If it’s almost the new year, it’s almost time for the Board of Education to examine the budget.
The first work session is Friday, January 3. Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice will present his proposed 2025-26 budget at Saugatuck Congregational Church. The day-long work session begins at 8:30 a.m.
He will recommend an operating budget of $150,357,411. That’s a 4.69% increase over the current (2024-2025) budget. Of this 4.69% increase, “current services” represents a 4.17% increase.
The budget’s primary drivers are:
- Maintaining all current levels of staffing and programming, while honoring new contractual agreements (health insurance costs, salary increases, Westport Education Association contract, etc.)
- Maintaining staffing in response to regular education and special education enrollment
- Maintaining the technology replacement cycle.
Scarice explains: “Maintaining current programming is essential to our continued response to student needs. Public education is a human services endeavor, which is heavily dependent on human resources. It is no surprise that the most significant funding allocation is for human resources (i.e. staffing and associated costs).”
Salaries are the primary budget driver. The projected amount for certified staff in ’25-26 is $72.2 million, a 5.1% increase. That covers 48% of the total budget, and is equivalent to a 2.45% increase to the total budget.
Non-certified salaries account for $19.6 million, a 5.3% increase, and 13% of the total budget. This is equivalent to a 0.69% increase to the total budget.
In total, all budget salaries represent a 3.22% increase to the total budget.
Employee health benefits remain a significant cost driver. This item includes a projected 8.3% increase to medical benefits, and a 5% increase to dental benefits. Final projections will come in early spring.
To maintain the technology replacement cycle and to meet software needs, the ’25-26 budget includes a $318,131 increase. This 0.22% increase in the total budget “keeps the district on a relatively smooth year over year technology funding path,” Scarice says.
School technology is constantly evolving.
Budget “assumptions” — initiatives prioritized to advance the work of the school system — include:
- Restoring 2 full-time elementary school assistant principal positions
- Advancing and supporting the work of maintaining facilities
- Implementing action steps of district plans in areas like equity study, academic initiatives, technology, etc.).
A 2-day leadership team budget workshop earlier this cycle reduced the original budget request of a 5.26% increase to the proposed 4.69% (a reduction of $816,000).
Items in the original budget request, but not in the final recommendation, include:
- 1 financial literacy teacher ($104,180)
- 1/2 special education teacher, Kings Highway Elementary ($71,265)
- 1 paraprofessional to support coordinators ($79,035)
- Extracurricular stipend for unified sports ($5,131)
- Textbooks ($250,000)
- Bedford Middle School fitness center equipment ($18,500).
Other cuts were made to unemployment benefits, and facilities (restorative and preventive maintenance, fire and security).
The district booked $180,000 in credit for providing parking for student transportation.
First Student buses, parked at the Greens Farms train station.
Key increases that remain in the recommended budget include:
- Assistant principals at Coleytown, Greens Farms, Kings Highway and Saugatuck Elementary Schools ($405,888)
- Elementary health teacher ($65,204)
- Supervisor: Facilities project coordinator ($132,867)
- Technology assistant ($89,807)
- Permanent building substitute teachers ($50,940)
- Professional development and services ($44,100).
The budget notes that the Westport Public Schools have 7 collective bargaining agreements for nearly 1,000 employees.
An agreement was reached with the WEA (teachers union) this past summer. Negotiations with 4 non-certified employee groups will take place this spring.
Scarice says that his proposed budget “fulfills the district’s obligations to local bargaining unit contracts, local guidelines and policy (e.g. class size guidelines), and state and federal mandates.
“This recommendation responds to the learning and social/emotional needs of students, while advancing forward thinking district plans. The team honored budget drivers and assumptions, and this recommendation clearly illustrates the need for ‘tradeoffs’ as the district continues to aspire to maintain the distinction and reputation that the community has enjoyed for decades.
“Along with the administrative team, I look forward to deeper discussions towards developing a greater understanding of the budgetary needs of our district.”
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