WATERFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FY 26 Board of Education Approved Budget
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Mission Statement
Waterford Public Schools is a community of learners that fosters and supports high aspirations, ensuring every student acquires the skills and knowledge necessary to be a responsible citizen, prepared to contribute and succeed in an ever-changing world.
Rigorous Academic Program
Comprehensive SocialEmotional Learning Approach
Expansive Arts, Co-Curricular & Athletics Programs
High Quality Professional Learning for Staff
WPS – On the Map!
• Focus on Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (YMPI) at WHS.
• 33 WHS Students passed the Seal of Biliteracy test: representing the languages of French, Latin, and Spanish.
• 16 WHS students auditioned and were selected to perform in the CT Eastern Region Music Festival.
• QH custodian was named a top 3 finalist for the CINTAS National Custodian of the Year contest.
• GN fourth grade student selected as a County Winner of Fire Prevention Poster Contest with artwork included in the Fire Prevention State Calendar.
• OSW visited by UCONN’s NEAG Early Childhood Leadership Cohort as an example of effective early childhood practices.
• QH STEAM Lab (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, and Math) provided students weekly, assured experiences in STEAM.
• 54 WHS students were recognized as College Board Advanced Placement Scholars: 30 AP Scholars, 9 AP Scholars with Honor and 15 AP Scholars with Distinction.
• 32 CLMS students were accepted into the Junior World Language Honor Societies for French, Spanish, and Latin.
• 1 WHS teacher received Fund for Teachers Fellowship Grant.
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The Short Story – Spring 2024
➢ High School SAT Math Performance – Level (Up 10+% last year)
➢ High School Math Average Score – Up (11 Points)
➢ High School SAT ELA Performance – Up Slightly (~ 2%)
➢ High School ELA Average Score – Up (8 Points)
➢ Grades 3-8 Math Performance – Up (~ 3%)
➢ Grades 3-8 Math Growth - Up in Growth Rate and % of Target
Achieved
➢ Grades 3-8 ELA Performance – Level
➢ Grades 3-8 ELA Growth – Up in Growth Rate and % of Target Achieved
➢ District (Gr. 5, 8, 11) Science Performance – Slight Dip (2.75% = ~15
Students)
We
continue to respond comprehensively to our students.
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WPS responds…
This budget continues our investment in meeting the needs of our students in 2025-2026.
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Trends IN THE WPS
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Total Enrollment
Ten-Year Trend by Race & Ethnicity
Multilingual Learners (ML)
Languages in our Schools – 2024-2025
23 different languages
Albanian Japanese Russian
Arabic Khmer
Spanish - #1
Bulgarian Korean Tagalog
Burmese Lao
Cantonese
Mandarin - #3
Thai
Tibetan
Greek Nepali Ukrainian
Gujarati
Polish Urdu - #2
Hindi Portuguese - #4
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Over 11% of our families have a primary home language other than English.
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New Bilingual Programs
Great Neck 24-25 & Oswegatchie in 25-26
20 or more students with same native language
There are 60 districts in CT that have bilingual programs.
What this means for WPS:
• Instruction in English as well as student’s native language
• Enable students to achieve English proficiency and academic mastery
• Use of English should continuously increase
• Annual plan submitted to CSDE
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• Additional professional development for all teachers
• Potential staffing implications
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Special Education Students
Free / Reduced Meals
ABSENTEEISM TREND DATA
Source: CSDE, EdSight Public Chronic = more than 10% absent
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WPS School-Based Health Clinics
Board Goals:
Be a district for all students…
It takes resources to do this.
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THE BUDGET
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$875K in Grants in Last 6 Years
FISCAL YEAR $ GRANTS OBTAINED
FY 20 $ 170,466
FY 21* $ 82,493
FY 22 * $ 72,564
FY 23
$160,000
FY 24 $175,000
FY 25 $214,000
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REDUCES OUR BUDGET REQUEST * DECREASE DUE TO COVID-19
COST CONTAINMENT
➢ CONTINUE TO PURSUE COMPETITIVE GRANTS - $214,000 IN FY25
➢ AGGRESSIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING – TOTAL RESTRUCTURE OF WFCT WAGE
SCALE – CONSISTENTLY BELOW TREND IN SETTLEMENTS
➢ ELIMINATED OUT-OF-TOWN MAGNET TRANSPORTATION
➢ REDUCED IN-TOWN BUS RUNS
➢ TERMINATED TFS AGREEMENT & CREATED OUR OWN IN-DISTRICT PREK PROGRAM
➢ 38% REDUCTION IN STUDENTS ATTENDING MAGNET SCHOOLS (FY16 TO FY24)
➢ ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS
➢ REDUCTION OF STAFF WITH ENROLLMENT TRENDS
➢ REDEPLOYMENT OF STAFF TO AREAS OF HIGHER NEED
➢ REDUCED SERVICES / PROGRAMS – I.E. - TAG PROGRAM; INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES
➢ UTILIZE OUR OWN VAN FLEET TO REDUCE TRANSPORTATION COSTS
➢ IMPLEMENTED PARTNERSHIPS WITH K-8 DISTRICTS TO ATTEND WHS
➢ INCREASED IN-DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO REDUCE COSTS
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Proposed Budget
99% of the increase for next year is:
➢ Salary Increases
➢ Health Insurance
➢ Chromebook Replacements
1% of the increase is everything else in the budget.
