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SEYMOUR – The Seymour Board of Education unanimously approved a $42.9 million budget for the 2025 –2026 fiscal year on Monday (Jan. 27) that carries a $3.1 million — or 7.9 percent increase — over the current budget.
The budget now heads to the town’s board of finance for a review. A budget workshop has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at Seymour Town Hall. Voters will head to the polls in the spring to decide the school and town budgets.
Here is the breakdown of the requested $3.1 million increase:
*Certified contractual staff increases — $814,091
*Non-certified contractual staff increases — $160,823
*Health insurance — $950,514
*Pension contribution — $129,639
*Special education (including tuition/transportation for outplaced students, excess cost grant) — $175,000
*Transportation (including in-district special education) — $189,279
*Property/liability insurance — $33,340
*Utilities (gas, electricity, propane) — $79,400
*Instructional supplies — $78,000
*Special education pre‑K teacher (Bungay School) — $116,662
*Social worker for the elementary schools — $116,662
*English language learner teacher for the elementary schools — $116,662
*Security guard for Seymour High School (to replace School Resource Officer that was promoted to sergeant) — $43,000
*Paraprofessional (Bungay School) — $47,088
*Various stipend positions (middle school climate coordinator, middle school track and field coach, after school club advisor, math advisor, library makerspace (elementary schools) — $22,000
The budget adopted by the board this week is about $1.2 million more than the budget initially proposed by Superintendent of Schools Susan Compton. It includes a projected 20 percent increase for health insurance. Compton’s proposal included a projected 12 percent increase. The district is still shopping around to find the best health insurance rate, according to school officials, and hope to fall somewhere closer to a 12 to 15 percent increase, which would reduce the overall budget by about $400,000.
School officials said they need a 6 percent increase to fund a “level services” budget, which keeps things status quo. The board opted to add some initiatives aimed at moving the district forward.
“We carefully reviewed and approved all the level services recommended by the superintendent to ensure stability and consistency in our schools,” said board chairman Chris Champagne. “We added a few new initiatives that we believe will make a significant difference in the daily lives of our children. These may seem small on paper, but we know their impact will be anything but.”
Some of the new initiatives include advisors for afterschool clubs at both Bungay and Chatfield-LoPresti Schools that would provide enrichment activities, creation of an elementary National Honor Society, an elementary school student council and workspace in the elementary school libraries to promote and build students’ critical thinking skills and problem solving skills.
A track and field program introduced last year at the middle school, which drew more than 60 students, would also get additional coaches. An advisor to create a math team and robotics club at the middle school is also part of the new initiatives.
Last year it took two tries to get voters to approve the current $39.8 million school budget, which carried a 4.2 percent increase over the previous year’s budget.