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Middletown and city approve $505,000 MOU to cover facility repairs; Spencer Elementary spared
Summary
The Board of Education approved a memorandum of understanding with the City of Middletown on June 3 that shifts $505,000 in repair and maintenance costs to city capital funds, removing the immediate need to close Spencer Elementary, board officials said.
The Middletown Board of Education voted on June 3 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the City of Middletown that will move $505,000 in facility repair and maintenance costs off the school district’s operating budget and onto city capital funds, the board said.
"The memorandum of understanding is a contract between two parties and in this case, the contract is between the City of Middletown and the Board of Education," a board member explained at the meeting. The board followed with a roll-call vote and the chair announced the motion carried.
District staff and board members told the public the $505,000 will be paid from two capital buckets rather than operating funds. "That so that's the total of the $2.55 bond funds and the $2.50 CNR, will actually reduce our budget in the facilities area under repair and maintenance by the total of 505,000," Natalie said, describing how the money will substitute for costs currently shown in the facilities budget.
Board members emphasized that the MOU codifies responsibilities the city already holds. "The school buildings are in fact city buildings and it is the absolute obligation and responsibility of the city of Middletown to maintain the buildings," a board member said during the discussion.
Board members moved the MOU ahead of public comment and then voted to accept it. During the meeting a board member confirmed that, as presented, the agreement removes the immediate budget pressure that could have triggered the closure of Spencer Elementary: "Yes," the chair said when asked whether Spencer would remain open under the MOU.
The MOU was presented as one component of closing the budget gap the district faces for FY2027. District staff had previously outlined other items affecting the budget, including state grant-in-aid and projected city healthcare savings; administrators said the combination of those items plus the MOU would balance the proposal presented to the board.
Next steps: the board accepted the MOU at the special meeting and then continued to consider the overall budget; the district indicated follow-up work on other reductions and next procedural steps would occur as part of the ongoing budget process.
