More than 20,000 students headed back to school in Hartford Tuesday morning, and while faculty and staff welcome them back, administrators are bracing themselves for how to deal with the effect of budget uncertainty and cuts.
A group dedicated to providing positive role models in Hartford, 100 Men of Color, greeted students like rock stars as they returned to school.
“It’s beautiful, really exciting. Just makes my heart melt. I love it because they’re congratulating the kids on their first day of school,” Tammie Oliver, of Hartford, said.
“I’m able to give back to the community and make a positive impact. That’s what matters to me,” said Brian Martin, a member of 100 Men of Color who greeted students at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School.
This comes at a time when district staff focuses on balancing the curriculum with ongoing budget issues.
Nearly two weeks ago, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced drastic cuts would have to be made in school funding across the state if a budget isn’t reached by October.
The city of Hartford is struggling with its own budget, and with no word on what to expect from the state, it's impossible for administrators to know exactly where to focus their efforts.
Hartford public school leadership literally stepped up to the plate Monday as Supt. Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez addressed thousands of teachers and staff at Dunkin’ Donuts park during the city’s annual convocation.
While she reassured everyone the quality of each child’s education wouldn’t be changed, she said the budget crisis and possible consolidation of schools will certainly bring other challenges. The district was already forced to cut 80 positions due to budget cuts.
Rawson Elementary principal Tayarisha Stone has already talked with her staff about how they’ll be facing these challenges.
“I know that it’s going to be difficult, and the message that I’ve given to the staff is that, although it is difficult, it’s not impossible. Our teachers are very resourceful, they’re resilient, and they’re ready for our students,” Stone said.
Torres-Rodriguez told NBC Connecticut the school’s leadership is prepared to make challenging decisions together and wants to reassure parents no matter what, this will still be a great school year for their kids.
