Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Dear SPS Community: 

Last Saturday, my husband, John, and I had the pleasure of volunteering at the annual MLK Jr. Day of Service at UConn Stamford. During the event, we were equally surprised, honored, and humbled to be presented with a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing our service to the Stamford Community. As Superintendent, I consider it part of my job to support the community organizations that provide so much to our students and families. However, my husband, John, also spends hundreds of hours annually alongside me, and I am truly touched that his contributions to the community were recognized. John and I would like to thank SPS parent and IROSA Cares President, Catherine E. Stephenson, for nominating us for this honor and also Mayor Caroline Simmons for personally presenting the proclamation to us.  

FY27 Budget Update

In case you missed it, Chief Financial Officer Ryan Fealey presented the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget Request to the Board of Education during a special meeting on Tuesday night. As we had already shared, significant increases in fixed costs will make it impossible to maintain all programs, services, and staff positions in FY27. In preparing the proposed operating budget, we reviewed projected enrollment, projected increases in fixed costs, and conducted a master staffing analysis to determine what cuts to recommend. 

If you missed the BOE Special Meeting, you may watch the recording here (Mr. Fealey’s budget presentation begins at 1:09:20). The FY27 budget documents, including the presentation, are available online. 

Please mark your calendars for other important dates in the budget approval process: 

• January 27, 2026: BOE Regular Meeting - FY27 Enrollment & Class Size Presentation
• February 5, 2026: BOE Budget Hearing - Public Comments on FY27 Budget 
• February 24, 2026: BOE Special Meeting - Budget Vote

The agenda and zoom link for the above meetings will be posted here at least 24 hours prior to each meeting.  

District Calendars for 2026-27 and 2027-28

Dr. Michael Fernandes presented the BOE with proposed district calendars for 2026-27 and 2027-28. The BOE will vote on the recommended calendars during the Regular Meeting on Tuesday, January 27. If you are interested in seeing what was presented to the Board, you may watch a recording of Dr. Fernandes’ presentation here (presentation begins at 00:57:00) or view the slides here.  

I will share the approved District Calendars in the next Superintendent’s Weekly Message on January 30.

APPLES PreK Lottery Open Now for 2026-27 

APPLES, a comprehensive PreK program operated by SPS, is now accepting applications for the 2026-27 General Education Program. Applicants must be at least 3 years old on or before September 1, 2026 to attend APPLES. The General Education Program is open to Stamford resident children as well as the children of any City of Stamford employee regardless of resident status.    

Admission to the APPLES PreK General Education Program is granted through a lottery. Click here to apply. Please note, there is a mandatory parent information session on Wednesday, February 4 at 5 pm at APPLES. Lottery applications are due February 23. 

New Roxbury K-8 Project Clears Another Hurdle 

Also at the BOE Special Meeting on Tuesday night, the Board voted unanimously to approve the Plans for Phase One of the new Roxbury K-8 construction project. This means that the City can proceed with the necessary preparations to get the Roxbury site ready for construction, which is scheduled to begin at the end of this school year. To watch a recording of the presentation made by Director of New School Construction Katherine LoBalbo and representatives of the Roxbury project team, click here (presentation starts at 00:05:00).  

Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest Open to K-12 Students

United States Senator Chris Murphy is inviting students in grades K-12 to participate in the 10th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. Students in elementary, middle, and high school can help honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by writing essays that reflect on Dr. King's dream, their own aspirations, and what Dr. King means to them. The deadline to submit an essay is Monday February 23 at 11:59 PM. Click here for important contest information, including the writing prompt and maximum word counts by grade level. 

Early Release 

Next Wednesday, January 28 is an early release day for staff professional development. Students will be dismissed at the early release time for their school. 

 

Stay Safe and Healthy!

Dr. Tamu Lucero
Superintendent of Schools

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