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Regional School District No. 20 trims capital contingency, approves staffing changes in FY27 budget
Summary
At a Feb. 26 special meeting in Litchfield, the Joint Finance Committee and Board of Education cut $275,000 from the FY27 capital contingency and approved the creation of an elementary intervention coordinator and several instructional assistant positions, plus a new Lakeview High School science teacher funded by a reallocation of staff.
Tiffany Parkhouse, chair of the Joint Finance Committee and Board of Education, called the special meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Litchfield Intermediate School and by teleconference.
The board approved several changes to the proposed FY27 budget after presentations by Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Villar and Julia Cardillo, the district’s chief financial officer. Cardillo reviewed FY27 revenue projections and outlined line-item details for tuition, transportation, administrative services and maintenance before the board moved into motions and votes.
On capital spending, Scott Pottbecker moved and Ashley Hall Daddona seconded a reduction of $275,000 to the proposed Capital Contingency fund. Board discussion noted concerns about making allocation decisions before the FY25 audit is finalized and the potential need for unplanned repair funds. The motion passed with ten members voting yes and Billie Jean Sideris voting no; the motion carried with a 76.69% weighted vote.
The board debated new staffing proposals under certified and classified salaries. Principals Sabin Loveland (Warren and Litchfield Intermediate School), Michael Pascento (James Morris School) and Tracy Keilty (Goshen Center School) spoke in support of creating a Coordinator of Elementary Intervention and Instruction and adding educational assistant positions. Scott Pottbecker moved to adopt the superintendent’s proposal — including two educational assistants funded by Title I and two funded by the district — while maintaining a flat budget increase of 4.24%. The motion passed unanimously.
Board members considered a recommendation to eliminate one full-time equivalent secondary choral teacher and to reassign choral coverage via a shared teacher across schools. An initial motion by Billie Jean Sideris to eliminate both the choral and a social work/counseling support position received no second and did not advance. Krista Rizzo moved, and Ashley Hall Daddona seconded, an alternate motion to use the reduction in choral staffing to fund a Lakeview High School science teacher to reduce sixth-period assignment burdens; that motion passed with ten yes votes and one no vote (Sideris), carrying a 76.69% weighted vote.
On staffing at Litchfield Center School, Billie Jean Sideris moved and Scott Pottbecker seconded elimination of a clerical position. After questions about office impact and Dr. Villar’s explanation that duties could be reassigned and that staffing is lean across the district, Margaret Hunt and Kara Cruoglio changed initial hesitations to yes votes. The clerical position elimination ultimately passed unanimously with an 81.7% weighted vote.
No members of the public offered comments during the designated public-comment period. The meeting adjourned at 7:57 p.m.; minutes were submitted by Christine Escobar, secretary pro-tem.
The votes recorded at this meeting represent direction to the superintendent and CFO as part of the FY27 budget development process rather than final budget adoption.
