Budget passes!

Budget passed 3157-2429

Hi all,

Thank you to the community for voting, and to all those who helped get out the vote!

• What we have accomplished (so far): We have avoided layoffs, program cuts, and class size increases for Guilford public school students despite the worst economy in a generation.

• The beneficiaries: the next generation.

• The heroes: all employees, with a particular emphasis on teachers as they represent the largest bargaining unit and the first local branch of the CEA to offer wage concessions, totaling over $600K in concessions that will preserve jobs. Thank you! The budget could not have passed without your help.

• What’s next: we should not celebrate the fact that there is a 4.4% tax increase for Guilford property owners and should aid them in ways to reduce this burden.

• What we need to do: Pursue policies and practices that allow us to maintain quality of town and education services while minimizing cost: regionalization is essential in certain areas.

• The elephant in the room: Guilford has consistently underinvested in infrastructure for the schools. The current infrastructure represents a drain on our maintenance (29 roofs on the existing high school) and operating budgets (poorly insulated buildings).
This problem needs to be addressed, and will not go away.

Thanks!