Representative Town Meeting Annual Budget Meeting Materials - Day 4 (linked)

David Campo
From: Colleen Lineburgh <CLineburgh@waterfordschools.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2020 12:19 PM
To: David Campo
Subject: BOE Budget
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Dave,
{ was told to email you about my concerns with the proposed budget cut to the board of education budget. | find this
disheartening in light with what our world is facing at the moment. Though | know many of our residents are not
working at this time because of our pandemic, | think we need to look at what is being suggested for when we go back
to school in the school building. It is suggested that there be smaller class sizes because of social distancing and with a
half a million budget cut that will not be feasible. | would think that positions will be cut and that means larger classes. |
teach at WHS in the special education department and | can tell you this will be a difficult endeavor to be part of and
implementing. My class size has grown in the last few years because people have moved into the town because of our
school system and special education department. My students will have difficulties with social distancing, wearing
masks as well as larger class size in their general education classes. Are we going to have to refer back to the old days
where these students were kept in their own room and away from the general population because they aren’t capable
of wearing the required mask or keeping the required distance away from others? If this is how we think, we should
open up Seaside Regional Center again and that makes me angry and sad that this wonderful town who has always been
in the forefront for the special needs population may not fund the educational budget that will allow them and ail
students to be the most successful they possibly can be.
| haven’t even addressed the social emotional needs of the special needs students as well as the general education
students. | can tell you that | have been working at least 12 hour days 7 days a week for my students to be successful in
this new social distancing educational system. I’ve made home visits, I’ve used texting, zoom, google, and Facetime to
allow my students and parents to still feel a connection to school. These special education students and families are
crashing because of the unknown and it is the first time in my teaching career that | can’t give my students the structure
and support they need-to succeed and feel safe. My parents are reaching out and | have te tell them | understand and
we all are struggling with this unknown and that the typical student is struggling as well. Our students need our support
now more than ever for their continued growth both educationally and emotionally and cutting the educational budget
is not showing them that we as a community are here for them during this trying time.
Sincerely,
Colleen Lineburgh
Special Education Teacher
Waterford High School
17 Goshen Rd
Waterford, Ct.