South Windsor leaders press trade-offs as school budget responds to decade of enrollment growth

Superintendent Dr. Carter told the Town Council and Board of Education at a March 18 joint working session that South Windsor faces sustained enrollment growth and ‘‘the cumulative effect’’ of ten consecutive years of increases is driving this year’s budget request.

‘‘We’re the only district in the state that has 10 consecutive years of enrollment increases,’’ Dr. Carter said, explaining that steady growth means staffing needs do not scale linearly and that the district must add teachers at middle and high-school levels even where elementary staffing has plateaued.

The board’s proposed FY2026–27 package would increase education spending to address those pressures and higher health-care claims. Mayor Zimmerman and councilors warned residents would feel the impact on taxes: the mayor said that fully funding the Board’s requests and using $3 million from the tax-stabilization fund would result in a 6.97% tax rate.

Council members and Dr. Carter debated how South Windsor compares with neighboring communities. Dr. Carter said percentage comparisons are misleading because other towns have declining enrollment; she gave district estimates that matching per-pupil spending in towns such as Simsbury, Avon or Glastonbury would require adding on the order of $12.6–17 million, depending on the comparison and year.

Special education emerged as a key driver. Dr. Carter reported 33 outplaced students—whose placements can cost about $55,000 to $425,000 each—and said a roughly $1 million increase in the special-education line reflects both more placements and the need this year to replace reserves used to cover prior shortfalls. ‘‘When you rely on reserves just to be your basic operating budget, you’re creating cliffs,’’ she said.

The Board added about $250,000 to its recommendation above the superintendent’s submission to fund a social-studies teacher at the high school and two behavior specialists. Dr. Carter described those behavior specialists as non‑certified staff trained in de‑escalation and PMT methods intended to address a recent surge in dysregulated behavior among students across grade levels.

Councilors pressed for details on federal grants and one‑time revenue. Staff explained that ARPA/ESSER and other pandemic-era grants have expired, producing a lower projection of federal grant revenue for FY26, and that federal grant totals can vary year to year because some funds are entitlement-based.

Dr. Carter and finance staff cautioned that health-care claims are trending upward; they said the district’s healthcare reserve percentage fell (reported examples given) and that last year’s reliance on reserves to smooth reductions is contributing to this year’s increase.

Facilities and capacity were also raised repeatedly. Dr. Carter said the district is exploring state school-construction support or special legislation for a large-scale high‑school project because of long-term enrollment pressure and immediate constraints—she said the high school cafeteria is already inadequate and the district expects roughly 350 more students. Shorter-term steps include leasing space, reconfiguring existing rooms and moving programs such as the 18–22 transition program to free classrooms.

Several councilors and board members expressed concern about affordability for residents. Councilor Cadera noted the tension between maintaining high-quality schools and rising property-tax burdens, saying some families face difficulty remaining in town if tax increases continue.

On budgeting schedule, Dr. Carter urged an earlier council decision (May 4 rather than late May) because teacher recruiting and hiring take place in late winter and spring; delaying adoption would hamper the district’s ability to compete for candidates.

There was no formal vote on the school budget at the session. The meeting closed after a procedural motion to adjourn.

What comes next: the council and board will continue negotiations and may hold special meetings to await possible state-level funding developments; Dr. Carter said the district will also continue to explore state construction support while pursuing short-term space solutions.