Board adopts budget scenario B; restores AIG, ESY FTE and adopts $123.8M operating budget

The Ridgefield Board of Education voted on April 27 to accept a revised set of budget adjustments (scenario B) and then unanimously adopted the district’s 2026‑27 operating budget.

The board debated two adjustment packages. Scenario B, which the board ultimately approved, totaled $1,524,800 in adjustments and restored student‑facing full‑time equivalents (FTE) that the community had asked to preserve — including positions supporting the Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program and Extended School Year (ESY) services. "We wanted to be sure that the two student‑facing FTE were there," Dr. De Silva told the board when describing the district’s priorities.

Board members pressed administrators on where cuts would fall if scenario B was chosen. A central point of discussion was a proposed $240,000 reduction tied to delaying Chromebook purchases and adjusting the device‑replacement cycle for grades 4, 6 and 9. Dr. De Silva and administrators cautioned that the pause would not permanently eliminate costs: the device cycle will have to resume in future years and delaying purchases could create logistical burdens and instructional tradeoffs. "It would not be temporary…there's only so long you can delay," one administrator said, explaining that the district would eventually need to fund the replacement cycle.

Some members warned scenario B carried concentrated risks in non‑FTE lines such as out‑of‑town special education transportation and heating fuel; Mr. Paradiso said those reductions add risk that may require transfers or future municipal conversations if costs spike.

After approving scenario B, the board moved to adopt the full operating budget. Ms. Moore moved and the board unanimously approved the revised 2026‑27 Ridgefield Public Schools operating budget in the amount of $123,800,000, representing a $4,004,000 (3.34%) increase over the prior year and consistent with Board of Finance funding.

Why it matters: The adopted scenario balances the board’s direction to prioritize student‑facing services while recognizing limited flexibility in a personnel‑heavy budget; the Chromebook delay is a one‑year budget lever that shifts replacement timing and may affect instruction and testing logistics.

What comes next: The district will implement the budget for 2026‑27; administrators flagged potential operational risks (transportation, heating fuel, device management) that the board may revisit if costs change.