Lyme/Old Lyme Voters Head to Polls on School Budget

LYME/OLD LYME – Region 18’s annual District Budget Meeting adjourned Monday night to a referendum vote, sending a proposed $41.5 million school spending plan to voters on Tuesday. 

The spending plan represents a $1.8 million increase, or 4.61%, over the current year’s budget. District officials have cited salaries, health insurance and special education costs as the main factors driving the increase.

Voting will take place from noon to 8 p.m. on May 5. Old Lyme residents will vote at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, 53 Lyme St., while Lyme residents will vote at Lyme Town Hall, 480 Hamburg Rd.

Lyme Registrar of Voters Dottie Wells reminded roughly a dozen residents at the meeting that each eligible voter in the district is entitled to one ballot. 

She described confusion among some people who own property in both towns or multiple properties in one town. 

“Each citizen is only entitled to one vote, regardless of how many properties or where those properties are located,” she said. 

Under the proposal, Old Lyme would pay $33.59 million, or 82.7% of district costs, reflecting a 6.6% increase. Lyme’s share would total $7.02 million, up 0.8%.

In response to questions from residents at the district budget meeting, Superintendent of Schools Ian Neviaser acknowledged that predictions of significant post-pandemic enrollment growth have largely not materialized. 

“We’ve seen a slight increase at the elementary school, yet we’ve seen a drop off at the secondary level,” the 14-year superintendent said. “In fact, our high school is at some of the lowest points that it has been in all the time that I’ve been here.”

Budget documents show the student population has fallen from 1,288 students in the 2022-23 school year to 1,245 currently, with numbers predicted to hover around 1,250 through 2029-30.  

“Going forward, there are expected to be some slight increases, but not as significant as was once expected,” he said. 

Neviaser also responded Monday to a resident’s question about a proposed $124,267, or 12.7%, increase in the administrative services account. He said the line item is sometimes mistaken for administrator salaries. 

“That has nothing to do with the salaries of our administration,” he said. “The salaries of our administration would be under the salary line item.”

He said the administrative services category covers expenses such as technology systems, software and legal services. Increased legal costs for upcoming labor contract negotiations are contributing to the increase.

The $17.26 million salary line for certified staff members – including administrators, teachers and certified instructional positions – is up $635,323, or 3.8%.  

The district budget meeting adjourned Monday night to referendum.