Strong Schools, Strong Community: The Case for Guilford Public Schools

Guilford Public Schools recently earned an A+ academic based on state assessment proficiency, SAT/ACT scores, and feedback from students and parents¹. In Connecticut’s Next Generation Accountability Index² — the state’s most comprehensive and standardized measure of district performance, tracking twelve categories from math and literacy to science and physical education — Guilford scored above the 90th percentile.

What makes this even more remarkable is that Guilford achieves these results while spending less per pupil than our neighbors³. This is a district that is efficient, fiscally responsible, and delivering exceptional results — not in spite of community investment, but because of it.

This didn’t happen by accident, and it will not sustain itself without continued commitment.

The research on this is clear and consistent. A large and growing body of evidence shows that money, when spent effectively on key school resources, improves student outcomes and closes achievement gaps.

Studies find that increased education spending leads to improved achievement and graduation rates, as well as better long-term outcomes including employment and earnings⁴.

In addition, research from school funding reform showed compelling causal evidence that sustained, multi-year per-pupil spending produces meaningful improvements in student outcomes across grades, subjects, and student subgroups⁶.

The benefits extend well beyond the classroom. Studies have found that every $1 spent on school funding increases property values by approximately $20⁷. School quality is consistently the top factor families cite when choosing where to live, and homes in high-performing school districts command significantly higher prices. Guilford’s desirability as a community — and the value of every homeowner’s investment here — is directly tied to the quality of its schools.

Cuts to education put all of that at risk. Well-funded schools attract higher-quality teachers through competitive salaries, maintain better facilities, and provide greater student resources — all of which directly shape academic performance and community reputation. When we underfund schools, we do not simply defer a budget line; we erode the foundation that makes Guilford the community it is.

I recognize that budgets are difficult and that competing demands are real, particularly in this economy. But, I ask Guilford residents to weigh those short-term pressures against the long-term consequences. Cuts to education outlast any single budget cycle.

To those whose children have already graduated from Guilford schools — you benefitted from a community that invested in your children. I ask you to extend that same commitment to the families who are in the seats you once occupied.

The kindness and altruism that define this community don’t stop at our front doors. They belong in our interactions with each other, in our schools, and in the way we care for every child in this town, not just our own.

Voting YES for school funding is one of the most tangible expressions of that spirit

On June 16th, let’s show up for our community and send a clear message. We love our schools, and we want to see our community continue to thrive.

Vote YES on June 16th!

With Immense Gratitude for our Staff and Teachers,

Sonia Mehta, Guilford Resident

Sources:

Niche. (2024). Guilford Public Schools — A+ academic rating. https://www.niche.com

² Guilford Public Schools. (2024). Next Generation Accountability Index scores. https://www.guilfordschools.org

³ Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Fiscal Services. (2026, January). 2024–2025 net current expenditures (NCE) per pupil (NCEP) and 2025–2026 special education excess cost grant basic contributions. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/grants-management/report1/basiccon_pdf.pdf

⁴ Learning Policy Institute. (2025). How money matters: Education funding and student outcomes [Fact sheet]. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/how-money-matters-factsheet

⁵ Johnson, R. (2023). School Funding Effectiveness: Evidence from California’s Local Control Funding Formula. Learning Policy Institute

⁶ Figlio, D. N., & Lucas, M. E. (2000). What’s in a grade? School report cards and house prices (NBER Working Paper No. 8019). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w8019