Finance committee moves to forward up to $500,000 of Stratford School District FY24 carryover to cover FY25 operating shortfall

The Stratford School District Finance Committee voted to forward to the Board of Education a proposal to use up to $500,000 of the district's $1,000,000 fiscal year 2024 carryover to address a projected fiscal year 2025 operating deficit, the committee said at its meeting.

The request comes after district staff reported a projected deficit that they said was driven largely by special education expenses. Pam Mangini, finance staff, told the committee that special-education-related costs had at one point been projected to exceed $3,000,000 and that staff had worked to mitigate the shortfall across several funding “buckets,” including an Alliance grant and a $1,000,000 carryover set aside last year. Mangini said the district sought permission to reprogram some of those funds and asked the committee to allow up to $500,000 to be applied to the FY25 deficit. “We can hopefully help our partners of the town a little bit more,” Mangini said, adding that the district must spend certain grant funds by June 30.

Why it matters: Board-set carryover funds and one-time grant savings allowed staff to reduce the district's exposure without asking the town to cover an immediate shortfall. Committee members discussed where the carryover is held and whether remaining funds should be returned to a town-held special education reserve if not needed.

Key details: Mangini said the district had previously voted last June to reserve up to $1,000,000 from the FY24 surplus for a reading program purchase; savings from that purchase and unspent Alliance grant positions reduced the amount the district would need to draw from the carryover. Mangini estimated there would be “a little less than around $700,000” remaining of the $1,000,000 after accounting for planned uses, and requested the committee authorize up to $500,000 to be used for the operating shortfall. She also told the committee that the carryover is held in a separate, non‑lapsing fund set up at the town and subject to audit, and that the Board of Education would need to take formal action to retain or repurpose the money.

Committee action and next steps: The finance committee moved to forward to the full Board of Education a recommendation to approve the use of up to $500,000 from the FY24 carryover balance to address any FY25 general operating deficit. The motion was made by Mister Henrick; the transcript does not record a named second or a vote tally. The committee proceeded to its reports after the motion, and the item will return to the Board of Education for final action.

Related discussion: Members and staff emphasized that the district continues to review line items and grants, noting in particular that some grant balances must be spent by federal or grant-specific deadlines (several grants extend through September or into 2026). Special education staff also reported student counts and program pressures: the district reported 1,462 students with exceptionalities, which staff said is roughly 19% of the student population. Committee members discussed using any leftover carryover funds to seed a town special-education account if the district did not require the full $500,000.

Closing: District staff said they would return to the board with final numbers once fiscal‑year close is complete in June and recommended continued communication with town officials about how any remaining carryover should be handled.