): Adopted.
- Item 13 (Appointment to fill Ward 2 vacancy): After debate, the council adopted an amendment to appoint Colin Osborne, an unaffiliated voter. The appointment was approved on a party-line vote (9-5). Osborne was sworn in. Council members from the minority caucus objected, arguing it circumvented the voters' choice and was a political move.
Key Outcomes
- The council will continue budget deliberations, with a public hearing on the municipal budget scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 6:30 PM, and a Board of Education meeting on May 7, 2026.
- Items 6 and 9 were tabled.
- Colin Osborne was sworn in as Ward 2 Alderman, filling the vacancy left by the death of Alderman Alden Russell.
Meeting Transcript
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.
openpublica.com