The CT State Dept of Education ranks the Manchester Ct school system as one of the ten lowest performing districts out of approximately 172 in the state. That puts us in the bottom 5th percentile - that's a 5 out of 100. Connecticut's Department of Education designated Manchester an Opportunity District (an Opportunity district designation by the Dept of Ed, by its very definition, is in the bottom 10 in the state) for years. Manchester is ranked right there with Hartford, East Hartford, Waterbury, New Britain to just name a few. Manchester also has one of the lowest graduation rates and one of the highest absenteeism rates in the state.
What else has the CT State Department of Education told us? In 2025, only 20% of our 8th grade black students and 12% of Hispanic students read at grade level. Only 11% of 8th grade black students and 0% (zero!) are at grade level in math. I involved myself with Manchester's Bd of Ed after learning, in the November 2023 election, that Manchester schools were in the bottom 10 statewide and that only 31 % of our 3rd graders in the spring of 2023 read at grade level and only 34% were at grade level in math. The racial breakdown was even worse:
Percentage of Students at Grade Level
Year Grade Blacks Hispanics White Total Grade
2023 3rd Reading 22% 25% 50% 31%
3rd Math 21% 27% 56% 34%
Those same students 2 years later:
2025 5th Reading 25% 32% 55% 36%
5th Math 18% 18% 46% 27%
Perhaps our DEI program should focus on the diversity of higher scores, equity whereby all racial groups perform at higher levels and the inclusion of minority groups in academic excellence.
These are not Republican talking points. This information is directly from the CT State Dept of Education. Yet the democrats claim that our state analyzes Manchester incorrectly, that we should be reviewed using different metrics. The Dept of Ed has a special department that has analyzed the quality of CT schools for decades. They have reviewed various metrics available to determine those that most accurately prove educational excellence. They also don't work in a vacuum; the CT State Dept of Education consults and has worked directly with the states of Michigan, Delaware, Washington, Oregon and California to make these determinations. Millions of data points from multiple states over decades of analysis prove the value of these metrics.
The Democrats prevented me from presenting this information at the September 22nd 2025, Bd of Ed meeting and specifically stated this was something to be discussed in a closed door meeting - one where the voting public will not hear these statistics. The Democrats have repeatedly told Manchester voters how great our schools are. During the November 2023 campaign season, Mayor Moran said that Republicans were lowering property values because their signs addressed our failing school system. Mr. Mayor, our property values are not being devalued because of a sign, they are being devalued because of a failing school system - one which your administration has presided over since 2014. We basically score a 5 out of 100; by any political party, racial group, religious affiliation, gender, etc. a 5 is a failing grade.
The Democrats have controlled the Manchester Bd of Ed for roughly the last twenty years with the same chairman for almost the last dozen years - they own these scores. In spring of 2015, Manchester had 39% of its students reading at grade level and 28% of its students at grade level in math. In 2019, prior to Covid, 35% of Manchester students were at grade level in reading and 29% in math. In 2025, 36% of our students were at grade level in reading and 29% were at grade level in math. This is progress? Perhaps my democrat colleagues need to be reminded we are supposed to be a Board of Education . . . not Bored of Education. The CT State Dept of Education ranking, our student scores on CT academic standards testing and the above consistent poor academic achievement from one of the lowest performing school systems in the state prove the decades long lack of leadership.
All of this information is readily available on the CT State Department of Education website. If anyone tries to refute this please contact me - I will be more than happy to bring you to the Dept of Ed website to shut them up. Turning our school system around requires a majority Republican Board of Education - anything less will just prolong this endless spiral downward. It is a reallocation of funding, not an increase of funding issue. Citizens of Manchester: What will it take for the "d" to finally not matter? At what point will you listen to the unbiased opinion of the state of CT to finally realize that the leadership of the Manchester Democrat party have been pulling the wool over your eyes for years? These are your children. These are your tax dollars. This is now your decision.
