Finance staff for the Darien School District reported a $500,607 positive general fund balance through September — an increase of $16,295 from the prior month — at a special meeting of the Board of Education finance committee on Oct. 23.

The committee was told the district’s reported surplus reflects a mix of temporary salary savings from unfilled positions and turnover savings. Finance staff said, “We do show a positive balance of $500,607 which is an increase of $16,295 from the previous report,” and explained some savings are timing-related gaps while vacant positions remain unfilled.

The surplus includes salary-savings line items created this fiscal year (separate from the longer-term turnover account), plus turnover savings in both general education and special education. Finance staff reported general-education “RCs” (revenue/cost centers) show a combined positive balance of $132,476 and special-education RCs a combined positive balance of $368,135.

Nut graf: The committee’s discussion focused on what parts of the reported surplus are durable and which are timing or one-time items: unfilled HVAC and other vacancies, a pending security assessment contract for which the budget includes a $50,000 placeholder, and modest federal and state grant shifts that affect special-education staffing.

Details and discussion

Salary and turnover: Finance staff distinguished two separate concepts used in the report: “salary savings,” meaning temporary gaps when a position is vacant and not immediately filled, and “turnover,” which is the budgeted expectation that staff will depart and be replaced at lower salary steps. Staff said the district established a separate salary-savings line last fiscal year; previously those savings were embedded in individual salary accounts and are later “compressed” back into operating accounts as positions are filled.

Staff reported specific salary and turnover items included in the September report: secretary salary savings of $5,700 at Ox Ridge (reported in the transcript as “RC 8”), librarian savings of $4,600, a negative workers’ compensation adjustment of $520, and two vacant HVAC positions generating roughly $38,000 in salary savings (RC 12). Finance staff also said they would bring a formal transfer request to the full board if the RFP for the district security assessment produces a final cost different from the $50,000 placeholder.

Middle- and high-school staffing: The report noted planned position changes at the middle school tied to teacher attrition. The budget assumed converting four sections to five in two subject areas (Spanish and math) contingent on attrition; because two teachers in those subject areas did leave, the district realized $208,000 in the turnover line that had been budgeted for that change. Finance staff emphasized that the contract allows reductions tied to attrition only, and that if those departures had not occurred, the savings and the staffing change would not have been realized.

Grants and food service: The food service fund began the year with a customary deficit that improved by about $60,000 from the previous month; staff said increased cafeteria service days in September and October typically reduce the deficit as the year progresses.

On federal and state grants affecting special education and staffing, finance staff reported:
- A modest increase in IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding to the district compared with the prior year — “about $20,000–$30,000 more,” according to staff — and said the district uses that funding primarily for special-education paraprofessionals, a portion of a psychologist position and special-education teacher time. Staff noted federal IDEA funds flow through the state before distribution to districts.
- A “seed grant” award of $8,700, intended to help districts develop in-district special-education programs; staff cautioned the amount is small relative to program costs.
- Title II funding (professional development) remains flat. The district no longer receives Title I funding; staff said that loss reflects falling below the federal threshold tied to community poverty metrics. Staff noted that falling below the Title I threshold is positive in the sense that it reflects fewer children in poverty in the community, but it also means the district lost the associated federal dollars.

Contract and budget context: Multiple committee members flagged the upcoming public meeting to discuss the teacher contract. Committee members said the district’s recent contract changes (raising lower salary steps) contributed to larger-per-turnover-dollar savings even while overall turnover counts have declined. One committee member asked staff to be prepared to explain the links between the past contract, the current contract, and the financial numbers at the Tuesday public meeting.

Next steps and placeholders

Finance staff said they have an open RFP for a security assessment; the $50,000 figure in the report is a placeholder until the RFP closes and a contract amount is known. Staff said any required transfer to cover the final assessment cost would be brought to the full board. No transfers were presented at the Oct. 23 meeting.

Committee process and closing

The committee had no transfers to approve at the meeting. After public comment (no public speakers in person), a motion to adjourn was made and the meeting was ended by voice announcement.

Ending: The committee scheduled further discussion of the teacher contract and preliminary budget issues for the full board meeting on Tuesday night.