Updates from the BOE - Feb 2024
Save Sherman School Takeaways from February 7th 2024 BOE Meeting:
Annual school budget is increasing 5.62%, approx 532K. Drivers include increasing HS and special education costs, increased bussing costs, reduction in grant funding (as COVID relief grant funding ends), unfunded state mandates (e.g., ~$20K HVAC inspection required by state of CT), and critical repairs to failing school infrastructure (113K). Superintendent proposed budget cuts to offset increase, including eliminating some teacher and professional positions. (7:15 in zoom recording)
School enrollment projections remain similar to the past. BOE determined the school will likely still need 2 classrooms per grade. (10:38, 35:56 in zoom recording)
BOE presented and approved recommendations for a smaller footprint school with the aim to decrease cost of comprehensive building project. The recommended plans still include PreK-8th grade. These projections and related drawings will be presented to the School Building Committee. BOE indicated that the revised recommended plans are now as small as the school can go without making changes to the current programing and scope of the school (41:55 in zoom recording)
BOE is also researching the cost of "tuitioning out" middle school. This would mean sending 6-12th grades to another school district. BOE is still in talks with other school districts and numbers are not final, but they shared initial information. (38:30, 56:00 in zoom recording)
Important notes:
Shared that, if go this route, there would be no more high school choice (all students 6-12 grades would have to go to one selected school)
BOE emphasized that outside tuition costs are not in our control, and costs increase often, with little room for negotiation on our end.
Transportation changes/costs: Once moved to one school, Sherman is obligated to provide door-to-door busing. This would increase transportation cost; but how much depends on which school is chosen due to school start/stop times and ability to stagger buses (or not). BOE will follow up on cost implications with each school option.
BOE acknowledged that upon reviewing the tuition numbers vs the cost of having the students stay in a renovated school, there are "challenges" with the PreK-5 model, but are doing their due diligence in advising the town of all possible options.
District initial information:
New Fairfield:
Not a ton of interest from New Fairfield, would not provide hard numbers.
Indicated could use current HS per pupil rate of ~$15k per student.
Advised that Sherman would ALSO be expected to contribute to NF capital/ building projects. This would be discussed at a later time if conversations continue.
Does not include special ed costs or busing.
New Milford:
Indicated could use current HS per pupil rate of ~ $18,100 per student.
Does not include special ed costs or busing.
Region 12:
Very enthusiastic about accepting our 6-12 students.
Per pupil cost ~$28k per student.
Does not include special ed costs or busing.
But don't take our word for it! The whole meeting can be viewed here!
