Middletown board approves transfers, carries unexpended balance and votes to present a lower budget number to city

The Middletown Board of Education approved a series of transfers totaling $27,848.46 to cover school and departmental needs including instructional supplies, repairs and graduation expenses.

Finance staff presented the 98 transfer report and explained the largest transfers were for facilities repairs and high-school instructional needs; the board approved the transfers by voice vote.

The board also reviewed an unexpended-balance report showing a carryforward of $394,751.93 after recent adjustments and approved that report. Staff noted that the balance will be used in part to address the first-year impact of the Beeman electricity billing issue and other end-of-year needs.

In a separate action, following the mayor's public budget numbers, the board voted to reopen an action item and then to support a superintendent-presented budget of 4.37 (down from an earlier 5.59 figure) to present to the common council on April 20; the board recorded the necessary 2/3 vote to add the action and then carried the motion to adopt the revised presentation figure.

Board members stressed the district would not rely on speculative additional state funding and that further reductions or adjustments would be reviewed at Finance Committee meetings and in upcoming council presentations.