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Board reviews capital reserve balance and prioritizes safety, maintenance projects amid zero capital allocation
Summary
With the Board of Finance proposing zero capital support for 2026–27, the East Haddam Board reviewed roughly $575,922 in capital reserves and prioritized safety-related projects — cameras, an elementary rear access road and roof/boiler work — while warning that spending reserves now could defer costs to future years.
The East Haddam Board of Education used its April 2 meeting to lay out capital priorities after the town's Board of Finance proposed no capital allocation for 2026–27. The superintendent and staff presented preliminary numbers showing roughly $575,922 available in capital reserves from prior completed-audit surpluses, and a capital request list totaling about $601,086 for the items the administration marked as priorities.
Items discussed as urgent included a lease-to-own security camera system for the three schools (the high school was cited as having 64 cameras), design work for an elementary rear access road recommended in a security audit, roof insulation repairs at the high school, and long-term boiler replacement planning at Nathan Hillary Middle School. The superintendent and facilities staff described the camera project as a multi-year lease-to-own arrangement that ultimately results in district ownership of the equipment.
Board members emphasized safety and deferred-maintenance risks from postponing capital work, and several urged the district to protect investments already made (for example, the recently rebuilt track) by maintaining recurring preventative funding. Others warned that drawing capital reserves down to address operating gaps could leave the district exposed to larger costs later.
The board did not take votes on capital transfers at the April 2 meeting; members said they would present the capital plan and the operating-package options at the April 7 public hearing and seek Board of Finance approval as needed. Administration and board members discussed working with the Board of Finance to request limited transfers and to make public the trade-offs between using capital reserves for operating needs versus preserving them for capital maintenance.
No formal capital transfers were approved at the meeting; the board will continue prioritization discussions and bring proposals to the Board of Finance during the public-budget process.
