Milford’s School Board Needs to Reassess Priorities

Milford got some more bad news about its schools. The 2013 State Mastery Test results show that Milford’s schools continue to underperform compared to similar districts in the state and, in a year when state high school graduation rates improved, Milford’s rate declined. This is despite the fact that Milford continues to spend more money per student than almost every other comparable district in Connecticut.

You’d never know there was a problem when attending Board of Education meetings. This year there hasn’t been a single substantive discussion of school performance or spending. Instead the Board spends the bulk of its time on bureaucratic trivia. Some Board members seem to think the only problem is a marketing problem. If people understood how good our schools were, parents wouldn’t send their children to private schools. The only thing our schools need is more happy talk from our politicians.

 In fact, if people understood what’s going on with our schools, the Board would have to have armed guards at their meetings. Our students are being deprived of the quality education they deserve, our taxpayers aren’t getting the quality schools they’re paying for and Milford’s future is being jeopardized by high taxes and underperforming schools.

 Denial is not an appropriate school board policy. It’s time for the Board of Education to face up to the reality of the current situation and focus their attention on improving education and spending more effectively.