Weekly Message from the Superintendent

Dear SPS Community: 

Over the last few months, I have been working with the senior leadership team and our school principals to create the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. As always, our goal is to ensure that our 16,000+ students have access to the programs, services, and resources necessary to be successful in our schools, while also being mindful of our responsibility to Stamford’s taxpayers.

As we look ahead to FY26, out-of-district special education tuition, bus transportation costs, contractual wage increases, and health insurance costs will be the major drivers of the budget. We will be presenting the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget to the Board of Education Fiscal Committee on Tuesday, January 21. The agenda and zoom link for the Fiscal Committee Meeting will be posted online at least 24 hours before the meeting. Look for more information about the FY26 budget process in future weekly messages. 

Cafe con la Super is Monday at 6:30 pm 

Please join us in person at the Stamford Government Center on Monday at 6:30 pm for Cafe con la Super, our monthly Spanish language community conversation. This month’s topic is kindergarten registration and readiness. Meetings are presented in Spanish with simultaneous English translation. Please click here to register for this meeting. 

SCOPES Meeting is Wednesday at 6 pm via Zoom

The Stamford Coalition of Parents Expecting Success (SCOPES) meets next Wednesday at 6 pm via Zoom. This month, parents of students with special needs will learn strategies for managing disagreements about the services provided to their child. Leona Adamczyk from the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) will be the presenter. 

The meeting will be presented with simultaneous Spanish and Haitian Creole interpretation. Please register to let us know if you will participate and if you need interpretation services. 

AITE to Host Collegiate Debate Exhibition 

We hope you can join us on Wednesday, January 22 at 7 pm for an evening of collegiate debate featuring the Yale Debate Association (YDA). This event—which is sponsored by the AITE Debate Team—will showcase the women from the Yale Debate Team. In addition to the debate exhibition, Dr. Zoe Chance, a Yale Professor and best-selling author of Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen, will share her perspectives on persuasion, public speaking, and empowerment. 

Middle School Debaters Win State-Wide Tournament!

Congratulations to Hillary Ho from Dolan Middle School and Isha Jaishiva from Scofield Middle School for winning the December 2024 Connecticut Middle School Debate League tournament! Hillary and Isha are members of the AITE Middle School Debate Team. Last month, they competed against more than 300 students from across the state as they teamed up to debate the motion “This House believes that schools should ban smartphones & watches only during instructional time instead of from bell-to-bell.” 

The Middle School Debate Team is open to all SPS students in grades 6 through 8. If your child is interested in joining, please contact AITE social studies teacher John Dalton at jdalton@stamfordpublicschools.org. The team practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 pm at AITE. 

Welcome Center Grand Opening

Due to a scheduling conflict, the SPS Welcome Center Grand Opening has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 30 at 11 am. The Welcome Center—which is located at Cloonan Middle School—is already open for business and staffed by the Office of Family and Community Engagement (OFCE). Any families that need assistance with school registration or connecting with community resources are encouraged to contact OFCE at (203) 977-5312 or email OFCE@stamfordps.org for more information.

Emergency Contacts in PowerSchool 

Parents/guardians are encouraged to add one or more non-custodial adults as emergency contacts in PowerSchool. These can be extended family members or other trusted adults who are authorized to pick up a child from school in case of an illness, emergency, or weather-related closure when parents/guardians are unavailable. 

Nurses Wanted to Join Stamford Public Schools!

The City of Stamford is currently seeking qualified candidates to work as nurses in Stamford Public Schools. This is a wonderful opportunity to work with students in a public health setting. Click here for more information or to apply. 

Stay Safe & Healthy!

Dr. Tamu Lucero
Superintendent

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