Danbury ad hoc committee recommends $175.5 million education budget after superintendent's presentation

Chair Holly Robinson opened the ad hoc committee meeting and said the group’s role was to "help the entire council understand the education budget that's before us." The Board of Education team, led by Superintendent Cara Casimir and CFO Mike Weaver, presented the district’s financial picture and a request the superintendent described as a $175,000,000 ask — a $2,990,000 (1.75%) increase over the current year.

Casimir told the committee the district serves about 11,397 students and remains among the state’s largest concentrations of multilingual learners, noting "we are now at 4,098" multilingual students and that 54% of students are economically disadvantaged. She said enrollment has dipped from a recent peak of about 12,000 and that those demographic shifts affect formula and grant funding. "We are our board of education is requesting a $175,000,000, which represents $2,990,000 request at a 1.75% increase," she said.

The presentation detailed program investments, including the opening of academy campuses and expanded K–12 STEM pathways, and highlighted recent gains in outcomes: a 2.5 percentage-point increase in the district’s accountability index, a 9.2% drop in chronic absenteeism since 2021 and a graduation rate up to 83% from 77%. Casimir framed the FY26–27 proposal as a "reset year" to separate one-time from recurring costs and to shore up structural issues identified in recent audits.

CFO Mike Weaver walked through benefit assumptions and modeling that together produce roughly $6.8 million in benefit reductions. Weaver attributed savings to a combination of headcount adjustments in health coverage, higher pharmacy rebate expectations, lower dental/headcount projections and a reduced fluctuation margin in actuarial estimates. He cautioned that some elements are estimates and that the district will monitor claims monthly with its actuary and insurer.

The presenters also described vacancy-management strategies. Casimir said a snapshot identified about $6 million in vacant positions; of that amount the district is treating roughly $1.1 million as critical general-fund vacancies to fill, moving about $2.75 million into grant-funded positions when appropriate, and budgeting for approximately $1.7 million in agency staffing rather than full benefits to manage immediate special-education needs.

Committee members pressed for detail and contingency planning. Councilwoman Candace Fay asked how much of the $6.79 million benefit reduction comes from actual reductions in headcount versus health-cost assumptions; Weaver pointed to slide figures showing about $2.4 million tied to headcount reductions under Cigna health plus smaller amounts for dental and administrative costs but said he did not have an exact FTE count at hand. When asked what happens if health-cost projections are wrong, Weaver described weekly and monthly monitoring with Cigna and monthly actuarial reviews with Gallagher, and said the district maintains stop-loss insurance (recently held at $250,000) as an additional layer of protection.

Councilman Joseph Britton suggested enrollment declines may reflect federal immigration rhetoric that keeps students away from school, saying it was "probably due to the inflammatory, immigration rhetoric at the federal level." Superintendent Casimir responded that some families have self-deported or moved and that if students return the district will face gaps in learning; she cautioned that the budget is intentionally a stabilization and that administrators are avoiding "knee-jerk" staff reductions while preparing to repurpose staff if longer-term declines continue.

On revenue composition, presenters said total district operating expenses are roughly $228 million, split into a $172 million general fund and about $56 million in grants (roughly 25%). The district and committee noted heavy dependence on formula grants, including Alliance funding and Title I, and warned that legislative changes to the ECS formula or other federal/state grants could affect future revenues.

At the meeting’s close, Councilwoman Andrea Gardner moved that the ad hoc committee recommend the city council approve the education budget of $175,508,575 as presented in the mayor’s FY26–27 proposal; Councilwoman Cheryl Wallace Smith seconded. Chair Holly Robinson called for the ayes, members present voiced agreement and the motion carried. The committee then adjourned.

The committee’s recommendation now moves the proposed education budget to the full city council for consideration. The district and council members said they will continue monitoring enrollment, benefit claims and grant legislation that could affect future years.