Danbury Democrats Release Education Manifesto

DANBURY, CT — Democratic mayoral challenger Chris Setaro released his public education manifesto, calling for free prekindergarten programs and a commission of experts and stakeholders to weigh in on the operational and infrastructure needs of the city school system.

"Let’s build a strategic plan for the schools. Let’s pressure the City Council to prioritize the education budget so we meet our increasing needs. Alongside our other city leaders, let’s advocate in Hartford for Danbury’s fair share of education funding until we get it," said Setaro, who is challenging Mayor Mark Boughton in November.

The Democrat's plan also calls for working with state representatives and state senators and leadership in Hartford "to make sure Danbury gets its long overdue fair share of education funding." According to Setaro, Danbury has been 169 out of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut in per pupil spending for the past three years and in the bottom 10 percent for nearly a decade.

The education manifesto, which pointedly has working with the Board of Education and the City Council to "prioritize our education budget and find the resources that our schools and students need to be successful," was released on the same day that teachers protested outside Pembroke Elementary School as part of an initiative created by the National Education Association calling for increased education funding.

In the Republican Mayor Boughton's 2019-20 budget, recently approved by the City Council, the Board of Education's allocation accounts for $134.4 million, or $5.2 million more than this year