Guilford BOE Passes Budget, Asks For 4.78 Percent Increase

GUILFORD, CT — The Guilford Board of Education approved a $68.8 million budget, which is a 4.78 percent increase from the previous year. The budget, along with the Board of Selectmen proposed budget, will now head to the Board of Finance in the next step of the budget process.

“This is something that boards of education across the state are dealing with,” Chair Kathleen Balestaracc said at the budget meeting.

New Milford’s proposed school budget increase is 5.03 percent, Norwalk’s is 12.7 percent and Newtown is 4.7 percent, she said.

The initial budget draft was significantly higher, but administrators pared it down, Superintendent Paul Freeman said.

“This budget, even though it is a significantly large budget, is still an exercise in compromise,” he said.

Employee salaries and benefits were two of the biggest cost drivers, Balestaracc said. There were increases in salaries for teachers and administrators in recent contracts, which is similar to other districts.

The cost of heating and transportation were other cost drivers, she said.