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Sherman selectmen ask school to trim $225,000 after town finds $240,000 in cuts
Summary
At a March 11 special budget workshop, Sherman selectmen said the town trimmed $240,000 and asked the school to pursue $200,000–$225,000 in additional reductions — targeting supplies, fuel, staffing and Pre‑K tuition — and directed staff to draft a formal request to the school.
At a special March 11 budget workshop, the Town of Sherman Board of Selectmen said town staff had identified $240,000 in reductions and asked the Sherman School to pursue $200,000 to $225,000 in cuts to help limit the town’s tax increase.
"The town was able to cut $240,000," Business Manager Liz LaVia told the selectmen as she and Treasurer Andrea Maloney summarized recent town adjustments and their review of school spending. Maloney said she had spoken with an adviser, Barry, who told her that using Capital Non‑Recurring or Surplus would be acceptable if needed, but cautioned that repeated budget failures can erode taxpayer confidence.
The selectmen focused on several school budget lines they said deserve closer scrutiny. Selectman Joel Bruzinski questioned a $25,000 Pre‑K tuition line and criticized the "optics" of an assumed shared‑services arrangement that board members said had not been finalized. LaVia warned that shared services are complicated by insurance, workers’ compensation and benefit costs, and may not produce the presumed savings.
Maloney and LaVia flagged supply and maintenance lines. Maloney called a $100,000 supplies line "excessive" and questioned a $10,000 HVAC maintenance appropriation for a new building; LaVia said school supply budgets were elevated after being held flat in advance of a planned renovation. LaVia also said a $75,000 placeholder for fuel oil was overstated, noting that actual fuel orders have typically cost about $25,000.
Selectman Bob Ostrosky and other board members also criticized a proposed Executive Assistant position. "It was a horrible addition," Ostrosky said, and he and Bruzinski suggested increasing hours for an existing staff position instead of creating a new role.
Ostrosky proposed an initial $150,000 reduction from the school budget; Bruzinski and staff said a deeper reduction was feasible. Maloney and LaVia told the board a $200,000 reduction would leave the town with a 3.96% overall increase despite two major building projects. The board asked staff to draft a letter asking the school to re‑examine oil, staffing, tuition and bus lines with a target reduction of up to $225,000.
First Selectman Don Lowe agreed to meet with Maloney and LaVia the next day to draft the letter and reach out to the Sherman School. The board agreed the school budget presentation would have been useful earlier in the process; Bruzinski said presenting the school budget first might have avoided some town cuts.
The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn by First Selectman Don Lowe, seconded by Selectman Bob Ostrosky; the meeting adjourned at 7:59 p.m.
