Back in September, news of the media centers’ loss of paraeducators across the city’s high schools hit the hallways of each school. As of Monday Dec. 18, it had come to light that out of the media center positions that were temporarily suspended, one paraeducator per school has regained their position. While the good news circulated fairly quickly, many still remain unaware that the positions have been reinstated.

Superintendent of Stamford Schools Earl Kim told The Round Table that the initial cuts had been unavoidable. “The ‘defunding’ of paraeducators ($900 thousand) and central office positions ($250 thousand) was necessitated by reductions in state revenue of $2.9 million,” Kim said. While many were upset by the defunding, Kim said that based on the state budget, it was necessary to avoid future issues that other districts in similar situations did not have time to prepare for. “The cuts hurt all around, but by doing this we prevented the havoc that many of our neighboring districts are experiencing now,” Kim said. 

Even with the outcry from many and the organization of a petition by Mary George, Stamford High’s Head of Media Services, the decision was always based solely on the availability of funds. Kim said, “Re-funding had nothing to do with petitions or public comment.  We had briefed the Board at the outset of the impact that de-funding would have.” While the defunding wasn’t ideal for the schools, the idea was to avoid the problem of having to cut more positions in the future.

Kim added that the situation was unlikely to improve, saying, “we are unlikely to see an increase in state revenue to Stamford; rather, we are more likely to see further cuts as other districts get more funding in a fixed/shrinking budget environment.” The increase in state projects makes it even more likely that we will lose more funding in the future. According to Kim, “Were it not for significant restorations of aid by the State and collaborative negotiations outcomes with our bargaining units, the de-funding would have remained.”  Regardless, it is important to Kim and the Stamford Public School district that everyone affected has an opportunity to move into other positions.  

George, the head of the SHS media center, said, “as of now it appears Westhill and Stamford High School will each only have one para returned instead of the two that were defunded at both schools in August.” George seemed hopeful that the media center ecosystem would balance itself out with the helping hand, though it is unlikely to function exactly as it did in the past without both positions filled. While not all the paraeducators and programs have come back, aides will be put in place until they are able to hear the budget for next year.

The problems caused by the defunding have taken a toll on each school in different ways, but Kim and George still have hope that the funding will come in and something will work out in the future. For the district, though, it is still up in the air what will happen to certain programs and positions in the long term. While some may see the budget issue as a quick fix, Kim said he wants people to understand that it is not that simple. “I believe our budget process is actually a good one that is built from the ground up—including determining priorities for reductions,” he said.

And although the defunding of positions has caused some mayhem within the schools, Kim made it clear that he does care about how the defunding has affected the paraeducators. “Please know that decisions that are made involving people are not taken lightly,” said Kim.  “We know the harm that job loss can cause for our families.”