Southington board approves 2026–27 budget after $2.4M in reductions; special-education coordinator preserved

The Southington Board of Education approved the district’s 2026–27 operating budget on May 28 after the administration and board members negotiated roughly $2.4 million in reductions from the district’s original request.

The approved package reflects a $1.66 million reduction recommended by the board of finance plus an additional $833,934 that was removed from the district’s health/self-insurance line as a temporary measure; administration said the town manager confirmed the appropriation is expected to be returned outside the operating budget. Superintendent Joe Oshana told the board the changes leave the district “starting with a hole” heading into next year.

Why it matters: the cuts require program changes and staff reductions that will affect class size, course offerings and support services. Administration said the plan includes permanent eliminations and retirements equal to 26 positions in total (22 cuts plus four previously supported reductions), spread across regular and special education, clerical and maintenance lines. The district flagged potential impacts including larger elementary class sizes within board policy limits, fewer high-school course sections, delayed equipment replacement and unemployment costs tied to reductions.

Public comment and special-education debate: Nora Bushman, a resident, urged the board not to reduce special-education teachers or paraprofessionals, saying the staff provided “one-on-one support that made school possible” and that cuts would “cut off a student's path to success.” Her remarks were cited by several board members who objected to eliminating a special-education coordinator position that administration had proposed removing to achieve savings of $49,982.

Board response and compromise: multiple board members said the special-education coordinator position performs specialized work (PPT/IEP coordination and districtwide caseload oversight) and opposed cutting it. The board reached a nonbinding consensus to keep that coordinator by eliminating the special-education administrative salary line (83112) and reducing the substitute-teacher budget (line 12200) to $189,000; administration recommended the substitute line as an area less likely to reduce direct services to students.

Other notable budget decisions: the board approved transportation savings tied to a pay-for-play athletics policy that will charge families for high-school sports ($125 per sport, with caps for multi-sport athletes and a $500 family maximum) and lower fees for middle-school play (about $50 per season, $200 family cap). The administration said waivers will be available for families qualifying for free or reduced-price meals and that collection estimates were conservative.

Votes at a glance: the final budget motion as amended passed by an 8–1 vote. The board and administration thanked staff for budget work and warned that implementation will require reassignments, larger class sizes in some grades, and careful management of out-of-district tuition and unemployment costs.

What’s next: administration will proceed with implementing the reductions and notifying affected employees as required; the board said its action preserves the district’s ability to deliver required services while planning for uncertain state and town funding timing.

Quotes: “We’re starting at a hole,” the chair said while reviewing the reductions and the $833,934 placeholder. Public commenter Nora Bushman told trustees, “If we reduce the budget for special education teachers and paras we are essentially cutting off a student's path to success and their personal advocate.”

Ending: The budget vote concluded the substantive part of the meeting; trustees then moved to adjourn.