Wethersfield Board approves $68.15 million operating budget after 6-3 roll call

The Wethersfield Board of Education approved the superintendent's proposed operating budget for the 2025-26 school year—$68,153,339—by roll-call vote on March 11, 2025. The total represents a 4.95% increase over the current operating budget.

The budget's increase of $3,215,536 was driven primarily by personnel costs, including a $2,315,697 rise in salaries and benefits, the superintendent told the board during the presentation. The proposed plan includes additions and adjustments that were discussed at multiple budget workshops: math intervention staffing changes, security positions at elementary schools, pre-K expansion, and additional special-education and pupil-services spending.

Board members were presented a line-item breakdown showing the largest increases in personal services and benefits, followed by higher contracted and purchased services. The superintendent said per-pupil spending is about $19,114 for Wethersfield and noted district comparisons that show some peer districts at higher per-pupil levels.

Budget workshops earlier in February trimmed some initial requests. The original workshop proposal included three math interventionists (later reduced to one), five elementary security positions (reduced to three), and other staffing requests. The superintendent also described an anticipated state reimbursement related to excess special-education costs that would affect the current fiscal year but not the 2025-26 operating budget.

Board members asked for clarifications about object-code groupings (300s, 400s, 500s) and the way recess and lunch-aid hours are budgeted. The superintendent and business manager explained that some lunch aids, when performing recess duties, must be budgeted outside cafeteria funds, which contributed to an upward adjustment in the recess-aid line.

After discussion, the board voted by roll call. The vote was recorded as: Miss Callan Carson — yes; Mr. Carey — no; Mrs. DeRoberts — yes; Ms. Hernandez Williams — yes; Mr. Riley — no; Ms. Walters — no; Mr. Weiner — yes; Mr. Lacovole — yes; Chair Granato — yes. The tally was six in favor and three opposed; the motion carried.

The board will present the approved budget to the Town Council and attend the townwide budget hearing on April 21. The Town Council must make a BOE budget allocation by May 15, 2025.

Clarifying details from the presentation: the adopted increase equals $3,215,536 (4.95%); salary/benefits account for the largest share of the increase ($2,315,697); per-pupil expenditure cited was $19,114; projected ECS (Educational Cost Sharing) receipt was discussed as a moving target. The superintendent noted a recently negotiated partial state offset for excess special-education costs (approximately $130,000 for Wethersfield) relates to the current fiscal year, not to 2025-26.

Board members framed the vote as the product of months of workshops and negotiations with bargaining units; several members emphasized child-facing priorities such as security and classroom intervention when discussing amendments and trade-offs.

Votes at this meeting were limited to the operating budget and the board will revisit town and state processes as the budget advances through the town review schedule.