School leaders warn 1% city increase will strain Norwich schools; ad hoc praised for transparency
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Summary
City council and school officials discussed a strained Norwich School District budget after the city manager proposed a 1% increase while the board requested 4.98%. The district and its ad hoc committee are pursuing savings in transportation and other areas to bridge the gap.
Norwich — City council and Norwich School District officials told the board on May 14 that a proposed 1% increase in local funding will make budgeting for the 2025–26 school year difficult and may be unsustainable. Joseph DeLucia, president pro tem of the Norwich City Council and chair of its board of education budget ad hoc committee, told the school board the ad hoc "has made a quantum leap" in the quality of information it receives and that the committee is able to have "informed conversations about the school budget."
Why it matters: Education represents roughly two-thirds of local property taxes in Norwich; reductions in revenue will directly affect district services and staffing. School and council leaders said the combination of flat or near-flat funding and rising costs risks future deficits and service reductions.
The board heard that the Norwich School District requested a 4.98% increase but that the city manager’s budget proposed a 1% rise. DeLucia said of the lower proposal: "It is unsustainable to expect that a school system of this size and this magnitude can operate at 1% increase per year, cannot be done, OK?" He nevertheless praised Superintendent Lessard and district staff for making the constrained funding work this year.
District administrators described several ongoing cost‑saving efforts. The transportation office is reviewing routes and running an opt‑in process for pre‑K through eighth‑grade families and Norwich Free Academy (NFA) to reduce unnecessary busing. Officials said the district's annual transportation cost baseline is approximately $10,800,000 and that a second round of opt‑in forms (after 296 nonresponses to the first mailing) aims to clarify demand and shrink routes. School leaders also said administrators walked bus stops to match run sheets to actual riders and are meeting with First Student, the district’s contractor, to identify additional savings.
A year‑end forecast prepared in February projected a possible deficit from breakeven to about $400,000; district finance staff reported that after April expenses the estimate is trending toward the breakeven side. Board members credited a November budget freeze and administrative steps for that improvement but cautioned that special education excess costs, pre‑K operating shortfalls, delayed Medicaid reimbursements and heating costs remain key variables.
Discussion vs. decisions: The board discussed options and savings measures but did not take a formal vote on budget changes at the May 14 meeting. Joseph DeLucia and other council members said they would continue ad hoc work with district staff and the council to refine recommendations for the full council.
