Board of Education Votes to Approve 3.34% School Budget Increase

After months of discussions and paring of Middletown's school budget, the Board of Education voted (8-1) to support a budget that is, in fact, slightly higher than the budget originally proposed by the Superintendent.  The lone no vote came from Board Member Linda Szynkowicz.

The proposed budget for 2017-2018 is $82,969,436 or an increase of $2,681,836 from the budget for the current year.

The budget includes add-backs suggested by Board of Education members for a district Purchasing Coordinator, a Software Technologist to deal with troublesome budget software, new AP programs, curriculum expenditures and money to preserve the iCare program, at a stripped-down level.  The Purchasing Coordinator position is essential if the Board of Education decides not to renew the food services contract with current vendor Sodexo.

This is the first step in the school budget process.  The proposed budget will be reviewed by the mayor, who will propose his own school budget, and then reviewed and voted on by the Common Council.

Governor Dannel Malloy has proposed a state budget which, according to some estimates, is $8 million more than the city receives from the state currently.  However, there is much skepticism that Malloy's proposal will hold.

The school budget also anticipates retaining nearly half a million dollars from the 2016-2017 budget for expenditures in the next school year.  Such a holdover has to be approved by the Common Council.