To The Editor:

Thriving schools. Those words are atop the Newtown Bee’s homepage now in a campaign ad by Newtown Republicans.

Thriving schools. That got me to thinking. How could Newtown Republicans say they support “thriving schools” when their five Legislative Council members worked so hard in March and April to gut our schools?

On March 26, Schools Superintendent Anne Uberti presented her 2025-26 budget proposal to the Council. She explained that to control costs, she eliminated 28 positions, reduced electives, and told parents they’d have to pay more for their children to play sports. She called the reductions “unprecedented” during her time in Newtown.

After she sat down Republican Council member Ben Ruben moved to reduce the BOE budget by $900,000. He said he didn’t necessarily support that reduction, but that he wanted to see what other Council members thought.

The Democrats told him loud and clear. They said a previously approved $900,000 reduction by the Board of Finance was large enough, and any further reduction would result in mass teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.

That didn’t stop Mr Ruben.

At the April 2 meeting, he seconded a motion by Republican Tom Long to reduce the school budget by $600,000. The Democrats voted no. Ruben then moved for a $450,000 reduction, with a second by Republican John Zachos. The Democrats voted no. Finally, the superintendent’s original budget was approved with the seven Democrats voting yes and the five Republicans — Ruben, Long, Zachos, Derek Pisani, and Jennifer Nicoletti — voting no. Residents overwhelmingly approved the budget at referendum later in April. The message was clear: Newtown supports its schools.

Ruben, Long, Zachos, Pisani, and Nicoletti are running for re-election. Let them know on Election Day that you don’t support their definition of “thriving schools.”

Rich Hungaski

Newtown