Norwalk finance committee hears FY25 budget status, special-education shortfall and FY26 gap

Norwalk School District finance staff told the Board of Education finance committee on March 13 that the district’s FY25 operating and food-service budgets are tracking near expectations but that special-education spending and next year’s operating gap remain the primary concerns.

Lunda Asmani, MPS chief financial officer, said the food services fund has an approved budget of $7,200,000 and is about 47% spent for the year, with major expenditures tied to the Chartwells contract and payroll for food-service staff. “This is looking at the food services fund from the expenditure side,” Asmani said. He added that the fund’s revenues come primarily from the U.S. Department of Agriculture school-lunch programs and that a planned transfer from the general fund — about $500,000 — has not yet been completed and typically is finalized at year-end.

Asmani reported that the district’s grant budget for the current year is just over $35,000,000 and is expected to drop to about $30,000,000 next year because roughly $5,000,000 in passthrough funding for early-childcare services will be routed through the city rather than the district. He identified two federal grants that come directly to the district: a $15,000,000…