Stamford Public Schools, Connecticut, elections

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Stamford Public Schools
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District details
School board members: 9
Students: 16,158 (2022-2023)
Schools: 21 (2022-2023)
Website: Link

Stamford Public Schools is a school district in Connecticut (Fairfield and Western Connecticut counties). During the 2023 school year, 16,158 students attended one of the district's 21 schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

Elections

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Stamford Public Schools school board

General election

General election for Stamford Public Schools school board

Incumbent Betsy Allyn, incumbent Andy George, and incumbent Jackie Heftman won election in the general election for Stamford Public Schools school board on November 7, 2017.

Candidate
Image of Betsy Allyn
Betsy Allyn (D)
Image of Andy George
Andy George (D)
Image of Jackie Heftman
Jackie Heftman (D)

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Stamford Public Schools school board

General election

General election for Stamford Public Schools school board

Incumbent Jennienne Burke, incumbent Nicola Tarzia, and incumbent Antoine Savage won election in the general election for Stamford Public Schools school board on November 8, 2016.


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Election rules

 

Election dates and frequency

See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing

By default, school board general elections in Connecticut are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in odd-numbered years. The governing body of a town can by a three-fourths vote opt to hold elections on the first Monday in May every two years in odd-numbered years, in which case the school board elections are held in May as well. As of 2023, two towns held May elections, and the remaining towns held November elections according to the Connecticut Secretary of State report on town elections.

School board primary elections in Connecticut are held 56 days before the general elections every two years in odd-numbered years, which means primary elections are held in early September for November general elections or in early March for May general elections. Primary elections are only held if more than one candidate is running as the nominee of any one political party.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 9-164, 9-415, and 9-423

Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts in towns with November elections

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts in towns with November elections. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: August 6, 2025
  • Primary election date: September 9, 2025
  • General election date: November 4, 2025
Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts in towns with municipal elections in May

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts in towns with municipal elections in May. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: February 2, 2027
  • Primary election date: March 8, 2027
  • General election date: May 3, 2027

Election system

School board members in Connecticut are elected through a system of a partisan primary and partisan general election. Primary elections are only held if more than one candidate is running as the nominee of any one political party. State law allows local charters and special acts can control many aspects of school board elections. There is a process for a political party to endorse a candidate. If any candidates seeking to challenge the party-endorsed candidate of a major party file sufficient signature petitions or file after being selected by 15% of a party convention, a partisan primary election is held to determine the major party's nominee in the general election. A partisan primary is also held if a major party does not endorse a candidate and more than one candidate files nominating petitions to run as members of that party. For minor party candidates, the party nomination process is determined by the party's rules.

Some school districts have appointed boards of education. As of 2022, at least Hartford and New Haven school districts had a combination of elected and appointed boards of education.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. section 9-415 and section 9-203 through 9-206 and Conn. Gen. Stat. section 9-203 through 9-206

Party labels on the ballot

See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections

School board elections in Connecticut are partisan, which means party labels do appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Connecticut state law allows political parties to nominate school board member candidates. There is a process established in state law for a major political party to endorse a candidate. If no other candidate files or is supported by a sufficient portion of a party convention to challenge the party-endorsed candidate, that candidate automatically becomes the party's nominee at the general election and no primary is held. If any candidates seeking to challenge the party-endorsed candidate file sufficient signature petitions or are selected by sufficient portions of a party convention, a partisan primary election is held to determine the party's nominee in the general election. A partisan primary is also held if a major party does not make a candidate endorsement for a seat and more than one candidate files to run for that seat as a member of that party. State law restricts the number of newly elected board members that can be affiliated with the same political party. When an even number of seats are up for election, not more than half of newly elected board members can be of the same political party. When an odd number of seats are up, not more than a simple majority (half + 1 member) of newly elected members can be of the same political party. State law also limits the total number of members of any board, commission, legislative body, or committee that are members of the same political party. For school boards that elect all of their members at the same election according to a charter or special act, the restrictions requiring certain levels of minority representation in the board as a whole apply to that election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 9-203 through 9-206 and 9-167a

Winning an election

Primary elections are only held if more than one candidate is running as the nominee of any one political party. In a major party primary election race, the candidate or candidates that receive the most votes are selected as that party's nominees in the general election. By default, only the number of nominees equal to the number of open seats members of that party are eligible to fill in the general election as limited by minority representation requirements advance to the general election. Towns may opt for an alternative system through charter or by referendum in which nominees from any one party equal in number to all of the seats up for election can advance to the general election. In the general election, when any limits imposed by the minority representation restrictions are met by a political party, remaining candidates that are members of that party are eliminated regardless of how many votes they received, and the next highest vote-getters not of that party are elected to office. Primary election and party nominee process details for minor parties are determined by party-specific rules filed with the secretary of state at least 60 days before the selection of that party's nominee.

