Colchester board weighs moving $115M bond earlier as FY26 budget projects about 3% tax increase under current assumptions

The Colchester School Board on Jan. 7 heard a detailed budget presentation and discussed moving the district's $115,000,000 facilities bond work up to begin in the fall of 2025, a change administrators said would accelerate interest and cashflow and could reduce long‑term price escalation.

The discussion matters because the timing of bond drawdowns affects both near‑term operating budgets and the estimated education tax rate. Amy (central office staff) and George (central office staff) presented two FY26 budget scenarios: a baseline that maintains current programs (scenario A) and a recommended scenario (scenario B) that reduces 14 currently open positions. Under the assumptions shown on Jan. 7, scenario B produces an estimated tax increase of about 3.10% for Colchester taxpayers; the baseline scenario showed a higher estimate (4.37%).

Administrators emphasized uncertainty in state variables that drive the final local tax result. "This number has changed several times, since December 1, and we're hoping that that number will be finalized this week," Amy said, referring to…