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Region 4 and DRES budgets cite rising special-education costs, modest overall increases
Summary
A budget presentation to the Board of Finance on April 7 outlined rising special-education costs—a 32% increase reported for DRES—while showing modest overall education-budget changes and recommended joint capital planning among member towns.
A budget presentation to the Board of Finance on April 7 highlighted rising special-education costs as the primary fiscal pressure for Region 4 and the Deep River Elementary School (DRES) supervision district. Presenters reported a 32% increase in special-education costs for DRES and said the supervision-district budget includes four new special-education supervisory staff and a $60,000 increase for wages and benefits.
The presentation said roughly 80% of the districts’ costs are contractual and that outplacements and limited in-district space are driving expenses. DRES officials also reported a small net change in the overall education budget for their unit (noted as a 0.01% increase), while Region 4 overall was reported as proposing a 4.43% increase with $350,000 in reductions identified.
Enrollment projections through 2030 were described as steadily declining, with an estimated total of approximately 1,200 students (Pre-K–12). Presenters said lower numbers in younger grades are contributing to long-term staffing and facility planning challenges and that staffing reductions are being offset by higher special-education needs.
School-level figures discussed included a $5.3 million budget for John Winthrop School (a 6.3% increase) and a reported budget decrease for Valley Regional High School. Presenters recommended joint capital-planning meetings among the three member towns to coordinate longer-term debt and capital needs.
Capital requests for elementary schools were listed at $55,000 and included a boiler engineering study, burglar-alarm replacement and routine maintenance. The presentation emphasized continuing attention to outplacement costs and efforts to expand in-district programming as a long-term goal.
Next steps: presenters recommended continued coordination among the district towns and follow-up meetings to refine capital plans and staffing assumptions. No formal budget vote on the school budgets was recorded at this meeting.
