A Heartwarming Show Of Caring
To the Editor:
I cannot sufficiently thank those friends, coworkers, associates, acquaintances, residents of Newtown, and other co...
Wasserman Way
Police report a two-vehicle accident on Wasserman Way about 7:08 pm March 30.
Motorist Hamilton S. Farias, 42, of Bethel, who was driving a 2...
Forman School Slates Open House
Litchfield — The Forman School in an independent co-educational college preparatory school for boarding and day stud...
Hanging By A Thread
To the Editor:
Well, it’s another budget season and it’s time to, yet again, hack away at the educational system in ...
Council Proposes Tax Increase Of Just Under One Percent
By John Voket
After a move to have no tax increase, which failed by consensus, and several motions to re...
Bethel High School Gymnasium Named In Honor Of Newtown’s William Swanson
By Andy Hutchison
It will be a big night for Newtown’s William...
Union Position Speaks Volumes
To the Editor:
Dear fellow citizens of Newtown: It is time that we stood up to the powerful Board of Education and teachersâ€...
‘Source And Surrender’
Will Combine Finished And Interactive Art At The Blue Z
By Nancy K. Crevier
Paint, sculpture, light, journaling,...
Newtown
Support Groups
Friday, April 3Â Â Â Â Â Â
AA, Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Road, 8 pm, beginners meeting, open discussion.
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Satu...
Unfortunately as voter turnout continues to decline the chances of it increasing also decline. The LC and BOF already know that the budget will be approved by virtue of the low turnout so why try to make smart decisions? The so-called referendum is essentially just a rubber stamp. They will continue to increase the budget by 2-5% every year because it's low enough to not cause a pushback under the cover of "inflation" and "maintaining the schools." Sending the budget to vote with 9% turnout is meaningless and a waste of resources on April 23rd.
I have seen Mr. Pisani repeatedly assert in the pages of the Bee that Newtown schools are "testing at a failing 64.9%". I'd be curious if he could elaborate on this statistic, as I have been unable to verify it independently. Which test exactly is our school system failing? How do our schools compare to other towns? How does our score compare to historical measures? It's very hard to draw conclusions from a single data point, so here are a few more data points to think about for context: Newtown is consistently ranked among the top 20 school districts in CT by the US News and World Report and Niche, which consider a range of performance metrics in their rankings; on average, Newtown students perform similar to, if not better than, students in neighboring school districts on standardized math and reading tests; the only data point on the CT Department of Education District Report Card where Newtown "fails" -- that is, falls behind the state average -- is access to art instruction. I'm glad the council member has acknowledged in this letter what taxpayers in high-performing (and high-spending) school districts like Darien, New Canaan, and Westport already know: "School funding does impact student achievement." Please keep that in mind when you vote this week!