NEWINGTON — Newington’s two mayoral candidates agree on the need for more infrastructure improvements and praised Superintendent Maureen Brummett’s leadership during COVID and major renovations, but they are split on school budget and transparency issues.
Democratic Mayor Jon Trister, who is seeking his second two-year term, and Republican Minority Council Leader Tim Manke will face off in this November’s general election.
Manke, a 69-year-old Newington native who has served on the council for 10 years, told CT Examiner this week he understands the school district has the largest budget of any town department, but said he thinks there should be an easier way to see where all the district’s funds go.
“I’d like to see a more comprehensive breakdown of where the money goes; it’s not easily understandable,” said Manke, who said residents have expressed similar frustrations to him. “There’s some money [for the school district] over here and some is over here. You almost need a master’s degree in accounting to figure out where the money goes which, then, leads to all kinds of speculation.”
The school district received a $91.6 million budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, or about 60 % of the town’s total $151 million budget. Newington has one high school, two middle schools and four elementary schools with about 4,000 total students.
Trister, whose two children are enrolled in Newington public schools, told CT Examiner Wednesday that the Board of Education “provides us with a very, very detailed sort of accounting of their budget.” It’s up to the mayor and councilors to do their due diligence in digging down on the budget, he said.
“Town leaders have a responsibility to analyze it [the budget], to keep track of where the tax dollars are being spent. That’s part of our job,” Trister said. “Other departments are considerably smaller so their line items are [often] single pages. The school board is a much bigger entity.”
The candidates heaped praise on Brummett, a Newington High School graduate, who has been at the helm of the district as superintendent since 2019.
Brummett’s tenure included the $32 million renovation of Anna Reynolds Elementary School, which was completed in 2024, and the $8 million renovation of John Wallace Middle School, which broke ground earlier this month.
“I think she’s doing a good job,” Manke said. “I think she’s improved the morale of the teachers. Anybody who has gotten the schools through COVID deserves a round of applause.”
Trister, a 41-year-old New York City native who has lived in Newington for 18 years, said of Brummett: “The teachers love her. The administrators like her and she’s done a phenomenal job.”
Although the two school renovation projects occurred under Brummett’s watch, Trister claimed credit for advancing the John Wallace project, while Manke pointed to the Republican-led push for renovating Anna Reynolds school.
“The Wallace project, we’ve seen that from the start and hopefully to the finish,” Trister said. “It’s not like a one-time photo op. It will stand and last. It’s important for [Wallace] because they need to have security and safety, and the classrooms need to have a good learning space. We helped advocate for it to go to referendum upon our election.”
Meanwhile, Manke said Anna Reynolds was pushed by “a Republican mayor under a Republican council. It was completed under a Democratic mayor and Democratic council, but the impetus to get it done was done under Republicans.”
Both school renovation projects are being bonded, with a majority of the funding reimbursed by the state, officials said.
On other issues, the candidates agreed that schools should offer finance classes on finances.
Manke said he’d like to see “real life” initiatives taught in town schools.
“Things like balancing your checkbook and applying for a job. … And how to save money and not get overextended on your credit cards.”
The mayor said he would support the schools introducing classes on “financial literacy and more civic education. … Teaching the kids about local government; teaching them how to be impactful in their community.”
Trister added that his administration has gone out of its way to provide money and resources for Newington schools.
“I think we’ve demonstrated a real commitment to education. I think a lot of it is more that we walk the walk and not just talk,” Trister said. “We’ve provided the Board of Education with more resources in the past two years and the largest increase of their budget over the last two years than they’ve had in the last 20 years.”
Manke said that while many residents complain about education costs, he reminds them: “You were kids too. It’s your turn, it’s our turn to pay that back.”