Southington Schools Report Budget Shortfall For Current Fiscal Year

SOUTHINGTON, CT — With the current fiscal year about to end this month, Southington schools' 2025-26 is coming out in the red financially.

As a result, the Southington Board of Education voted unanimously June 4 to seek additional funding from the Southington Board of Finance to address a projected $279,036 shortfall in the district's 2025-26 operating budget.

The vote followed a recommendation from the board's finance committee, which met June 2 to review the district's year-end financial outlook.

The board of education approved a motion directing district administration and Board Chairman Zaya Oshana to request an appropriation from the finance board at its June 17 meeting to cover the projected deficit.

The Southington Board of Finance meets Wednesday, June 17, at 7 p.m. at the John J. Weichsel Municipal Center.

The motion passed 6-0, with Oshana, Robert Brown, Lisa Cammuso, Terri Carmody, Colleen Clark and Dawn Derynoski-Anastasio voting in favor.

Board members Joseph Baczewski, Sean Carson and Cecil Whitehead were absent from the June 4 meeting.

During the finance committee meeting, Southington Schools Director of Business and Finance Jennifer Mellitt reported that the district was projecting a $279,036 operating budget shortfall as of June 2.

Mellitt said the final budget outcome remains uncertain because the district still has two payroll cycles remaining in the fiscal year, as well as variable costs such as electricity and heating expenses.

Final invoices for some expenses are not expected to be received until July, making it difficult to determine the district's exact year-end position.

According to financial documents presented to the committee, the district is expecting to receive several outstanding reimbursements and revenues, including grant payments, special education service reimbursements, Medicaid revenue and preschool tuition payments.

Those revenues are expected to help offset a larger projected operating deficit.

The district is also relying on available grant funding, including Open Choice grants, to help reduce the gap.

Finance Committee Chair Lisa Cammuso told the board of education that committee members agreed to recommend seeking additional funding from the town's board of finance given the projected shortfall and uncertainty surrounding final year-end expenses.

One year ago, the Southington Town Council approved an education spending package of $121,897,448 for the 2025–26 school year.

That represented a $5.94 million increase from the prior year (or 5.12%) over the previous year's budget.

For the minutes of the June 2 Southington Board of Education Finance Committee meeting, click on this link.

For the minutes of the June 4 Southington Board of Education meeting, click on this link.