As Chairman of the Greenwich Republican Town Committee (RTC), I am outraged by the recent actions of Board of Education Democrats Karen Hirsh and Jennifer Behette, whose open letter this weekend urged the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) to reconsider the Fiscal Year 2025–26 Operating Budget while refusing to make any adjustments to their proposed spending plan. Their plea masks a calculated power grab to seize control of the Board of Education, undermining decades of bipartisan precedent and prioritizing personal agendas over Greenwich’s interests.
The Greenwich Public Schools, the town’s largest budgetary commitment, have historically been governed by a balanced, bipartisan Board of Education, with four Republicans and four Democrats collaborating to ensure no single party dominates. This balance is a cornerstone of Greenwich’s governance, safeguarding our children’s education from partisan actions. However, Hirsh, fellow Democrat Laura Kostin, and their ally Behette are subverting this equilibrium.
The controversy stems from the July 2024 resignation of Republican Chair Karen Kowalski. According to the town charter, the Board must select a replacement from the same party within 30 days, after which the First Selectman assumes that responsibility.
For over a century, Greenwich has respected the departing member’s party for such appointments, reflecting fairness and bipartisanship. Yet, in a brazen move, the Democrat majority — let by Hirsh and Kostin —after months of inaction, orchestrated a fake “emergency” meeting to appoint Behette, a close friend, over Republican objections. This meeting, called with insufficient notice, was no emergency but a strategic maneuver to install a pliable ally before a critical budget vote.
Behette, a former Central Middle School PTA co-president, shares social and political ties with Hirsh and Kostin, suggesting her appointment was a tactic to secure Democratic control. During interviews, Behette failed to distinguish herself from Democratic priorities and refused to support a Republican chair. Of six candidates, she was the only one universally opposed by Republicans, as conf irmed by Republican member MichaelJoseph Mercanti-Anthony at the meeting.
This is not the first instance of Democratic overreach. Last election cycle, Democratic Town Committee Chair Christina Downey disregarded tradition by launching the campaign season early with signs, breaking decades of mutual respect (Greenwich Time, October 1, 2024). Such actions reveal a pattern of Democrats prioritizing political advantage over Greenwich’s cooperative governance.
Hirsh and Behette, who aligns with Democratic agendas despite her Republican label, have coopted the Board of Education, threatening its fiscal and educational integrity. The BET’s decision to cap school spending increases at $8 million, which Hirsh and Behette criticize, was a necessary check on a Board lacking fiscal responsibility.
Greenwich Republicans prioritize community and taxpayer interests, demanding transparency and accountability. The Democratic majority, bolstered by Behette’s improper appointment, values political control over our town’s needs. Greenwich deserves a Board of Education that upholds tradition, bipartisanship, and fiscal responsibility, ensuring our schools serve the community, not personal ambitions.
Michael Hahn
