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Wallingford presents 2026–27 operations budget request — 3.82% combined increase, staffing changes and major cost drivers detailed
Summary
At a Jan. 29 meeting, district staff presented a proposed 2026–27 operations budget with a 3.326% sustained request and a 0.494% strategic add (combined 3.82%), citing enrollment declines to ~5,003 students, $389,000 estimated health‑insurance growth, a $365,000 transportation increase, curriculum reorganization saving $105,000, and $601,000 in strategic enhancement requests.
At a special operations meeting on Jan. 29, Wallingford School District staff presented the first detailed look at the proposed 2026–27 central‑office and operations budget, outlining a sustained request of 3.326% and a separate strategic request of 0.494% that together total a 3.82% combined ask for next year.
"This is our presentation for our proposed central office budget for the 2627 school year," Mister Barone said as he opened the operations overview. He framed the request as aligning resources with district goals to increase student achievement, support staff wellness and strengthen community partnerships.
Barone cited enrollment trends as a central driver: total district enrollment has declined over the past four years and is projected to fall from 5,297 in 2022–23 to about 5,003 for 2026–27. He said special‑education enrollment is projected to move from about 965 to 980 and that the district has rising 504 and multilingual student populations, which keep service needs high despite overall enrollment…
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