Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Superintendent's Weekly Message - January 30, 2026

Dear SPS Community:

Last Monday’s school closure due to Winter Storm Fern means that the tentative last day of school is now Tuesday, June 16. Any additional weather-related closures will be added after June 16. Updated 2025-26 calendars are available here.

Some of you are already inquiring about high school graduation dates for the Class of 2026. Due to possible inclement weather days that impact the last day of school, it is our practice to wait until late March to set the dates for both high school graduation and the elementary and middle school moving up ceremonies.

Expect a formal announcement about the last day of school, graduations, and moving up ceremonies no later than April 2.

On Tuesday night, the BOE approved the 2026-27 district calendar. The 2026-27 calendar is now available to view or download in English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, and Ukrainian. Please note that early release days will be added to the calendar later this spring and the calendars will be updated at that time.

BOE Budget Hearing is February 5

The FY27 budget process continues next week with the BOE Public Budget Hearing on Thursday, February 5 at 7 pm via Zoom. If you are interested in addressing the BOE during the hearing, click here to sign up.

APPLES 2026-27 Parent Information Session is February 4

If you are participating in the APPLES Pre-K admission lottery for the 2026-27 school year, please attend the Parent Information Session on Wednesday, February 4 at 5 pm. During this meeting, parents will learn about the program and have the opportunity to tour the school.

Admission to the APPLES PreK General Education Program is granted through a controlled lottery. Click here to apply. Lottery applications are due February 23.

Students must be at least 3 years old on or before September 1, 2026 to attend APPLES.

National School Counselor Appreciation Week

National School Counseling Week, presented by the American School Counselor Association, is February 2-6. This week was created to highlight the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. This year’s theme is School Counselors Amplify Student Success.

Here in Stamford, we are fortunate to have nearly 40 school counselors in our secondary schools. Our counselors help students plan their high school course of study, apply to specialized high school programs, coordinate countless in-school visits from college recruiters, and work with students to develop and finalize their post-secondary plans, including college applications and financial aid. I’d like to especially thank Andrena Forlenzo (SHS), Ashley Katz (Westhill), and Cecelia Rodriguez (AITE) for leading the school counseling teams in our high schools.

Early Kindergarten Admission Assessments

Families that want to have their child assessed for early kindergarten admission will be pleased to know that Stamford Public Schools will conduct Early Kindergarten Admission Assessments in April. Students who turn 5 between September 2 and December 31, 2026, must successfully complete an assessment to be granted early Kindergarten admission for 2026-27. The deadline to request an assessment is March 31.

Café con la Super is Monday, February 9

The next Café con la Super is Monday, February 9 at 6:30 pm at the Welcome Center. Click here to register to attend.

The February meeting will include an overview of the High School Program of Studies and what families should know about course selection for next year.

In addition, there will be a Summer Programs Fair where families can get information about youth camps and employment opportunities. Participants will include the The City of Stamford Parks & Rec Department, the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program, SoundWaters, the Ferguson Library, the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, Building 1 Community, DOMUS, Cradle to Career, ROSCCO, and many others.

Budget Advocacy

The Connecticut Association of Urban Superintendents (CAUS) is working to bring greater attention to the need for increased funding of the State’s Education Cost Sharing Grant. As we shared during the FY27 budget presentation earlier this month, state grant funding is not keeping up with inflation, which is putting added pressure on local taxpayers. As part of our advocacy efforts, I was interviewed last week along with several other CAUS superintendents for a story that ran in the CT Examiner. During the upcoming legislative session, my fellow superintendents and I will continue to work with our local delegations to secure fair and appropriate State funding during the upcoming legislative session.