Wethersfield School Supt. Dr. Andrew Brooks reviewed the district’s FY25 budget Thursday during a public hearing held before the Board of Education’s September meeting. Dr. Brooks presented what he called an “overall balanced budget barring any unforeseen circumstances.”
The superintendent said, in creating the “worst case scenario” budget for the next fiscal year, he anticipated expenses high and revenues low to hopefully avoid any surprises.
He said the calculation for Wethersfield’s Evidence Based Funding, which determines how much general state aid each district needs from the state to meet expenses, has been released with Wethersfield’s EBF increased by $183,750 to $2,639,505.22 for FY25, a 7% increase.
Wethersfield remains a Tier 1 school at 72% adequacy. School districts with an adequacy rating below 77% are placed in Tier 1, schools in the 77 to 90% range in Tier 2, 90 to 100% in Tier 3 and 100% in Tier 4. Dr. Brooks said most school districts in the area currently have a rating of 77% or less under the Evidence Based Funding system which went into effect in 2017.
The FY25 budget shows positive balances in all funds. In the four largest funds, 65.5% of the district’s budgeted expenditures are in the education fund, 5.4% in the operations and maintenance fund, 5.3% in the debt service fund, and 4.6% in the transportation fund.
The balance in all funds at the end of the fiscal year is $6,798,076.
The budget was adopted during the board’s regular meeting.
In other news, it was announced that homecoming activities have been scheduled for the week of Sept. 23 with skit night on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school gym; the parade at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27; the football game on Friday night and the homecoming dance on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Board member Steve Newman reported a record turnout at the annual meeting of the Frank H. Craig Wethersfield Alumni Association held in the cafeteria on Aug. 18.
Cafeteria supervisor Ladosha Bystry and her staff “did an awesome job” serving 58 alumni and 66 guests for a total attendance of 124. Jim Thurman, 97, was honored as the oldest living graduate and the Class of 1974 was honored on the 50th anniversary of its graduation. Newman said the group is already making plans for next year’s reunion set for Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.
The board also approved the following 5th/6th grade volleyball coaches: Abby Segura, Nichelle Morey, Heather Kelley, Allyson Gish, and Chelsea O’Connor.
