Regional School District 18 proposes $41,477,955 budget; referendum set for May 5

Regional School District 18 officials on May 4 presented a proposed $41,477,955 budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year and adjourned the meeting to a referendum to be held May 5 from noon to 8:00 p.m.

The district read the budget and meeting notice at Center School in Old Lyme and instructed voters that the May 5 vote will be conducted by voting tabulators in Lyme and Old Lyme, citing Connecticut General Statutes Section 9-272 and Section 7-7. Polling locations are Lyme Town Hall, 480 Hamburg Road, and Lyme‑Old Lyme Middle School, 53 Lyme Street, Old Lyme.

The most contested topics in audience questions involved special-education placements, upcoming capital work on heating and cooling systems, debt-service impacts and an administrative-services line-item increase. A resident asked, “what are we doing with eight adults that are being bussed out of our community to be educated,” raising concern about out-of-district placements and their cost.

A district staff member responded, “We’re obligated by state and federal law to educate people up until the age of 22 if they have what’s called an IEP, an individualized education plan,” and said some students require out‑of‑district programs when local staffing or specialist services are not available. The meeting record cites a January note from Melissa Jarvis, the district’s director of special education, indicating the district identified eight students whose needs required out‑of‑district placement—about double the number originally budgeted for 2025–26—but officials said the total is expected to remain steady in the coming year. The staff member also stated that, based on current enrollment, the district does not currently have eight 18‑to‑22‑year‑old students placed out of district.

Audience members also asked about a multi‑million‑dollar figure in the budget related to heating and cooling. Officials said the district is undertaking a substantial HVAC renovation and that related debt-service obligations are producing an increase in the debt-service line; staff cited about a $54,000 increase tied to projects approved in 2022 and emphasized that the debt-service cost is separate from special‑education outplacement expenses.

Officials described enrollment trends as roughly steady: slight increases at the elementary school and declines at the secondary level. The district reported 17 tuition students from other towns who pay to attend district schools; staff said tuition rates are $19,000 for high school, $17,000 for middle school, $15,000 for elementary and $10,000 for pre‑K, and that those tuition payments provide revenue that offsets some district costs.

When asked about an administrative‑services increase of roughly 12% (about $124,000), staff clarified that the line item does not represent higher administrator salaries but covers technology upgrades (network switches), software and programs such as absence‑management and hiring platforms, membership in CABE (which includes legal services), and anticipated legal costs in a year when multiple contracts — the teachers’, non‑certified and administrators’ contracts — will be negotiated.

After the public Q&A, a board member moved and seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting to the May 5 referendum; the motion passed on a voice vote with ayes recorded and counts not specified. The registrar of voters from Lyme reminded residents that each citizen of Lyme or Old Lyme is entitled to one vote regardless of property ownership and that registrars will be available to answer questions before the vote.

The board’s recommended budget and the referendum procedure were the meeting’s central outcomes; the budget will be decided by voters at the May 5 referendum.