The school board candidates that receive the most votes in the partisan general election are elected to an office subject to the minority representation requirement restrictions. The minority party representation requirements are established either by limiting the number of candidates any given voter can vote for or by limiting the number of candidates that can be elected from one party. Limitations for school board elections can be applied at the primary election stage or the general election stage. These limits are based both on the number of seats up for election and the total number of seats on the board. If limits are applied at the primary election stage, only the number of nominees equal to the number of open seats that members of that political party are eligible to fill advance to the general election. If limits are applied at the general election stage, the nominees from any one political party can equal up to the total number of upen seats. In the general election, when any limits imposed by the minority representation restrictions are met by a political party, remaining candidates that are members of that party are eliminated regardless of how many votes they received and the next highest vote-getters not of that party are elected to office.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 9-224a and Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 9-203 through 9-206 and 9-167a

Term length and staggering

The lengths of school board terms in Connecticut vary depending on the district and whether there is a local charter or special act governing term lengths. State statute allows for terms of two, three, four, or six years for town-specific districts. Statute sets four-year terms for board members of regional school districts formed through the combination of two or more towns. As of 2022, 65% of districts had board members with four-year terms.

Regional school districts in Connecticut have four-year board member terms staggered so that half of board member seats are up for election every two years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 9-203 through 9-206, 10-46, and 10-63k
and Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 10-46 and 10-63l

Rules governing school board term length and the staggering of elections for different school board seats vary widely in Connecticut. Statute gives local charters and special acts authority over election staggering, term length, and number of board members. Statute explicitly allows for systems in which (a) all seats are up at the same election for two-year terms, (b) as close to half of seats as possible are up for election every two years for four-year terms, or (c) as close to one-third of seats as possible are up for election every two years for six-year terms. Regional school districts have four-year board member terms staggered so that half of board member seats are up for election every two years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 9-203 through 9-206

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

For school districts serving individual towns, board members are elected at large by voters in the whole town.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 9-203 through 9-206

For regional school districts formed through the combination of two or more towns, board members are by default elected by voters in each town to represent that town on the regional board of education. A reapportionment commission, however, can prescribe that board members be elected at large by voters throughout the entire regional district or by a combination of board members at large and board members elected by each town. The reapportionment commission can also change the number of board members elected by each town in proportion to the populations of the towns. Reapportionment into an at-large or a combination of at-large and by-town system is done when representation on the regional board of education consisting of a number of board members from each town is not consistent with federal constitutional standards. Reapportionment commissions can also adjust the voting power of board members in proportion to town populations.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 10-46 and 10-63l

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

For school districts that hold November elections, any candidates that wish to challenge a major party-endorsed candidate or appear on the ballot in a major party's primary if that party does not endorse municipal candidates must file nominating petitions by 34 days before the September primary election, which means the filing deadline is in early August. For minor party candidates, the party nomination process is determined by the party's rules. Write-in candidates for school board elections must also file by this deadline 34 days before the primary election.

For school districts that hold May elections, any candidates that wish to challenge a major party-endorsed candidate or appear on the ballot in a major party's primary if that party does not endorse municipal candidates must file nominating petitions by 34 days before the March primary election, which means the filing deadline is in late January or early February. For minor party candidates, the party nomination process is determined by the party's rules. Write-in candidates for school board elections must also file by this deadline 34 days before the primary election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 9-405

In Connecticut, the secretary of state can issue nominating petitions for candidates beginning on the first business day of the year of the election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 9-453b

State statute says that newly elected municipal officers, including school board members, officially take office within 70 days of the election. The specific day within that 70-day timeline is left to local laws.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 9-187a

 


About the district

School board

Stamford Public Schools consists of nine members serving three-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members
NameYear assumed officeYear term ends
Julienne Foy
Prasad Tunga20242027
Rebecca Hamman20202027
Antonia Better-Wirz20232026
Gabriela Koc20232026
Andy George20152026
Michael Larobina20242025
Michael Hyman20222025
Versha Munshi-South20212025

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District map

Overlapping state house districts

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $17,171,000 $1,063 4%
Local: $285,630,000 $17,678 72%
State: $94,980,000 $5,879 24%
Total: $397,781,000 $24,620
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $384,678,000 $23,808
Total Current Expenditures: $354,492,000 $21,940
Instructional Expenditures: $225,792,000 $13,974 59%
Student and Staff Support: $40,023,000 $2,477 10%
Administration: $31,548,000 $1,952 8%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $57,129,000 $3,535 15%
Total Capital Outlay: $5,645,000 $349
Construction: $2,879,000 $178
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $1,228,000 $76
Interest on Debt: $4,135,000 $255

