East Lyme board trims proposed increase to about 6.23% and authorizes a school-balancing study

At its Feb. 23 meeting, the East Lyme Board of Education reviewed proposed budget reductions and signaled support to present a budget near a 6.23% increase at next week's public hearing, down from an earlier 6.79% proposal.

Chair Eric framed the meeting as the last discussion before the public hearing and said the board's role tonight was to give the public an indication of direction rather than to adopt a final number. Staff and board members reviewed a series of suggested reductions and efficiencies, including software-license optimization, facility and equipment deferrals, staffing adjustments and modest curriculum-summer cutbacks.

Officials identified an approximate $25,000 saving from consolidating or optimizing software licenses and noted other reductions totaling the difference between a 6.79% and roughly 6.23% proposal. Discussion highlighted a carpet-replacement line (quoted by staff at roughly $44,000) and a $525 donation to the creative arts fund previously recorded on the consent agenda.

On staffing, the board reviewed options that would not displace current employees but could reduce future hires or vacancies: converting two vacant full-time secretarial positions to part-time, moving a 12-month high-school administrative position to a 10-month assignment, and leaving open a plan that could reduce up to five open paraeducator positions (staff projected that removing five open para positions would save about $150,000). Annalise and other administrators said cuts to summer curriculum work could trim about $10,000 with limited operational effect.

The board also discussed transportation constraints: bus drivers are contracted with minimum pay for run hours, which limits short-term savings, and longer-term transportation savings may be realized only if accompanied by redistricting or reorganization.

On redistricting, Board members discussed bringing in MP Planning (Mike Zuba) to analyze reorganization and boundary adjustments. Jeff reported that MP Planning would include reorganization analysis and that the consultant fee would be in the low-to-mid $30,000s once reviewed by CES. Kate moved and Vivek seconded a motion authorizing Superintendent Jeff Newton to engage MP Planning for a student-balanced enrollment study, not to exceed $36,000; the board approved the motion unanimously.

Staff will finalize a public-facing summary and distribute it to staff and the public ahead of the hearing; the board also agreed to provide a brief tutorial on the town-budget components at a later meeting to better understand drivers such as debt service and general-government increases.

The board closed the meeting with routine administration reports on weather closures and an adjournment vote.