Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Public speakers urge no further cuts to BOE budget as superintendent details staffing and special-education drivers
Summary
At a March 25 New Canaan Town Council meeting, dozens of residents spoke in support of the Board of Education budget. Superintendent Brian Lutze told the council staffing growth over the past decade is largely driven by special-education needs and described capital priorities including classroom audio/security upgrades.
Dozens of residents told the New Canaan Town Council on March 25 they oppose additional cuts to the Board of Education (BOE) operating budget and asked council members to specify any proposed reductions before next week’s public hearing.
Erica Schroedel of Wells Lane told the council the BOE budget the council is reviewing is already $300,000 smaller than the Board of Education's original proposal and asked the council to “please share with us the specific amount of the cuts that you may make,” so families and the BOE can assess impacts.
The request came during a lengthy BOE follow-up presentation by Superintendent Brian Lutze, who walked council members through a 10-year staffing and program analysis. Lutze said the district’s noncertified full‑time equivalents (FTEs) rose from 297.11 in 2014–15 to 333.68 in 2024–25, an increase of 36.57 FTEs. He said roughly 61 percent of that increase—about 22.38 FTEs—relates to special‑education positions, with instructional assistants and behavior‑support staff the largest categories.
"Additional staff [are] largely dedicated to meeting growing…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
