From the Superintendent
As we move toward spring, and longer daytime hours, the Board of Education (BOE) will be working on the formulation of the 2026-27 BOE operating budget. By the time you read this article, the BOE will be nearing the completion of this important task.
The process began at the Jan. 8 BOE meeting, during which the board received the superintendent’s proposed 2026-27 operating budget totaling $5,023,857, which represents a 4.86-percent ($232,861) increase over the 2025-26 approved BOE operating budget. This budget proposal was developed with input from staff and administration and includes the requests for personnel, benefits, professional services, facilities, equipment, tuition costs, and the special education services and supports that the administration believes are important to provide quality educational programming for all Eastford children in grades PK-12. Several of these costs are non-negotiable since they are determined by contracts, either with staff or outside providers.
The BOE, acting as the Finance Committee, scheduled meetings for Jan. 22, Feb. 3, and Feb. 12 to review the budget proposal. At the BOE meeting on Feb. 12, the board is expected to approve the BOE operating budget that will be sent to the town for further review and action. At its meeting on Feb. 12, it is also anticipated that the board will approve the BOE Long Term Capital Improvement Plan – February 2026.
At the Jan. 8 meeting, the BOE also set meetings for the following committees: Transportation (Jan. 22), Curriculum (Jan. 22), and Facilities (Feb. 3). A Policy Committee meeting was already set for Feb. 5. I believe it is important to note these meetings and recognize that the work of an Eastford BOE member extends beyond their attendance at the monthly BOE meetings. In addition to reviewing all proposals and documents received at the monthly BOE meetings, our BOE members serve on several subcommittees. Committee membership is as follows:
- Executive Committee: Stephen Bowen, Terry Cote, Adam Minor)
- Fiscal (Committee of the Whole)
- Policy: Lauren Barlow, Nancy Neff)
- Woodstock Academy: Rob Ellsworth)
- EASTCONN: Nancy Neff
- Facilities: Rob Ellsworth, Stephen Bowen
- Transportation: Stephen Bowen, Adam Minor
- Curriculum: Adam Minor, Lauren Barlow, Michael Bilica
- Scholarship: Terry Cote, Lauren Barlow
- Safety: Terry Cote, Michael Bilica
In closing, I encourage all members of the community to become engaged in the budget process as it moves through its final phases. All budget documents and committee meeting minutes are available for review on the Eastford School webpage, https://www.eastfordct.org/.
As always, never hesitate to contact me at [email protected].