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Committee reviews $30.38M level‑service FY27 budget; towns face $581,546 increase in required local contribution
Summary
Finance presenter Nick reviewed a $30,383,805 level‑service FY27 budget (a 5.03% increase), highlighted a projected revenue‑to‑expense gap of about $2.1 million, and outlined drivers including health insurance, special‑education tuition and rising school‑choice costs; a public budget hearing is set for March 18 and the committee will vote March 23.
The Southwick‑Tolland‑Granville School Committee reviewed a level‑service FY27 budget proposal that would total $30,383,805, a 5.03% increase over the current year, finance presenter Nick said.
"Our proposed '27 budget is 30,383,805 or a 5.03% increase over this year," Nick said during the presentation. He flagged several major cost drivers: an estimated 8% rise in health insurance, increasing special‑education tuition (including out‑of‑district placements), a modest increase in transportation costs driven in part by homeless transportation needs, and debt service tied to borrowing for a boiler design study.
Nick told the committee the combined effect of revenue and expense projections produced a roughly $2.1 million gap between projected revenues and expenses, which will require the committee to consider reductions or to use revolving funds and E&D (excess and deficiency) balances carefully. He also showed how the district's required local contribution would increase by about $581,546 across the three towns under the level‑service scenario.
The committee discussed rising charter and virtual‑school tuition costs (the district now has 10 students in choice/virtual programs) and whether to cap choice enrollment; members noted capping enrollment can save money but could also limit options for students who do better in nontraditional settings. Nick said grant funding (Title I/II/IV, IDEA, rural aid, circuit breaker) contains uncertainty and that he conservatively budgeted for potential shortfalls; he estimated at least $84,000 in current grant shortfalls were moved into the general fund.
Nick reviewed capital needs, including the boiler project (design study under way; project estimate ~ $600,000) and the previously deferred track exploratory project (~$192,000). The committee discussed bonding the boiler work (proposing a 10‑year bond to smooth town assessments) and whether to place the track and boiler warrant articles separately.
Next steps and public process: Nick announced a public budget hearing on March 18 at Powder Mill cafeteria and a school committee vote on the budget scheduled for March 23. The consent agenda for the meeting was approved 6–0–0 during the session.
