SEYMOUR — The Seymour Board of Education recently approved a $40 million budget for the 2023 – 2024 fiscal year that carries a 7.5 percent spending increase.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the budget proposed by Superintendent of Schools Susan Compton during its second budget workshop meeting held Jan. 17 at the district’s central office.
The budget will next head to the Seymour Board of Finance for a review scheduled for Feb. 8. Ultimately voters get the final say on whether to approve the town and school budgets during the annual budget referendum that takes place each spring. In Seymour, the town and school budgets are posed to voters as two separate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions on the ballot.
The 2023 – 2024 budget, as approved by the school board, represents a $2.8 million increase, or 7.5 percent, over the current $37.2 million budget.
Compton and business manager Salvatore A. Bucci said one of the biggest drivers behind the increase is a 22 percent spike, or nearly $1 million increase, in employee health insurance.
There’s also an increase of $497,000 in certified staff salaries, which includes 3 percent raises 2.25 percent raises (corrected Feb. 10).
Other spending increases include:
*$416,400 increase in out-of-district special education tuition (to accommodate seven additional special ed students)
*$196,287 increase in energy (electricity, heating and propane fuel for school buses)
*$98,000 increase in non-certified staff salaries (with 2.25 percent contractual raises)
New items included in the budget are:
*$145,000 increase in student Chromebook replacements and related software upgrades
*$82,150 for a pre‑K teacher at Chatfield-LoPresti School
*$62,730 for three permanent building substitutes
“At this time, we are increasing no programs, and just trying to deal with the increases of health insurance/employee benefits, energy costs, contractual costs and increases in special education,” Compton said.
“There is no fluff in this budget, there is no cushion that will handle increased special education costs should they arise next year, and there is nothing in the budget that would cover any catastrophic facility issues inside the buildings themselves,” said Board of Education Chairman Chris Champagne. “If this budget is not approved, we will then start having those uncomfortable discussions about what to eliminate that has a minimal impact to students’ educational journey.”
