LYME/OLD LYME — UPDATED APRIL 5 — see text in red: Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) Schools will hold their District Budget Hearing Monday evening, April 5, in the board of education conference room at Center School starting at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will also be live-streamed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2_W7yYtFwx067Ici9776Q/videos?view=57
Public comment can be made in person or virtually via this Zoom link: https://region18.zoom.us/j/83527766795 and using Meeting ID: 835 2776 6795.
Those choosing this option will be required to follow the same expectations as those making public comment in person, i.e., after being recognized by the chairperson, participants must state their name and place of residence before making their comments to the board.
The Spring 2021 edition of Focus on Education includes a letter from Superintendent Ian Neviaser and Region 18 Board of Education Chairman Diane Linderman, which states, “On March 3, the Region #18 Board of Education approved a budget of $34,966,548 for the 2021-2022 school year.”
That number has now been revised down to $34,874, 548. Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser explained to LymeLine in an email this morning, “We were able to reduce the budget by $92,000 using ESSER [Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief ] funds,” adding, “The lower number represents a 0.47 percent increase.”
The letter continues, “The Board of Education has strived to preserve and build upon the high standards of education in Lyme–Old Lyme while remaining fiscally responsible to our communities.”
The letter notes that two facilities projects are included in the budget, namely, replacement of the tennis courts at Lyme School and a study for the upcoming refurbishment of the elementary schools and the middle school.
Neviaser and Linderman explain in their letter that the proposed budget includes, “Additional technology support, as the role of technology grows in education, monies for our curriculum renewal cycle for grades 3–8, as well as replacement of the high school sound field systems and network switches.”
They also note that, “As a result of community input and interest, we will also be adding wrestling as a new sport.”
Regarding enrollment, the letter concludes, “For the last several years we have seen our enrollment numbers exceed our projections. We anticipate continued enrollment growth at the elementary level and therefore have added additional staff to address this.”