The district’s propane contract and financial report for March were discussed during the Board of Education CIP/Facilities/Finance (CFF) Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, April 22. The topics were also discussed in the full Board of Education meeting that immediately followed the subcommittee’s convening.

During the CFF Subcommittee meeting, Director of Business and Finance Tanja Gouveia noted they currently have a year-end projected balance of $115,048, spending 99.87% of the total budget. This is a decrease over the last month by $155,653 largely as a result of changes in salaries and other purchase services, she said.

In certified salaries, Gouveia noted an additional cost of $62,000 attributable to administrative coverage at Middle Gate Elementary School for an administrator who is on leave under Family and Medical Leave Act. She said they have an offset in another account of about $40,000, however, so it is ultimately a $20,000 differential.

In the non-certified category, Gouveia said three special education paraprofessionals and one behavioral therapist have been hired.

There were also additional costs for custodial overtime, the result of contractual obligations for custodians who are out on worker’s compensation, and will be until year-end. The custodians who are able to cover work in their place are eligible for overtime, causing the increase in cost.

Gouveia also delivered an update on the Excess Cost Grant from the federal government.

During last month’s CFF Subcommittee meeting, Gouveia said they submitted the grant back in December, anticipating and budgeting for 70% based on the State’s new formula. The reimbursement eventually came in at 59.96% in January, a $220,000 decrease in their balance that drove them into the negative, according to Gouveia.

When sharing this at the BOE meeting, board member Shannon Tomai noted the number has “fluctuated back and forth,” and that there were varying estimates as to how much the grant would come out to. Now, the Excess Cost Grant has been confirmed to come out at 70.74%. Tomai said this is right around where they originally budgeted, and added that this puts them in a good position overall.

Non-Renewal List

At the BOE meeting, the Board voted to approve the 2024-25 non-renewal list in a 5-1 vote. Superintendent of Schools Anne Uberti described voting on the non-renewal list as a standard practice in other districts. She added it protects the Newtown district should they have to not renew an employee due to budgetary concerns they “may not be able to anticipate at this point in time.”

An example Uberti noted is if the 2025-26 Education budget failed during referendum and there was a subsequent reduction, then the district would need to notify enough employees that their positions might be reduced in order to meet budgetary obligations.

“[It] doesn’t mean all these people are going to be losing their jobs,” Uberti explained. “Hopefully it’ll be a very small number, but that won’t be determined until we have a budget and the BOE decides what the final cuts are to meet the budget.”

The non-renewal list is not for cause, but rather to manage contract law. Employees who receive a letter are only getting notified that they may be non-renewed, not that they are non-renewed, Uberti emphasized.

Uberti also noted that she and her team spent a lot of time trying to pare it down to a realistic list, while also casting a wide enough net to protect the district.

(The board of education budget passed, as did the municipal referendum, on Tuesday, April 22. See related story.)

Propane Contract

The BOE also unanimously voted to approve the propane contract with the energy and fuel supplier Mitchell, effective July 1, 2025. Gouveia said during the BOE meeting that they released a bid for propane in January, adding that the district’s contract was up with propane and fuel oil supplier Hocon.

According to Gouveia, the Newtown district has had Hocon as its propane supplier for around five years. Gouveia said she and her team were pleased to see Mitchell come back into the bidding process, as the district previously used their services.

The district received two bids: one from Hocon, and one from Mitchell. Gouveia said that Mitchell came in as the low bidder by a $700 difference. She recommended that the Board go with Mitchell, as the district did not have issues when using their services in the past. In contrast, she said, the district had some issues with Hocon in regards to equipment.

She also said the board came in close to its budget. If the district elects to go with Mitchell, however, she cautioned they could then go $5,170 over budget if the board chooses to spend the exact number of gallons.

Other Committee Reports

BOE member Christopher Gilson delivered a report on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Subcommittee. The subcommittee reviewed the impact of federal changes on the school district and largely reaffirmed an update sent out by Uberti in February, which outlined the district’s goals and feelings on what DEI means for the Newtown district.

Gilson said this includes aspects such as celebrating what makes people different and assuring everyone has access to a great education and feels welcome, among others.

“These aspirations are not about sacrificing the needs for one group for another, it’s meeting the needs for all of our students,” Gilson said.

With all of the changes coming down from the federal level, Gilson said they still want to make sure their students are taken care of.

He also said the subcommittee received an update from Director of Teaching and Learning Kara DiBartolo on equity training and planning, as well as the development of a protocol for hate and language conflicts within the district.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.