Brookfield School District projects $654,442 shortfall; special appropriation to cover gap

At a June 18 meeting of the Brookfield School District finance committee, Kasey Diotte, the district’s director of business and operations, reported a projected net budget shortfall of approximately $654,442 for the 2023–24 fiscal year and said that the overage will be covered by a special appropriation previously approved by the Boards of Selectmen and Finance.

Diotte told the committee that the largest drivers of the shortfall are unbudgeted special education costs and unrealized savings from teacher turnover. She also identified other cost pressures—about $89,000 in higher electricity costs and roughly $262,000 in substitute-teacher expenses—and noted offsetting savings, including about $47,000 in lower health insurance costs due to census shifts and approximately $415,000 in salary savings from long‑term leaves and vacancies.

The committee reviewed the district’s check register for amounts over $1,000; members asked several clarifying questions about individual checks but did not request follow-up. Diotte framed the budgeting approach for special education as one in which contingency for those costs is removed from the Board of Education’s budget and shortfalls are addressed through town appropriations at fiscal year end, which she said is how the current projected overage will be handled.

Staff also briefed the committee on the district’s annual audit timeline: the audit typically begins in July and is expected to conclude by September. The meeting concluded at 7:20 p.m.

No formal motions or votes were recorded in the finance committee minutes for items discussed at the June 18 meeting.