Scores Drop, but the Newtown School Budget Rides High

‘Tis the season to approve (or not) a school budget for the 2019-20 year.

There's much to be paid for, but is there much to be proud of? Newtown schools have amped up their testing, even adding a new standardized science test for next year, but what about instruction?

Focus on improving the school math curriculum in recent years has resulted in mostly decreasing test scores. Teachers are juggling more and more curriculum changes, testing requirements and program mandates from the district and state.

Below are some notable budget highlights and points to ponder that just might inspire you to attend tonight’s (1/30/2019) Board of Education Public Hearing on the proposed budget, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Fairfield Hill’s Municipal Center (3 Primrose Street).

• The proposed budget comes in at $78,108,940 - that’s a 2.7 percent increase over the current school year budget.

• About 94 percent of the the school budget revenue is generated from town taxes.

• SBAC Literacy test scores were underwhelming with third graders in 2015 testing at 75 percent achieving high scores of 3 or 4, and ending at 72 percent in 2018 as sixth graders. (see below chart)

• SBAC Math scores for third graders in 2015 came in at 67 percent, then fell two years in a row and ended at 70 percent of students achieving high scores of 3 or 4 in 2018.

• Percentage of high school students with optimal levels of 3 and 4 SAT scores in Literacy, dropped consistently each year from 2016 to 2018, going from 89 percent, to 88 percent, and then to 83 percent in 2018. (see below chart)

• Percentage of high school students with optimal levels of 3 and 4 SAT scores in Math, rose from 66 percent in 2016 to 73 percent in 2017, but then fell considerably to 62 percent in 2018.

• Based on standardized test scores compiled by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Newtown ranks #34 out of 151 Connecticut school districts. For comparison, Trumbull ranks #12, Monroe ranks #15, Ridgefield ranks #8 and New Canaan ranks #1 in the state.

• Newtown spent $17,084 per pupil in 2018-19, which falls below the median in Newtown’s District Reference Group of similar socioeconomic towns in our area. For comparison: Greenwich tops the list at $21,609, Southbury comes in above us at $17,763, Monroe comes in slightly above us at $17,264 and Trumbull comes in below us at $16,108.

*Sobering Facts: This means Trumbull spent nearly $1,000 less per pupil than Newtown and still greatly outperformed us on standardized tests, ranking #12 in the state compared to Newtown's ranking of #34 in the state. Monroe spent only $180 more per pupil than Newtown and managed to also outrank us as the #15 highest-scoring school district in the state.

• Enrollment is dropping by 83 students next year with 100 fewer students enrolled in Intermediate through High School, and a 17 student gain at the K-4 elementary schools.

• Since the 2013-14 school year, enrollment has dropped by 129 students with a resulting reduction of seven teacher positions.

• During the past 10 years, enrollment has dropped by 1,339 students with a resulting reduction of 31 teacher positions.

• Superintendent Dr. Lorrie Rodrigue is asking for a brand new administrative position - a Director of Teaching, Learning & Assessment - at a salary of $152,900 per year with a hand-picked, professional acquaintance already lined up for the job, according to a source with knowledge of the planned position.

*Background Info. on Recent Newtown Superintendents:

Officially hired about a year ago in Feb. 2018, Dr. Rodrigue is new to a superintendent role having previously served as a principal at Newtown High School and as a former English teacher.

She became Interim Superintendent in 2017 when former Newtown superintendent and 2017 ‘Connecticut Superintendent of the Year’ Dr. Joseph Erardi left the Newtown district after only two years.

Dr. Erardi, who started as Newtown superintendent in 2014, replaced Janet Robinson who left Newtown to become superintendent of the Stratford, Conn., school system.

Robinson, a seasoned, four-decade educator like Dr. Erardi, was praised nationally for her leadership after the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy, but clashed with some local school board members.

It would seem the Newtown school system and Board of Education have a hard time retaining highly experienced, highly competent superintendents. Now we have a completely green school superintendent in Dr. Rodrigue resulting in falling test scores, broken special education procedures and unnecessary spending as with this new Director of Teaching position.

What do you think about the proposed school budget and how would you rate the performance of our school system?

News & Commentary by the Newtown Rooster.

Photo Credit: Flickr