The State of Education for Stratford’s Future

Stratford will experience some changes for this upcoming school year. New strategies will be implemented in an effort to enhance children’s learning experience and limit distractions, thereby increasing focus and productivity in the classroom. The strategies include a time change in the school day to increase instruction time, along with a new cell phone policy to limit distractions. And this year’s budget is intended to guarantee staffing. 

Due to the Covid pandemic, in 2024 we had lower test scores in Math, English and Science, dropping from 59 to 57 out of 100 in English, with a comparable percentage loss in science. This is across Connecticut, not just Stratford. What led to this drop?  Lingering effects of the pandemic are cited as a main contributing factor. Resources were drained and budgets cut, which meant a lack of funding for Special Education teachers, which makes up a huge portion of Stratford’s Board of Education Budget.  

Attendance and staffing posed another big problem. With a five-day quarantine for a positive Covid test, keeping students and staff in the classroom became nearly impossible. Switching from in-person learning to online learning was a tremendous adjustment, as was the return to in-person classes. The mental health of both students and teachers was strained in trying to make these adjustments. 

Cell phone usage and social media have also had a negative effect on learning. According to Connecticut Education Association (CEA) Vice President Joslyn Delancey, the lower test scores are in part due to social media. Children are looking for “Quick Fixes”; they want to google answers or watch a video, not listen to an instructor or read a book. 

Stratford is maintaining an average standing. Town Officials spoke with the CT Post, and shared that this is an opportunity to unlock new resources and unleash new teaching methods. They say it’s a time to get creative, to grow and improve. Assistant Superintendent Philip Piazza wants to increase instruction and revise lesson plans to focus on improvement and understanding of each lesson, and also reduce the number of tests taken each year. In addition, he is focused on attendance. He would like to limit suspensions for minor infractions, or have students serve in-school suspensions.  He is working with teachers and families to ensure greater attendance. Stratford students are still testing below pre-pandemic levels.

The time change will provide an additional fifteen minutes a day. 

Full Day Schedule

• Elementary Schools: 8:45 AM – 3:30 PM
• Middle Schools: 8:10 AM – 2:55 PM
• High Schools: 7:30 AM – 2:15 PM

Half Day Schedule

• Elementary Schools: 8:45 AM – 12:45 PM
• Middle Schools: 8:10 AM – 12:10 PM
• High Schools: 7:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Stratford’s Public School System has a new budget of $132,953,937, a 2.66 % increase. This budget will include racially balancing and redistricting our schools to address overcrowding, as well as ensuring employment and educational resources in our schools. This budget is over 3.45 million higher than last year. The budget focuses on staffing needs, including Special Education and Resource Teachers. Michael Henrick, Board of Education Chair, argued the proposed operating budget represents “a fiscally responsible approach that prioritizes stability, while ensuring the continued success of Stratford Schools.”

Acting Superintendent Heather Borges has been awarded a three-year contract to become Superintendent, on the stipulation of completing the state mandated certification program that began in June 2025. Borges is starting with a base salary of $245,000, which is about $13,000 higher than that of the prior superintendent. Borges has been Acting Superintendent for the past year on an interim basis, and had a long-standing role as a district official. According to the CT Post, the school board’s four-member Republican majority was opposed by the panel’s three Democratic members, who expressed concern about the size of the salary and the certification requirements, stating, “It’s not fiscally responsible, and it sends the wrong message to educators and students who are asked to do more with less.”

Superintendent Borges has hosted “Conversations & Coffee” chats throughout the summer. In an email to the school community, she notes that it is a gathering open to all, and that questions, concerns, and the opportunity to get to know one another will be the purpose of each of the scheduled meetings, with the final one being August 22^nd, six days before the first official day of school.

Governor Lamont’s state-wide cell phone policies for schools will impact our students, too, with the focus being on a distraction-free learning environment. His policy allows high school students to use their phones between classes and during lunch. In Stratford, the decision to use storage boxes for the students’ cell phones during class time will be provided, costing roughly $10,000 to furnish both high schools was made in June. Middle school students and elementary students can have phones, but they must be secured and turned off during school hours. The goal is to put the focus back on instruction and interaction with teachers and peers, and not on social media and cell phones. 

The new school year undoubtedly will bring new polices, challenges, and opportunities for our community of students, teachers, and staff.  Next time, in our Back to School series, we will take a look at how our schools in Stratford will begin got implement and roll out restorative justice practices, as Superintendent Borges discussed in her July “Coffee and Conversations” chat.

Laura A. Halpern is a Stratford resident with 4 children in the Stratford Public School System. Laura is a Trial Paralegal in the city of Bridgeport and holds 3 insurance licenses for the State of Connecticut.