Finance staff forecasts small FY27 deficit as Darien summer school enrollment falls

Finance staff told the Darien School District Finance Committee on Sept. 17 that the district is "forecasting a slight deficit of $40,339" for fiscal year 2027.

The presentation traced the shortfall to multiple items: Darien Summer School enrolled 232 fewer students than budgeted, producing an estimated revenue gap of just over $145,000; an unbudgeted teacher on special assignment added $124,006.50 in costs; and ELP tuition receipts are below plan by $92,002.60. Staff also cited increased unit costs for Chromebooks and teacher laptops (memory‑chip price pressure) and higher copy‑center usage. Offsets include a late‑year ViewSonic equipment donation and salary savings totaling roughly $148,008.78.

Committee members questioned whether copier overages were front‑loaded or ongoing; finance staff said overage fees are assessed at fiscal‑year end and, "at current pace, you're gonna end up seeing probably $15,000 a month for the rest of the year" if usage continues. The committee was briefed on school‑level variances (unfilled kindergarten at Henley, a smaller senior class and a parking‑permit buy rate around 74% at the high school, down from about 80%).

Next steps: staff presented recommended budget transfers to cover identified shortfalls and said they would monitor copier and technology trends to determine whether additional transfers will be needed later in the fiscal year.