Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Suffield Board approves $42 million 2025-26 budget after debate over middle school library media specialist
Summary
The Suffield Board of Education approved a $42,025,928 budget for fiscal year 2025-26 on a 6-3 vote after members debated a proposed pause/elimination of the Suffield Middle School library media specialist position; the board proposed using one-time non-lapsing funds and other adjustments to cover a $250,000 cut by the Board of Finance.
The Suffield Board of Education on April 8 approved a $42,025,928 budget for the 2025-26 school year by a 6-3 vote after heated discussion over a proposed pause or elimination of the Suffield Middle School library media specialist position.
Board Chair Maureen Sattan said the Board of Finance reduced the district’s request by $250,000 and tied that vote to the condensed meeting timeline; Superintendent Matthew Dunbar outlined a plan to absorb the cut. "To reach the $250,000 reduction, the district can apply $92,000 from changes to OPEB, increase projected personnel turnover savings by $50,000, and pay $60,000 budgeted for the new reading program and $48,000 budgeted for new textbooks out of the district’s non-lapsing fund," Dunbar said.
The budget represents a $2,528,540 increase (6.40%) from the prior year. Board members debated tradeoffs. Board member Debra Dudack criticized the Board of Finance’s reduction, saying she was "disappointed in the Board of Finance for cutting the budget by another $250,000 when the town’s general fund unassigned balance is $12.5 million." Board member Brian Fry urged the value of library staff, saying library media specialists are "indispensable."
Several board members defended the reductions as difficult but necessary choices given fiscal realities. Board member Greg Sparzo said restoring a vacant, hard-to-fill role would likely require letting go of one or two current employees, while member Sam Toskin emphasized the need to trust administration to balance roles under "record inflation and uncertain economic times."
The budget vote was Finnigan, Rossi, Sattan, Sepko, Sparzo and Toskin in favor; Dudack, Fry and Mol opposed. Chair Sattan noted the Board will present at a public hearing on April 23 and the town vote is scheduled for May 7.
The Board’s plan relies in part on one-time transfers from the non-lapsing fund to cover new curricular purchases so those costs need not be added to future budgets. Dunbar said the second and third years of the new reading program could also be paid from the non-lapsing fund, leaving about $6,000 remaining in that account under the current plan.
Next steps: the Board will present the approved budget at the April 23 public hearing before the town-wide vote on May 7.
