Poll: How Did the School Board Handle the Budget?

School board officials said that a late breaking deal brokered with health insurance carrier Cigna would allow the district to avoid the extreme budget measures it had been considering throughout March.

The announcement didn’t bring relief for many parents and residents. The drawn-out process, several said, had been exhausting and heartbreaking. And knowing its resolution, it was something that the school board could and should have avoided altogether.

“The last few weeks have been hell,” one parent said. “It should not have happened. You should have caught it earlier.”

John Shanagher, president of the local teachers union the Bloomfield Education Association, said the month was a series of crises for him.

“I feel like for the last few weeks I’ve been playing whack-a-mole,” he said.

After that and other critical comments from the public, Board President Mary Shaughnessy indicated she regretted releasing some information.

“For the period from February 26 until now, I deeply, deeply apologize,” Shaughnessy said. “We had to vote on a dollar amount. It was a mistake putting the job numbers out there.”

How do you think the school board handled the budget crisis? Let us know in our poll below.

The School Board worked hard to find solutions and listened to residents’ input. They did a good job in a tough situation.

The Board should have planned better. This whole month of uncertainty never needed to happen.

I'm just glad it's over.