New Canaan council hears Board of Education budget review as members press on staffing, program costs

New Canaan — The Town Council on March 18 heard a condensed presentation from the Board of Education on the proposed fiscal year 2026 school budget and questioned rising staff counts and long-term costs even as enrollment has fallen slightly.

Dr. Lutzky, superintendent of New Canaan Public Schools, opened the board’s 90-minute presentation by summarizing district priorities and recent results, saying the district’s students “outperformed all other students in the state” on the Smarter Balanced assessments in 2024 and pointing to growth in Advanced Placement participation and other programs.

The proposed budget seeks continued investments in student-facing programs and building security while funding operating needs. Lutzky and district staff described several items in the request: a new full-time classroom coach to expand a coaching pilot at elementary schools; a math interventionist at the high school to support students doubling up on math courses; continued funding for security upgrades and school resource officers; and ongoing investments intended to reduce out-of-district special-education placements over time.

Council members pressed the district on headcount and cost trends. One council member cited district figures showing enrollment of about 3,943 students for 2025–26 versus roughly 4,220 in 2015–16, while FTE staffing…