Weekly Message from the Superintendent
Dear SPS Community:
As the second half of the school year begins, this is a good time to remind everyone about the importance of regular school attendance. All children in the U.S. have the right to a public school K-12 education, and decades of research confirm that students who attend school regularly earn better grades and are more likely to reach academic goals at every grade level.
The Stamford Strive for 5 campaign shares more information about the importance of regular school attendance and calls on students to miss no more than 5 days of school each year.
If you or anyone you know has questions or concerns about school attendance, please contact your school principal, assistant principal, or parent facilitator, or contact the Office of Family and Community Engagement at 203-977-5312 or OFCE@stamfordps.org.
Thank You AITE and Yale Debate Association
Thank you to everyone who turned out on Wednesday night for the collegiate debate exhibition hosted by AITE. The women of the Yale Debate Association engaged in a spirited debate in response to the question: “Should Americans prioritize electing female candidates over supporting candidates who are responsive to women’s issues?”
Thanks also to panelists Mayor Caroline Simmons, State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, and AITE senior Maggie Fleischer who thoughtfully shared feedback and commentary. It was truly an enjoyable evening for all.
Welcome Center Ribbon Cutting
The ceremonial ribbon cutting for the new SPS Welcome Center is Thursday, January 30 at 11 am. The Welcome Center—which is operated by the Office of Family and Community Engagement—is a one-stop destination for registration, language screenings, community resources, and more. If you need assistance with registration, PowerSchool and other technology, or want to learn more about resources available for you and your family, stop by the Welcome Center located at 11 W. North Street within Cloonan Middle School.
The Welcome Center also includes a School Based Health Center (SBHC) operated by our partner, Family Centers. The SBHC provides essential healthcare support to all students, including school physicals and immunizations.
FY26 Operating Budget
In case you missed it, Chief Financial Officer Ryan Fealey presented the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget Request to the BOE Fiscal Committee on Tuesday night. For FY26, our goal was to request a “status quo” increase of about 3%, which is the 10-year average increase approved by the Board of Representatives. As we prepared the FY26 budget, we identified more than $5 million in cuts that are reflected in the Superintendent's Proposed Budget, including the elimination of the program providing free breakfast and lunch for all students. Please note, SPS will continue to participate in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program for qualifying students.
However, significant cost increases in areas out of our direct control—including student transportation (+9%), out of district special education services (+15%), electricity (+12%) and employee healthcare (+8%)—required us to request a 4.95% increase. Without the outsized increases in the aforementioned areas, the requested increase would have been only 3.12%.
All FY26 budget documents are available to view online.
Join us on Monday for SPS Dollars and Decisions!
Stamford Public Education Foundation, Stamford Cradle to Career, and the Boys and Girls Club are hosting SPS Dollars and Decisions on Monday, January 27 at 7 pm at Cloonan Middle School and via Zoom. During this meeting, I will review the FY26 proposed budget and answer your questions. The event will be offered with Spanish interpretation. You must register to attend in person or to receive the Zoom link.
APPLES PreK Lottery Open Now for 2025-26
APPLES, a comprehensive PreK program operated by SPS, is accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year. Students must be at least 3 years old on or before September 1, 2025, to attend APPLES.
Admission to the General Education Program is through a lottery. Click here to apply. Applications are due February 24.
Early Release
Don’t forget that Wednesday, January 29 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