Board of Finance gives temporary approval to $37.27 million Board of Education budget amid spending-cap concerns

The Windsor Locks Board of Finance on March 4 temporarily approved the Board of Education’s FY27 spending request of $37,266,369 after board members said they will continue rolling up townwide numbers to assess compliance with the state’s municipal spending cap.

The motion was moved by Sean and seconded by Tom and passed with four votes in favor and two opposed; the board recorded Mike and Norm as the dissenting votes. The approval was explicitly temporary, to permit final adjustments as revenue and carve‑out calculations are completed.

Board members stressed why the cap matters. One member summarized state guidance from the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, saying the allowable year‑over‑year increase is the greater of 2.5% or the state’s inflation figure (cited in the meeting as 2.64% for FY27), and noted carve‑outs for debt service, capital and the special‑education component. The board was told that exceeding the cap could cost the town roughly $150,000 in state revenue‑sharing funds.

The vote follows several department presentations earlier in the meeting, including a public works request for increased operating and capital funds and a $400,000 engineering request tied to a LOTSIP grant application for Spring Street. Board members said they will prioritize a final roll‑up of special‑education, debt‑service and capital exclusions before certifying budgets for adoption.

The board emphasized the temporary nature of the action: further reductions or reallocations are possible as the town consolidates department requests and confirms grant and revenue assumptions. The board did not set a final adoption date at the March 4 meeting.