Old Saybrook board adopts 5.57% school budget request, sets up 2% reserve to lower taxpayer ask

The Old Saybrook Board of Education voted to send a 5.57% school budget request to the town and to establish an off‑budget reserve equal to up to 2% of the FY26 operating budget, a move board members said will reduce the district's new‑tax ask while preserving planned staffing and program investments.

Administration recommended the combined approach after updated insurance claims data gave the district more confidence in its near‑term cash position. Superintendent Chris Dreszic told the board that additional December claims information and underwriter discussions allowed the district to lower its previously modeled health‑insurance increase assumption: “we are comfortable recommending to the board of making a 5% reduction to that 23% and settling at 18 as of today,” he said, describing a path that trimmed the budget impact by roughly 0.5 percentage points.

The 5.57% figure is the superintendent’s recommended appropriation of new taxpayer dollars. To further reduce what the district will request at referendum, Dreszic and the business office proposed creating an off‑budget reserve under Connecticut law (Public Act 25‑93) using money already identified and frozen in FY26—about $617,000, roughly 2% of the operating budget—to supplement next year’s plan. “This money’s already existing,” Dreszic said, explaining that the funds come from nonessential spending lines that were held in light of insurance uncertainty.

Board members stressed transparency in explaining the mechanism to the town finance officials and the public. Karina, who led the budget and fiscal committee’s review, said the reserve gives the district flexibility to maintain staffing and program priorities while lowering the immediate tax increase. Board member Mary Beth moved the motion to adopt the 5.57% appropriation supplemented by a 2% reserve account; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously (individual roll‑call votes were not read aloud in the meeting record).

What’s next: The board’s approved package will be presented to the town’s budget process and to voters as required. Administration said it will continue monitoring claims and other cost drivers between now and final budget adoption in April and will update the board if projections change.

Budget action (as recorded at the meeting): The board adopted the superintendent’s FY27 budget recommendation of a 5.57% appropriation, to be supplemented by creating an off‑budget reserve equal to 2% of the FY26 operating budget (roughly $617,000). The motion was moved by Mary Beth and seconded (second by Joe); outcome: approved. Vote tally: unanimous in favor; member‑by‑member counts were not specified in the transcript.