Middletown committee advances FY2027 budget, signals cuts including some middle-school French

Greg Hewitt, chair of the Middletown School Committee, opened the March 19 meeting and the panel advanced a proposed FY2027 budget that district leaders say will require staffing reductions and program changes unless the town increases its contribution.

Superintendent (Billy) presented what he called a "reasonable and responsible balanced budget for '27," telling the committee the draft assumes a 4% increase from the town and that without that level of support the district would face deeper cuts. "We are presenting a reasonable and responsible balanced budget for '27," the superintendent said, and later warned the proposal is a "reduction budget," not a growth budget.

The budget presentation listed several drivers behind the shortfall: declining state aid and grant funding, the absence this year of a $500,000 one-time fund-balance appropriation used last year, and rising fixed costs such as transportation and insurance. The superintendent said health‑care costs alone are expected to increase (he referenced about an 8.5% increase for some lines and as much as 53% for certain retirement-health costs), and that those pressures combine with enrollment changes.

On staffing and programs, the superintendent said the draft reduces staffing by 17.7 positions districtwide, including three leadership positions, roughly 10.7 instructional adjustments and four support‑staff reductions. He listed specific potential program impacts and savings, including eliminating some levels of the French program ("French is no longer being newly offered at certain levels," he said) and proposed changes to reading intervention, specialty positions and some districtwide roles. He said most reductions would be managed through retirements and resignations but acknowledged "there will be layoffs, but they will be minimal."

Committee members praised the administration's work and urged community members to contact town council and state representatives about the funding formula and the town contribution. Hewitt and other members emphasized that special education and transportation are significant and unpredictable cost drivers, and noted the district is pursuing transportation efficiencies with outside consultants.

After discussion the committee voted to move the FY2027 budget forward (a vote to consider and advance the budget passed; the transcript records the motion and that it "passes" but does not include a roll‑call tally). The superintendent and several members repeatedly framed a 4% town contribution as important to avoid more disruptive cuts, and said a 2% contribution would force deeper reductions to student services.

On policy business, the committee considered and approved first readings of several policies: a new policy 9250 (district branding and logos), a revision to policy 4220 (employee telecommunication equipment and use), and a revision to policy 7114 (learning environment; suspension and expulsion). The committee also approved the consent agenda while tabling two policy items (policy 9220 and policy 4000) to a future meeting.

In his report the superintendent said district enrollment stands at 1,792 students, down from 1,891 last year, with 87 students enrolled in homeschool programs. He reported growth in career-and-technical education enrollment for incoming classes and said the district received a perfect on-site rating in one school-lunch fund audit. Committee members also received updates on new-school construction (including a March 27 beam-signing and topping-off ceremony), ongoing work by a cultural-historical memorial committee, wellness-month events, and the general success of the district's recently adopted cell-phone policy.

The meeting concluded after routine business; a motion to adjourn at 6:18 p.m. passed.