On Monday, April 15th, at 7:00 pm, the Westfield Residents Association will host the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Patricia Charles, and the Chairman of the Board of Education, Dr. Gene Nocera. The meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the Third Congregational Church, 94 Miner Street in Middletown located just down the hill from the Westfield Fire Department off of East Street. Education is the biggest item (by far) in the city's budget and it is an important driver of our property values and property taxes. The quality of our schools has a profound effect on both our children's future and also on how desirable our city is to live in. In addition, this is the season when the Common Council determines how much money to provide to the schools. The Board of Education has requested $5M more money than last year, and the Mayor has proposed $3M more than last year. The Council will set the budget at the end of April. During this time of year, we are lucky to have the attention of the two leaders of Middletown’s public schools to chat with about any topic related to our schools--and there are so many, such as the budget, class sizes, redistricting McDonough School, education reform, our City’s CMT scores and how we are faring meeting the goals set in No Child Left Behind, and how Middletown is evaluating the effectiveness of its’ teaching staff. The Westfield Residents Association meeting is open to any resident of the community and it is your chance to hear about the state of the schools and the budget for education in our city. There will be ample opportunities to ask Dr. Charles and Dr. Nocera questions about anything that is on your mind in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Please come and join us on Monday, April 15, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the church hall on Miner Street, just down the hill from the Westfield Fire Department off of East Street.
