With one member voicing opposition, a majority voice vote of the Board of Education (BOE) approved a 2023-2024 proposed Branford Public Schools (BPS) operating budget of $64,477,616 and capital budget of $1.1 million. The operating budget request represents an annual increase of 5.82 percent.

Next, the BOE-recommended budget will be transmitted to the Board of Finance (BOF) for review, as Branford undertakes its annual budget-setting process.

The BOE vote, which was opposed by one member, secretary Meredith Gaffney, marked the culmination of several budget workshops and public meetings in February.

The work began with the Superintendent’s Budget Presentation on February 1, which requested an operating budget of $65.46 million, for an annual increase of 7.43 percent, a number which schools’ chief Hamlet Hernandez said had been whittled down from a starting increase of 11 percent.

Faced with several unprecedented factors, Hernadez told BOE this was “probably the most difficult budget” of his 13 years leading the district. Hernandez is set to retire in June, 2023. During his tenure, BPS annual budget increases averaged 2 percent.

Factors impacting the 2023-2024 proposed budget increase include needs coming out of the disruption of COVID, inflationary cost elements, lapsing federal grants requiring migrating funding to the LEA (local educational agency), as well as a “...very steady and irreversible trend in student needs in our community,” said Hernandez, speaking to the BOE on Feb. 1.

“We're not immune from these factors; labor shortages, inflation factors, lapsing federal grants, increasing student needs,” said Hernandez, noting other districts are also facing substantial budget increases due to such factors.

He added the goal was to present a realistic budget addressing needs and intentions as well as preparing students for “...work, life, and beyond school.”

“This budget speaks to that,” said Hernandez on Feb. 1. “This is an unprecedented request from a percentage standpoint, as well as from a dollar amount; but it's a necessary request.”

Drivers of the budget (90.9 percent) are salaries, labor costs, benefits, utilities, tuition (district students attending outside educational options), migration of funds from federal grants to LEA, and transportation.

Following direction from the BOE that the 7.43 percent increase needed further reduction, Hernandez ultimately presented a “pathway to reductions” to the BOE on Feb. 15. The pathway offered the BOE an operating budget with a 5.7 percent annual increase. Among reductions proposed, the BOE voted to reinstate one proposed cut of $58,000, savings that would have been created by removing one nurse from the district staff. Keeping the nursing position brought the proposed annual budget increase up to 5.82 percent.

Cuts and Adjustments

Some adjustments offered and accepted by the BOE on Feb. 15 included further use of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSR) to pay previously budgeted costs including 1.5 behavior interventionists and a security position.

As part of the pathway to reduction, the district also reduced some Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staffing, including a decision not to replace a retirement (high school social studies teacher) and one custodial position. The district also revised its instructional coaches numbers from 17 to 13. Two of the 17 positions had been reallocated in the current year to meet needs that had emerged, bringing the total number of current coaches to 15. Additionally, 1 of the 2 Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) math coaches has been out on leave in the current year; so a single math coach will remain at WIS.

Speaking to the BOE on February 15, Hernandez said the reduction would create a new model of 13 total instructional coaches. The model includes 1 English language arts and 1 math coach at each of Branford’s 3 elementary schools, WIS and Branford High School (BHS); as well as social studies, world language and science coaches for WIS and BHS.

Hernandez also noted that pathway to reduction’s use of more ESSER funds means “...we are pretty close to maxing out our ESSER,” funding for the district. ESSER funds need to be committed by September of 2024.

District Overview, Budget Priorities

A district overview shared during the BOE budget process shows that enrollment is up slightly, with 2,594 BPS students as of December 2022 versus 2,581 in December 2021.

BPS “high needs” students represent 46.8 percent of the school population. High needs student categories are English Language Learners (7.2 percent), Special Education (12.8 percent) and those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals (37.9 percent). By contrast, 10 years ago, Branford’s high needs students made up 29.8 percent of enrollment.

Budget priorities are to maintain class size; expand behavioral supports; continue academic supports to address learning impacts of the pandemic; maintain current extracurricular offerings; meet all contractual obligations; continue professional learning and growth; and maintain and migrate grant-funded supports.

Budget drivers, making up 90.9 percent of the budget, include salaries, labor costs, benefits, utilities, tuition (district students attending outside educational options), migration of funds from federal grants to LEA, and transportation.

Capital Budget Requests

Of requested $1.1 million capital budget, the greatest expense is $645,000 for the district’s upgraded integrated security system equipment and 3-year renewable licensing agreement. The state-of-the-art system, already in use in some buildings, provides enhanced surveillance in schools as well as identification methods. The district also is requesting $10,000 to maintain existing security cameras and equipment until new systems are in place.

Other capital expenses include the continuation of the Town-approved lease program for student Chrome Books ($420,000); $50,000 for 21st-century tech and AV systems for special programs (such as Art, STEM). A sinking fund request of $35,000 will be put toward replacing boilers at Indian Neck School. Sinking funding of $9,000 for system wide door maintenance and $20,000 for sidewalk repair and maintenance are also among capital requests.

Other requests include funds to replace 103 individual (circa 1995) classroom heating/cooling units at BHS; repainting of lockers at Sliney School; parking area seal coating/crack-filling at Tisko and Murphy Schools; district custodial and grounds building equipment maintenance and replacements costs, and office supplies.

Next Steps

On February 15, BOE chair Peter Berdon thanked Hernandez and the district leadership team, including Assistant Superintendent Rachel Sexton and COO Don Neel, for their work leading to the finalized, BOE-recommeded budget.

Berdon said the BOE appreciates “...all the efforts that went into constructing this budget. We know how difficult a task this is.”

Berdon added the BOE’s many budget questions showed, “...a board that is eager to learn the nuances of how the school system works to get a better understanding of it, so we can do our charge to help oversee the schools and do the best by our kids.”

Next, the budget will be transmitted to the Town to go before the BOF, for review and recommendation to the Representative Town Meeting, as part of Branford’s annual budget process. Branford’s new fiscal year begins July 1, 2023.

Branford BOE meeting videos are live-streamed and can be viewed in the video library at https://www.branford.k12.ct.us/