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 32 63 12 20 <50 40-44 49
2018-2019 42 70 21 32 <50 45-49 59
2017-2018 41 72 20 28 <50 45-49 64
2016-2017 43 74 22 30 <50 40-44 64
2015-2016 40 70 19 26 PS 45-49 62
2014-2015 37 69 17 23 PS 45-49 56
2013-2014 20-24 <50 20-29 21-39 PS <=20
2012-2013 80 93 62 75 PS 85-89 93
2011-2012 81 93 65 75 >=50 80-89 92
2010-2011 79 91 62 72 PS PS 92

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 43 71 25 31 <50 50-54 60
2018-2019 50 72 32 40 <50 50-54 66
2017-2018 51 76 33 38 <50 55-59 71
2016-2017 51 75 34 38 <50 50-54 71
2015-2016 51 76 33 37 PS 55-59 71
2014-2015 49 76 30 36 PS 55-59 68
2013-2014 15-19 <50 11-19 <=20 PS <=20
2012-2013 76 89 61 67 PS 85-89 89
2011-2012 75 88 61 65 >=50 80-89 89
2010-2011 72 87 56 63 PS PS 87

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 85 90-94 80-84 78 PS >=80 93
2018-2019 87 90-94 85-89 80 60-79 93
2017-2018 87 >=95 90-94 81 PS PS 92
2016-2017 91 >=95 90-94 86 PS >=50 95
2015-2016 89 >=95 85-89 83 PS 94
2014-2015 87 >=95 85-89 82 PS 93
2013-2014 89 >=95 85-89 81 >=50 95
2012-2013 89 90-94 85-89 81 PS 95
2011-2012 85 85-89 80-84 76 PS 93
2010-2011 85 90-94 80-84 79 91

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 16,158 1.2
2021-2022 15,962 -1.2
2020-2021 16,157 -2.0
2019-2020 16,479 3.3
2018-2019 15,942 0.8
2017-2018 15,816 -1.1
2016-2017 15,985 0.8
2015-2016 15,860 -0.8
2014-2015 15,990 0.8
2013-2014 15,860 0.6
2012-2013 15,758 1.7
2011-2012 15,493 1.2
2010-2011 15,309 1.8
2009-2010 15,036 1.1
2008-2009 14,866 -0.3
2007-2008 14,904 -0.9
2006-2007 15,045 -0.5
2005-2006 15,125 0.3
2004-2005 15,077 -1.5
2003-2004 15,307 0.5
2002-2003 15,231 1.2
2001-2002 15,053 1.7
2000-2001 14,791 0.7
1999-2000 14,684 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Stamford Public Schools (%) Connecticut K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.1 0.3
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 6.4 5.2
Black 13.4 12.6
Hispanic 50.2 30.0
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 3.4 4.5
White 26.4 47.4

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Stamford Public Schools had 1,471.55 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 10.98.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 19.48
Kindergarten: 75.93
Elementary: 854.60
Secondary: 516.54
Total: 1,471.55

Stamford Public Schools employed 55.20 district administrators and 57.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 55.20
District Administrative Support: 29.00
School Administrators: 57.00
School Administrative Support: 53.00
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 449.00
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 71.90
Total Guidance Counselors: 37.60
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 12.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 25.60
Librarians/Media Specialists: 2.50
Library/Media Support: 1.00
Student Support Services: 128.20
Other Support Services: 484.00

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]

Stamford Public Schools operates 21 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Cloonan School5766-8
Davenport Ridge School659KG-5
Dolan School6116-8
Hart School551KG-5
Julia A. Stark School593KG-5
K. T. Murphy School394KG-5
Newfield School525KG-5
Northeast School495KG-5
Rippowam Middle School7256-8
Rogers International School765KG-8
Roxbury School562KG-5
Scofield Middle School5846-8
Springdale School581KG-5
Stamford High School2,0489-12
Stillmeadow School621KG-5
Strawberry Hill An Ext. Of Rogers International716KG-7
The Academy Of Information Technology & Engineering6429-12
Toquam Magnet School533KG-5
Turn Of River School6626-8
Westhill High School2,2659-12
Westover School532KG-5

School board meetings

The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)

About school boards

Education legislation in Connecticut

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

School Boards Education Policy Local Politics Connecticut
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External links

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