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Superintendent proposes 2.98% operating budget; board asks for clearer revenue mapping and grant offsets
Summary
Superintendent Jessica Hatfield presented a proposed 2026-27 operating budget with a 2.98% increase. The proposal includes investments in core instruction, STEM and student activities, and notes special-education and transportation pressures; board members asked for an itemized presentation showing grant and philanthropic revenue offsets.
Superintendent Jessica Hatfield presented the East Haddam School District's proposed operating budget for 2026-27 at the board meeting on Feb. 11, describing a 2.98% overall increase and priorities to support instruction, curriculum, enrichment and student opportunities.
Hatfield highlighted recent gains in the elementary school (a reported 16% increase in English language arts and a 10% increase in math), continuing investments at middle school level (Project Lead The Way/STEM expansion, music, enrichment) and high-school supports (AP exam costs, engineering and 3-D printing equipment, and field trips). She described reductions she had proposed across central services (legal costs, some salary lines, magnet-school tuition) to help absorb cost pressures and said special education costs rose by roughly $300,000 this year.
Hatfield told the board some offsetting revenue comes from federal and state grants and from private philanthropy (for example, Rayboard and Purple Fund support discussed earlier). Board members pressed for a clearer view: the packet presented expenditures without a consolidated revenue column showing grants and philanthropic offsets, leading one member to ask that future materials show an "apples-to-apples" presentation of revenues and expenditures so the public can see how much of operating costs are funded through non-tax sources.
Finance staff and the superintendent said they would provide more detailed, itemized reporting at upcoming budget workshops, including explicit identification of grants (IDEA, Title I/II, seed grants) and private fund contributions. Board and administration also discussed timing: some proposed central reductions and grant offsets will need to be confirmed before the budget is finalized.
No vote setting a final budget occurred at the meeting; board members were given a schedule of upcoming dates and asked to bring questions to a dedicated budget workshop for deeper review.
