Groton ― Educators, parents and students cheered and applauded Wednesday night when the Representative Town Meeting restored the Town Council’s cut of the 2024-25 education budget.

Most of the approximately 30 people who spoke at the meeting expressed concerns about the impact that education cuts would have on students, still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and were worried about potential increases to class sizes and cuts to programs. But a smaller group of people expressed concerns about the impact of a tax increase, from raising rents to forcing them to move out of town.

In a 21-6 vote, with one abstention, the RTM approved the $87.9 million education budget and its 7.9% increase that the Board of Education passed in February.

The council had cut the education budget to $86.4 million and sent to the RTM an overall proposed budget for next year of $153.5 million, a 3.1% increase over the current budget.

Superintendent of Schools Susan Austin on Thursday called the RTM’s vote “good news for the school district” and said she is proud that parents, students and educators expressed how important education is to the community.

About 125 staff positions were already cut in the school board’s proposal, as the district faces high insurance costs, inflation and the end of COVID-19 relief funds.

Board of Education Chairman Jay Weitlauf said in a statement Thursday that he is grateful the RTM restored the board's original funding, but the board is still faced with a cost of up to $1.3 million to employ school nurses after the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut ended its school nursing program.

“These costs have been historically paid by the town, and we will continue to work on that challenge,” he said.

At the meeting Wednesday, Ally Altman, a resident and Norwich educator, said what the town is dealing with is happening across the state and is unprecedented. Children are still recovering from what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and missing school. She said “those ripples in the pond are still hitting us today.“

Megan Strand, resident and co-chair of the Mystic River Magnet School PTO, said all the elementary school PTOs wrote a letter in support of restoring the education funding. She said the PTOs are doing their part by fundraising as much as possible to provide extra activities, field trips and busing to field trips.

Resident and educator Jessica Panucci said teachers wear a plethora of hats to help students, but they could not do that without the support staff.

“From paraprofessionals to tutors to security officers, they all play an imperative role in our ability to be the best educators we can be for our students, the most important factor in this equation,” Panucci said.

Fitch High School senior Aiden Bordelon said he was concerned that going any lower than the 7.9% increase could force the school district to cut sports and extracurricular programs that give students amazing opportunities to develop their skills and character.

Nancy Gilly, a resident and former RTM member whose children went through the school system, said she wants students to be well educated but also for the town to provide other services.

She said if taxes go up too much, she may have to move out of Groton because she and her husband are making less than they were a decade ago, while every other expense is increasing. She knows her family isn’t the only one in this position.

The RTM also approved a capital improvement project to improve the Robert E. Fitch High School’s auditorium.

The RTM will continue reviewing next year’s proposed budget and has until May 25 to approve an overall budget. The Town Council will then decide on the use of the fund balance and finalize the tax rate.

k.drelich@theday.com