Superintendent Seeks $128M Budget — Up 5% — For Westport Schools

WESTPORT, CT — Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice is seeking $128 million to operate Westport Public Schools next year, a 5 percent increase over this year's allocation, and an amount that "preserves the lighthouse district distinction that characterizes" the school system.

Scarice presented his proposed budget to the Board of Education this week as the local 2021-22 budget season begins.

The proposal includes a 3.7 percent increase in salaries to $82.1 million, a jump of $2.9 million over this year, and a more than 6 percent increase in benefits to $21 million.

"Although much work has been devoted to this preliminary budget formulation, it is clear that a great deal of work must still be done in order to finalize a 2021-2022 budget that preserves the lighthouse district distinction that characterizes the Westport Public Schools," Scarice wrote in a message to the board. "The administrative team looks forward to supporting the Board in their deliberations towards the adoption of the 2021-2022 operating budget."

Overall, enrollment is projected to decline by a little over 60 students to 5,300 next year, with most of that drop felt at Staples High School which is slated to lose more than 50 students.

The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on next year's budget next month, but the final budget will not be finalized until the spring.

To view Scarice's proposed budget for 2021-22, click here.