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Budget presenter says operating increase near 2.98%; special‑education staffing cited as primary driver of added FTEs
Summary
Dr. Lutie told the board the proposed operating increase is 2.98% and that special‑education needs have driven the largest FTE increases. The Board of Selectmen cut about $1.8 million from the district capital request; the administration plans to seek funding next year.
At the March 16 New Canaan Board of Education meeting, Dr. Lutie (budget presenter) reviewed staffing and budget trends and told members the district’s proposed operating budget stands at a 2.98% increase year‑to‑year.
Lutie reviewed a multi‑year staffing analysis comparing budgeted FTEs with actuals and used East Elementary as an example of small annual deltas that net to near zero over time. She said the largest driver of added classroom staffing over recent years is special‑education need, estimating roughly a 7.2‑FTE increase in special‑education classroom roles over the review period and an overall addition of about 23.04 special‑education positions across certified and non‑certified categories. "We don't staff to budget. We staff to need," she said, explaining that the district must respond in real time when students move into town or when emergent needs arise.
Lutie described a building‑substitute program started during the pandemic that has effectively added about 11 FTEs to the staffing picture; the building subs are certified staff who can step in immediately for long‑term leaves or day‑to‑day absences and are included in the staffing plan going forward.
On capital, Lutie said the Board of Selectmen voted to cut roughly $1.8 million from the district’s capital request, removing items including the Sax communications system, high‑school carpeting in the music rooms and certain paving and painting projects; she said the administration will seek to return the Sax system to the capital list next year.
Lutie also outlined proposed internal‑services fund adjustments: a planned $300,000 reduction in the board’s ISF deposit to be covered by food‑service profits, a $300,000 reduction in anticipated claims based on current underruns, and a one‑time $500,000 transfer from the ISF to the town general fund. She cautioned that stop‑loss exposure and claim volatility remain a risk for the plan.
Finance director Sean O’Keefe provided the statement of accounts: through January the operating fund had year‑to‑date expenses of $56.6 million (49.8% of a $113.8 million full year budget), $1.948 million in grants awarded year to date, and food‑service year‑to‑date revenue near $1.511 million with a positive year‑to‑date net result.
Board members will continue budget conversations with town finance bodies this week and will discuss priorities including capital items and the proposed use of food‑service profits to offset insurance contributions.