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Main Budget Drivers
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Supt’s Proposed Budget (2/6/25) $ 3,847,127 6.61% BOE Approved Budget (2/27/25) $ 3,752,127 6.51%
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Main Budget Drivers
INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES
Increase/Decrease
– Salaries, Certified $ 992,553
– Temporary Pay, Certified $ 333,266
TOTAL $ 1,325,819
• 111 - Contractual Increases for Certified Staff
• Reduction of 2 FTEs at WHS to fund 2 Multilingual FTEs
• additional .25 FTE in World Language CLMS ($25K)
• replacement higher than retirement - in place in FY25
• $75K – 2 x Multilingual Tutors
• 121 - Align Substitute Teacher Line to Actuals / Trend - $183K
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SUPPORT SERVICES
• No New Staff • 112 - Contractual Increases for all Support Staff
• 119 – Less Student Vocational Workers next year
• 122 & 132 – Based on trend / actuals
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Salary Increase Breakdown
32,793,128 GWI 1,053,215 Step / Lane / Degree Changes 359,502 Turnover 64,500 New Positions 100,000 Change in Grants ( 50,968 ) FY26 Budget 34,319,377
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EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
CONTRACTED SERVICES
TRANSPORTATION
• 510 – New Bus Contract in FY26 (Year 1 of 5) • 627 - Diesel and Fuel – Market Rates
$ Increase/Decrease
560 – Tuition, Other Public ( $ 39,688 )
563 – Tuition, Private ( $ 245,271 )
TOTAL ( $ 284,959 )
• 560 & 563 – Based on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
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OTHER PURCHASED SERVICES
$ Increase/Decrease 580 – Travel and Conferences
17,749 590 – Contracted Services
2,082 TOTAL $ 19,831
• 580 – Contractual Rate Increase on Athletics Travel
• 580 – Trend on Usage and Increased Costs to Attend Workshops
• 590 – Rate Increases
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INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES
$ Increase/Decrease 440 – Rentals ( $ 2,500 ) 611 – Instructional Supplies $ 31,198 612 – Software $ 69,241 TOTAL $ 97,939
• 611 – Instructional Supplies – Cut Many Requests
o Inflation
o Food Costs for Culinary Program - $12K
o TAG Testing Materials - $4K
• 612 – Software – Primarily Product Rate Increases & Long-term Renewals
o Reduced – ( $34K )
o Long-term Renewals – ( $6K )
o Rate Increases on Existing Products - $61K
o New / Replacement Products - $49K
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TEXTBOOKS/LIBRARY BOOKS/OTHER SUPPLIES
Accounts
$ Increase/Decrease
641 – Textbooks $ 500
642 – Library Books and Periodicals $ 6,569
690 – Other Supplies/Materials ( $ 13,855 )
TOTAL ( $ 6,786 )
• 642 – Minor Increases to Support Non-Fiction and Multilingual Collection o Requests for more denied due to budget constraints
• 690 – Increase in Athletic Officials / Referees Fees
• 690 – Approx. $10K Budgeted for Vape Detection Pilot at WHS & CLMS
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EQUIPMENT
Accounts
$ Increase/Decrease
730 – Equipment $ 208,062
TOTAL $ 208,062
• Asked to move Chromebooks from Capital back to Operating - $197K
• Replacement for End-of-Life Diving Board - $42K
• WHS CTE Program - $26K
• Begin Replacing Cooking Equipment
• Moving from Residential to Commercial Model
• Materials to support Manufacturing Program
• Part of Career Pathways work at WHS
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DUES & FEES
$ Increase/Decrease
810 – Dues & Fees ( $ 4,778 )
TOTAL ( $ 4,778 )
• Rate Driven
• Eliminated one item
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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Thank you for believing in our staff, students and families of Waterford.
Your continued support will help us to provide exceptional programs for our students, preparing them for success and the best opportunity at a better life. THANK YOU!
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