Committee questions end‑of‑year encumbrance choices, says FIC recommendations were overlooked

During the same meeting the Committee for the Litchfield School District examined end‑of‑year encumbrances and expressed concern that the school board's final allocations did not sufficiently reflect the committee's safety priorities.

A committee member said the board's June 30 actions omitted reference to the FIC recommendations and described that omission as disappointing for volunteers. "I was very disappointed watching the school board discussion about allocating end of year fund balances," the member said, adding that the committee had planned to prioritize safety items such as AEDs and burglary system notifications.

School administration reported that AEDs were purchased and that some purchases required transferring money between accounts to capture favorable pricing before the June deadline. The Chair said some FIC suggestions (for example, a fire curtain) were included in the board's final allocations, and noted that purchases may be funded by transfers and bottom‑line budget flexibility rather than the specific end‑of‑year encumbrance list.

Committee members said the issue would be revisited at the August budget committee meeting; one member warned that failure to document FIC input risks reducing future volunteer participation.

No formal vote was taken on the encumbrance prioritization; members requested clearer documentation of how FIC recommendations were considered and where purchases were funded.