Greenwich BET Budget Vote Sparks Anger With $4M Reduction To Schools

GREENWICH, CT — In one of the more contentious meetings in recent memory, the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation passed a budget for fiscal year 2026 on to the Representative Town Meeting for final consideration, but not without approving a controversial reduction in the school operating budget of $4,048,621.

The Town Hall meeting room was at full capacity Thursday for the BET's second "Decision Day" this week, in which members worked through the spending plan and proposed cuts or additions, before the RTM's final consideration in May. The RTM can only make cuts.

Additionally, over 300 people tuned in to watch the proceedings on the Greenwich Community TV YouTube channel.

The reduction to the school budget passed 7-6 on a tie-breaking vote from Republican Chair Harry Fisher, which sparked jeers from the audience and chants of "Shame on you!" directed at Republican board members. Fisher asked the town's fire marshal to clear the room as heckling from the crowd continued.

It's not known yet exactly what will be impacted by the general reduction, but BET Democrats called the motion "punitive" to the school district, and they warned it will have negative consequences for students, class sizes, staff positions and programming.

"This is not a good idea," said Democrat David Weisbrod on Thursday, adding that the move was "a demand for short-term savings, without meaningful, thoughtful consideration of the consequences."

Weisbrod pushed back on claims that the school district could cover a $4 million reduction and keep class sizes and programs intact.

"Defunding our schools is dangerous, radical, and contrary to the values of this community. In short, the impact of a $4 million cut to our schools budget will hurt our students," Weisbrod added. He cited recent comments from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Toni Jones and First Selectman Fred Camillo, a Republican, who urged the BET to reconsider the reduction.

Weisbrod also criticized Republicans for unveiling the proposed reduction this week, and not in the previous months of budget work.

Republicans cited a 5-6 percent increase to the proposed school budget, on top of a 6 percent increase last year. They also noted declining enrollment and an increased headcount as reasons for the reduction.

"We are not reducing the Board of Education budget. We are reducing the increase to the budget. Telling people we are 'cutting' is disinformation," said Republican BET member Karen Fassuliotis.

"This year, I've reached my absolute limit with the complete and utter lies that are spread primarily by a political party organization," Fassuliotis added. "Parents were told elementary class size would be increased if the budget wasn't passed as is, that is a dead flat lie. Parents were told key programs like ALP (Advanced Learning Program) would be defunded, another absolute lie."

Fassuliotis also said absenteeism among Greenwich teachers is high, and substitute days come at a cost. She also pointed out that Greenwich teachers are the highest paid in the state.

"I have a 95-year-old [mother], and there are a lot of seniors in town. You think nothing about a 5 percent or 6 percent increase, which is real money to them. These are people with fixed incomes and shrinking retirement portfolios. What are they supposed to do? When did we in Greenwich ever start thinking this way?"

"My colleagues claim that we can save money by reducing absenteeism. This is a statewide, in fact it's a nationwide problem, since COVID, and our level of substitutes, high as it is, sadly is in line with other towns. There's just no way to extract savings," BET Democrat Scott Kalb added.

The BET took recesses during Thursday to meet privately.

Democrat Leslie Moriarty said her caucus proposed a $1 million reduction as a compromise, and a Republican asked for compromise at a $2.75 million cut. Moriarty called it "another arbitrary number" and no compromise was reached.

The Board of Education Democratic Caucus released a statement Friday afternoon on the reduction:

"We are shocked and dismayed by the Republican majority’s party line vote today to reduce the school budget by more than four million dollars. We remain committed to providing the best education possible for all our students, but a cut of this magnitude will require a review of everything our schools offer.

"Every program that is not legally required and every expense that is not contractually obligated will be under consideration for reduction or elimination. We want to thank the community who came out all week to demonstrate their support. If you are disappointed in today’s result, we urge you to vote in November for a finance board that reflects our shared educational values."
In addition to the school budget motion, the BET made several other reductions across the proposed town spending plan, with Fisher's tie-breaking vote used often.

Notably, $476,000 in total was removed from the Department of Public Works and Parks and Recreation Department for the purchase of electric leaf blowers, and funding for the HVAC project at Hamilton Avenue School was reduced from $5.25 million to $4 million.

According to Budget Director Roland Geiger, the current amount to be financed for fiscal year 2026 as the budget heads to the RTM is $520.9 million, with a projected mill rate of 12.041, an increase of 2.81 percent over the prior year. The mill rate will be officially set after the RTM adopts a budget next month.