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District finance director: tuition and bus costs down for now; Norwich Free Academy enrollment fell by 66 students
Summary
The Norwich finance director told the school board the district is tracking lower tuition and transportation expenses so far this fiscal year, noting a 66‑student drop in Norwich Free Academy enrollment and preliminary savings in transportation per‑day costs for September.
The Norwich Board of Education received a detailed budget and enrollment update that showed preliminary savings on tuition and September's transportation costs but raised a caution about next year’s budget impact if NFA enrollment trends continue.
Robert (Bob) Zepinski, the district’s finance director, briefed board members on the District Repair and Improvement Plan (DRIP) enacted in the legislature. “Based on that legislation, Norwich would get $244,000,” he said, noting the money can be accumulated from year to year and that a bonding commission must approve funding packages.
Zepinski presented tuition and transportation figures the board is watching. Tuition for designated high schools accounts for roughly 32.3% of the district’s budget (about $31 million). The Norwich Free Academy October‑1 census is down 66 students compared with last year; Zepinski said a smaller enrollment could reduce next year’s tuition bill by “a little over a million dollars” if the trend holds.
On transportation, the district’s first monthly invoice from First Student covered only September. Zepinski computed cost‑per‑day figures and said the buses‑only line showed a per‑day cost of $48,206 in September versus $50,263 for the prior September — a decrease of roughly $2,000 per school day. “If that pattern held true for the entire year, we'd be $370,000 less than last year for the bus piece only,” he said, while cautioning that colder months and winter routes typically raise costs.
Zepinski also told the board that special education tuition appears preliminarily under budget by about $275,000 and that the district expects only small enrollment changes after the October census adjustments.
Audits and federal reviews
Zepinski told board members the citywide annual audit (CliftonLarsonAllen) is underway and that the state auditors of public accounts are conducting a separate review focused on special education interactions with private providers. “They are auditing us,” he said, adding his office and special education staff are cooperating with the review.
Electric‑bus mandate and capital concerns
Board members raised the 2030 electric‑bus deadline and the large capital cost of electrifying fleets. Zepinski noted an electric bus can cost roughly $400,000–$450,000 and each charging station about $50,000, and said districts are watching legislative and utility developments. He and the board said they will continue to monitor the outturn of NFA enrollment and transportation bills through the winter months before revising projections.
