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Committee hears budget update; special education enrollment reported at 22.94%
Summary
Finance staff reported the district—udget through March 31, 2026, noting roughly $2.5 million unencumbered on the general side and an anticipated end-of-year deficit driven by special education estimated in the $3.4to$3.9 million range; commissioners requested additional monthly raw counts and service-type breakdowns to inform planning.
At the April committee meeting, finance staff reviewed the Bristol School District's 2026 budget through March 31 and highlighted special education as the primary driver of projected deficits.
Jodie Bond reported that as of March 31, 2026 the general education side of the budget showed roughly $2.5 million unencumbered but that based on current spending patterns those funds are expected to be used; she projected an end-of-year overall deficit largely driven by special education and estimated that special education costs could place the district in a roughly $3.4to$3.9 million deficit range by year end. "I do anticipate having an end-of-year overall deficit based on whatever our special education deficit will be at the time somewhere in the three probably 3.4 to $3.9 million range," Bond said.
The pupil personnel report, read on behalf of Dr. Martino, stated that as of April 1, 2026, 1,821 of 7,939 enrolled Bristol students (22.94%) were identified as requiring special education programming; 126 students were in private out-of-district special education placements and 91 were at other public out-of-district schools, including magnet schools. Commissioners raised questions about trend data and requested that future reports include raw student-count changes month-to-month and a breakdown of service types (for example, speech services, behavior programs, autism programs, resource-room support) so the board can see where enrollment and service needs are concentrated.
Bond also reported a cafeteria fund surplus of $191,229 pending federal and state reimbursement and provided March meal counts. The committee reviewed student activity account balances for Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern, noting gate-fee net income and fundraising as revenue components and a planned donation from activity funds for a press box at Bristol Central.
Committee members asked staff to incorporate previous-month percentages and raw counts in future presentations to improve trend analysis and to add a page showing service-type breakdowns for special education enrollment. Staff said they would follow up with the requested data.
The committee approved the March 11, 2026 Finance and Operations Committee meeting minutes earlier in the meeting and later moved the solar proposal to the full board; no formal budget votes were recorded at this session.
