West Haven schools present $95 million FY26 request; special education, transportation and benefits drive increases

The West Haven Board of Education presented a proposed $95 million operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26 during the March 10 council meeting, Superintendent Neil Cavallaro told the City Council and audience members.

Cavallaro said about 53% of the board—s proposed spending is for salaries, with benefits and special-education tuition making up much of the remainder. He said the district negotiated a teacher contract that raises payroll costs and used an increase in the state—s Alliance Grant to offset a portion of teacher raises in the FY26 proposal.

"When we come to you to get a teacher contract approved, I'm not coming here so you can tell me how great my teachers are. I'm coming here to tell you this is what I negotiated. Can you afford to pay it?" Cavallaro said, summarizing the board—s approach to bargaining and the council's role in funding final settlements.

Cavallaro and pupil-services director Stefania (Stef) described a growing bill for out-of-district special-education placements and said many of those providers are private residential or therapeutic schools that set their own tuition. The district projected a roughly 10% increase in special-education tuition line items and noted the state—s excess-cost reimbursement program has not kept pace with local tuition growth.

Transportation costs were also flagged: Cavallaro said bids for specialized special-education runs are rising and that some routes require additional staff or equipment because of medical or behavioral needs. The district budget shows increased spending on transportation and bus services compared with prior years.

On benefits, the district used a conservative projection supplied by the city—s third-party benefits advisor; Cavallaro said the board budget includes a near-10% increase for health-care costs, mirroring city projections and state trends.

Cavallaro emphasized limited discretionary spending: most increases are fixed or contractual (salaries, pensions, tuition, benefits) and the district has limited line-item flexibility. He also described steps the district has taken to reduce out-of-district placements by creating in-district programs in partnership with ACES and by converting existing buildings into specialized classrooms.

Councilors pressed the superintendent on options to contain costs, shared procurement, and greater coordination with city departments. Council members asked the district to identify one-to-five concrete cost-saving ideas and to meet with city finance staff and council members as the budget process continues.

The superintendent and city finance director Michael Gormani said they plan to continue regular information-sharing; Cavallaro invited councilors to attend Board of Education meetings and to schedule follow-up discussions. The board will submit its final operating request to the mayor; the mayor then forwards budget recommendations to the council as part of the city—s budget cycle.

Ending Cavallaro said the final numbers could shift with the state budget and one-time state allocations: the district expects a $550,000 supplemental payment from a recent state allocation for excess-cost reimbursement, but said that money must be spent in the current fiscal year and does not replace ongoing funding. The council and board scheduled follow-ups during the April budget review process.