Waterbury leaders present proposed $247.5M budget; district warns of $11.8M net operating gap if state aid does not increase

Finance staff and the superintendent described the district's proposed budget and funding constraints during the meeting.

Doreen (Finance Director, S28) outlined a gross budget proposal of $247.5 million for fiscal 2026–27, with contractual salary increases, pupil transportation (a projected $5.6 million increase), rising out-of-district tuition, and utility costs cited as primary drivers. After accounting for Alliance grant moves and unused contingencies, the presenters said the district faces an $11.8 million net operating increase to maintain current services.

The superintendent (Dr. Schwartz, S6) explained how the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and the Alliance grant operate: about $113.6 million in ECS flows to the city side while the Alliance grant provides additional education-directed funds. Doreen said Waterbury has been historically underfunded and noted the Foundation Amount used in the ECS calculation has not changed since 2013.

Board members asked for detailed line-item breakouts, vacancy assumptions and site-level impacts; commissioners discussed mitigation strategies including freezing hires, program prioritization and potential reallocation of positions. Commissioners also discussed the challenge of pension/benefit costs that are absorbed by the city and the role of grants (SEED, Title I) in covering certain functions.

In a short special meeting following the main agenda the board voted to authorize the superintendent to submit a $170,175,000 Department of Education budget request to the mayor as an initial step in the municipal process. Staff emphasized the need for plan A/B/C budget mitigation scenarios pending the state's final aid decisions.