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Wallingford officials say state special-education cuts drive $1.4 million deficit; district to tap reserve
Summary
District financial staff told the operations committee the district faces a roughly $1.4 million special-education shortfall after state reimbursement rates fell; the board asked staff for materials to support legislative advocacy and said it may use a 2% reserve to cover part of the gap.
Wallingford School District financial staff told the operations committee on Jan. 13 that a decline in the state reimbursement rate for special-education costs is the main driver of a projected $1.4 million deficit for the district.
District finance presenter Mr. Baron said the district’s January projection shows a $100,000 surplus this month only because staff plan to use money from the district’s special-education 2% reserve: “our projection… a surplus of a hundred thousand dollars, but that's utilizing some of our special ed 2% reserve money.” He said the overall surplus is down by about $38,000 from the prior month.
The report identified three main revenue and cost changes: tuition deficits rose by about $224,000; the district’s excess-cost surplus decreased by about $202,000; and the state’s reimbursement rate for excess-cost grants has fallen over recent years. “I think they were expecting 85%. We ended up getting 70%, and now it's down, well, I believe, about 64%,” Mr. Baron said. He reported the lower reimbursement level as a primary driver of the current shortfall.
Why it matters: the state reimbursement percentage determines how much the district recovers for high-cost special-education placements and services. Committee members said the current underfunding could worsen budget pressure for the town and the district at budget hearings.
Board members and staff discussed advocacy steps. Amy Turner, a member of the state special-education task force and a district staff member, said the task force is recommending higher funding but the final outcome will depend on the state budget. Turner told the committee she does not “anticipate it going up at all” for this year and noted the state has underfunded special-education costs again. Several board members urged targeted outreach to state legislators; Superintendent Donna Belizzi offered to provide sample letters and guidance the district can share with residents and board members for legislative testimony.
District staff said they project drawing $152,000 from the 2% reserve now but could reduce that draw if additional savings are found during the fiscal year. No formal action to change the budget was taken at the meeting; committee members requested that staff provide advocacy materials and continue monthly projections.
Next steps: staff will continue to present monthly budget projections to the operations committee, prepare advocacy materials for state outreach, and update the board as the legislative process and task-force recommendations progress.
