The Region 18 Board of Education (BOE) hosts a District Budget Hearing this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the BOE Conference Room in Center School.
On Feb. 6, the Region 18 BOE approved a $35,084,758 budget for the 2019-2020 school year. This proposed budget represents a 2.29 percent increase over the prior year.
The main program improvements are the Pre-K expansion, 1:1 technology expansion for K-12, updated Next Generation Science Standards materials and enhanced security.
The major facility projects in the Operating Budget are the replacement of three tennis courts ($225K), classrooms for the Pre-K expansion ($180K), partial redesign and carpet replacement of the Middle School Media Center ($45K), and carpet replacement in Lyme Consolidated School ($12K.) These projects total $462K. The proposed installation of a solar electric system, which is part of the non-operating budget, will be funded by the purchase of a power agreement.
Certified salaries at $13.8 million comprise 39.9 percent of the budget while non-certified salaries at $3.2 million account for 9.8 percent.
Asked to comment on the budget passed by the BOE, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser said, “I am pleased that the Board of Education has voted to support the fiscally responsible budget that we proposed. The 2.29 percent increase is one of the lower budget increases our communities have seen and is far lower than all of our surrounding districts. This budget will continue to provide a top notch educational program to our students and communities with enhancements to what is already one of the strongest districts in the state.”
The BOE will set the date for the referendum on the budget at the end of the hearing. Residents of both Old Lyme and Lyme are eligible to vote in the referendum, which in order to pass, must achieve a simple majority of the combined vote of both towns.