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Suffield officials report FY26 deficit closed but face possible Open Choice payback demand from Hartford
Summary
Business Manager Eric Remington said the district closed its projected fiscal-year deficit but reported a potential liability: Hartford has requested payback for Open Choice special-education reimbursements after a state statute change over the past four years; Suffield is resisting deduction from the FY26 bill and will explore responses.
At the July 13 meeting of the Suffield Board of Education, Business Manager Eric Remington informed members that the district was able to close its projected deficit for Fiscal Year 2026. He also described a major potential liability connected to the Hartford Open Choice program: according to Remington, Hartford is requesting payback tied to a change in state statute affecting Open Choice special-education reimbursements for the past four years.
Remington said the district is resisting deducting the requested amount from the Fiscal Year 2026 bill and is exploring options for response; the exact dollar amount Hartford is seeking was not specified during the meeting. He said the district will examine next steps and provide an update to the board at a future meeting.
Board members asked questions about the liability and about bus-route lengths and transportation operations in light of recent contract changes. Remington noted the district recently signed a five-year transportation contract with M&J and is finalizing routes.
The board took no final action on the Open Choice matter at the July 13 meeting; staff will continue to investigate and report back.
