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East Haddam board faces roughly $930,000 shortfall; administration proposes $200,000 in cuts and fee shifts
Summary
At a special April 2 meeting the East Haddam Board of Education discussed a roughly $930,000 gap in the proposed 2026–27 operating budget. Administration outlined $200,000 in purchase-service cuts and $75,000 in fee shifts and urged use of audited non-lapsing reserves as part of a package to present at a public hearing.
The East Haddam Board of Education met in a special session April 2 to review a roughly $929,999 gap in the proposed 2026–27 operating budget and to consider how to present options to the public ahead of an April 7 hearing and a May 5 referendum.
Kira, speaking for district administration, said the team has identified initial options to close much of the shortfall, including about $200,000 in reductions to purchase services (consultants, training and similar contracted work) and shifting costs for field trips, AP testing and college-credit fees that together would yield roughly $75,000. "Looking to cut $200,000 if necessary and ... passing on the fees for field trips, AP testing, and the college credits," Kira said, emphasizing the figures are initial options to present rather than final board decisions.
The arithmetic presented at the meeting showed the district could combine those measures with approximately $480,000 in non-lapsing reserve funds (2% carryover from 2024–25, pending the annual audit) to close about $755,000 of the shortfall, leaving roughly $175,000 still to address.
Board members pressed for clearer, written scenarios showing what each option would mean for programs and personnel. "I'm extremely disappointed, Dr. Drito, that we don't have a full option plan to reach the full request from the Board of Finance," Melissa said, asking for a menu of specific cuts so the public and board can evaluate trade-offs. Other members warned that finding $930,000 without tapping reserves would likely require eliminating multiple staff positions; Jim said the district should prepare for the possibility of cutting about 8–10 positions if the Board of Finance holds firm.
Several members voiced particular reluctance to cut teachers or core student supports. Board discussion named examples of services that could be affected if cuts deepen, including language offerings that were reduced in recent years, contracted mental-health interventions and professional development. Members also raised equity concerns about "pay-to-play" models for activities and the burden on low-income families of charging for programs formerly provided at no cost.
Board members and administration agreed on near-term next steps: administration will prepare written options and scenarios to present at the April 7 public hearing and the board will reconvene for a full-board vote after the Board of Finance meets and the district has firmer numbers. The district is scheduled to hold the budget referendum on May 5.
The meeting underscored a broader tension: whether to use one-time audit carryover to soften next year's operating pain, or to preserve such funds for capital and future unknown mandates. Board members asked administration to secure any written assurances available from outside endowments referenced during the meeting that currently flow through the town budget.
The board did not adopt a final operating budget at the April 2 meeting; members agreed to present options at the April 7 public hearing and to vote on a revised budget once Board of Finance action and audit results are certain.
