New London board restores three wellness roles, tech and academics positions to FY25 budget

President Elaine Maynard-Adams called the New London Board of Education’s May 28 business meeting to order and, following public comment and committee reports, led motions to reinstate several positions in the FY24-25 budget.

Jeremiah of New London urged the Board during the public comment period to restore wellness interventionist positions, saying those roles strengthen student supports and teacher well-being; he added that City Council had increased the Board’s budget by approximately $1.5 million. President Maynard-Adams later said the budget process was “grueling” but complete and thanked the students in attendance, saying, “this is what democracy should look like.”

On the agenda item pulled from the consent list, Maynard-Adams moved and Alisha Blake seconded a motion to restore three Wellness Interventionist positions to the FY24-25 budget; the motion carried, 5-0. Maynard-Adams then moved (seconded by Bryan Doughty) to restore a Technology Specialist I position and moved (seconded by Blake) to reinstate the Director of Academics position; both motions carried, 5-0. The Board thanked members of Hearing Youth Voices and student speakers for their advocacy during the budget process.

The Board asked the administration to bring forward an updated budget that incorporates the restored positions for formal approval. Maynard-Adams also described the history of a Joint Budget Task Force between the City and the Board and reported she had asked the City Council to convene it; she said she had not received a response from the Council President about calling a meeting, and that she had located task force resolutions for 2022–23 and 2023–24 in her files.

All formal motions on budget items were recorded as carried, 5-0. Two board members (Vice-President Bianca Alexis-Sylvain and Danni Cruz) were noted as absent from the meeting. The administration will present the updated budget reflecting these amendments at a future meeting.