Resident urges reinstatement of high-school librarian; board allocates up to $500,000 from carryover to cover FY25 shortfall
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Summary
A Stratford resident urged the board to use carryover surplus to restore a high-school librarian. The board approved using up to $500,000 from a FY24 carryover balance to cover projected FY25 operating deficits, leaving remaining funds unallocated pending future board action.
At the start of the Stratford Board of Education meeting on June 24, a resident asked the board to use available carryover funds to reinstate the Stratford High School librarian.
The speaker, who identified herself as Talia and said she lives at 100 Berner Terrace, told the board two Stratford High juniors had described the loss of the school's librarian as a significant setback and urged the board to consider restoring the position if unallocated carryover funds are available. She said she did not know whether remaining carryover funds were already committed and asked the board to consider a one-year reinstatement funded from surplus to give the district time to plan longer-term funding.
Later on the agenda the board considered a finance-committee-backed motion to use up to $500,000 from the fiscal-year 2024 carryover balance — from an available pool the administration estimated at roughly $680,000 — to address any operating deficit for FY25. The motion, moved by Miss McDowell and seconded by Mr. Kennedy, passed unanimously. The motion states that any remaining carryover balance will stay unallocated until the board decides on further action.
During the discussion, Finance Committee representative Miss Mangini said the district expects approximately $680,000 in available carryover, reduced from an originally anticipated $1 million because some funds were used to cover earlier reading programs and extended grants. Board members framed the allocation as a responsible use of prior-year surplus to mitigate an unexpected shortfall while leaving funds available for future decisions.
The resident's request to specifically restore the librarian was discussed in public comment; board action approved a broader allocation to cover the operating deficit, not a designated hire. Board members and administration said any targeted staffing restorations would need to be evaluated against the district’s budget and contractual obligations.