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COLCHESTER
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
COLCHESTER BOARD OF EDUCATION
Budget Workshop #2
Thursdoy, Februory 26,2026 ;f
6:00 PM . r.o ;i -)
,ir-,
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MINUTES -:3;: s;
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BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Choir Stefonie Trocey-Colosh, Vice-Choir Christopheinivef,
Secrelory Cody McNeely, Cori Duigou, Gussie Gilberti, Michelle Millington ond Noncy Nelson
ADMINISTRATION PRESENT: Superintendent Doniel P. Sullivon, III, Assistont Superintendent
Jessico L. Kuckel, Direc-tor of Pupil Services Eve Hurley, Bocon Acodemy (BA) Principol Amy Begu6,
BA Assistont Principol Jennifer Mortin, BA Assistont Principol Michoel Mol, Williom J Johnston Middle
School (WJJMS) Assistont Principol Bonnie McAneny, Jock Jockter Intermediote School (fiIS)
Principol Stocy Ewings, JJIS Associote Principol Melisso Cyr, Colchester Elementory School (CES)
Principol Judy O'Meoro, CES Assisfont Principol Kelly Bohre
OTHERS PRESENT : Director of Finonce ond Operotions Rochel Linkkilo, Instructionol Technology
Coordinofor Borboro Johnson, Executive Assistont to lhe Superinfendent Alysso Butovo, Humon
Resources Coordinofor Pouline Goetz, Director of Educotionol Operotions Andrew Borillori, Athletic
Director Kevin Burke
1. MEETING OPENING
1.1. Coll to Order
S,Trocey{olosh colled the meeting to order ot 6:02 PM
1.2 Roll Coll
All Boord members present.
1.5 Pledge of Allegionce
L PRIORITY DISCUSSION
2,L. Presentolion from Adminislrotive Teom on Following Budgels: BA, Athletics, Speciol
Educotion, Focilities, Technology
Assistont Superintendent Kuckel gove on overview of the district gools ond ocodemic
performonce. Principol Begu6 gove Bocon Acodemy's projec-tions, priorilies ond
progress. Athletic Director Burke highlighted thot the referendum for the fields possed
ond thot there will be odditionol responsibilities ond implicotions from thot. He olso
went over the prognoms qnd porticipotion. Direclor of Speciol Educotion Hurley went
over projections ond priorities. Director of Educofionol Operotions Borillori went over
focilities employees ond priorities. IT Coordinotor Johnson gove on overview of
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technology priorities.
2.2. Boord Q&A on Following Budgets: BA, Athletics, Speciol Educotion, Focilities,
Technology
r C.Rivers osked obout mointenonce ond copitol outloy on poge 56, specificolly
the BMS upgrode ot Bocon Acodemy (BA). If wos noted thot the upgrcde is o
must He recommended removing lhe floor projeas ond pushing lhem lo next
yeor.
. S.Trocey-Colosh osked for clorificotion regording the WJ BMS upgrode. It wos
exploined thot the upgrode is no longer needed due to odiustments District
Mointoiner Joke Richords wos obh to moke, os the issue wos reloted fo the
network bouncing the equipment out rother thon equipment foilure.
. C.Rivers inquired obout heoting oil costs ocross the buildings ond lhe decreose in
heoting cosfs. The sovings were otlributed to lower morkel prices ond prooctive
monitoring of fhe morket to lock in o fovoroble rote.
o C.Rivers osked obout the BA elec-tric rote, poge 5Z line 245, ond the reoson for
the chonge. It wos exploined thot the district is working with o new electricol
provider fo secure rotes. Meter ond rote dolo from the post two yeors were
provided, but lhe descriptions were not updoted.
r C.Rivers osked whether stoffing levels remoin lhe some ot BA. It wos clorified
thol one position will nol be refilled due to o retirement ond line 55 reflec'ts o
port-time employee who is not retuming.
o C.Rivers referenced poge 54, line 105, regording $5,000 for new guitors. This
funding supports new courses being introduced next yeor ot BA, requiring
purchosing of those instruments to run the course.
o M.Millington osked obout poge 55, line 171, regording the bus controct with
Grosso Tech ond noted o $19,OO0 sovings. She osked how mony students ottend.
It wos exploined thot the omounl wos removed from BA ond shifted to o
system-wide line. Reimbursement relotes to the tech porenls' trovel stipend. On
poge 50, line 74, fhere is o $30,000 increose, with $18,000 from BA moved into
thot line.
r C.McNeely osked obout overtime for mointenonce reloted to snow removol ond
noted thot this must be monitored, os it hos been o difficult winter:
o C.McNeely osked obout stipends for mointenonce workers ond whether they ore
governed by union ogreemenl. It wos exploined thot stipends ore oddressed
through o Memorondum of Understonding (MOU) for odditions, ond o
troin-the-troiner model is being explored.
o M.Millinglon osked obout poge 56 ond whot Virfuol High School is. It wos
exploined thot it exponds course offerings ot BA ond is olso used for credit
recovery. Enrollment flexes bosed on student requests. The license covers 20
seols per semester.
o G.Gilberti osked obout poge 56, lines 205,206, ond 2O9 regording guest
clinicions. Line 205 supports the music deportment by bringing in professionol
musicions to work direclly with BA students insteod of conducting o field trip.
Line 206 covers piono luning. Line 209 refers to NCCJ (Notionol Conference for
Community ond Juslice), which hos portnered with the district for yeors to
provide student troining to support school climote ond cuhure.
o N.Nelson osked oboul poge 55, line 47, ond whot MOU stonds for. It wos clorified
thol MOU stonds for Memorondum of Understonding. She olso referenced poge
55, lines 56 ond 57, regording two ML teochers. It wos discussed ot the lost
meeting thot there ore two MLL teochers thot serve the district, so their solory is
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spreod throughout eoch of the schools.
o C.McNeely osked who the MOU is for. If wos clorified thot it is for the Athletic
Director, whose responsibilities extend beyond the regutor teoching doy.
r C.McNeely requested clorificotion regording the ISS Coordinotor role ot BA. The
ISS Coordinotor works wifh sfudents in grodes 9-12 ossigned to In-School
Suspension, ensuring they complete their ocodemic work ond reflecting with
them on behovior ond improvemenl sfrotegie$ The role includes coordinotion
wilh teochers regording missed closswork ond providing mentorship-style
support throughout the doy. The individuol olso serves os on ossistont cooch. A
question wos roised obouf how mony students utilized ISS lost yeor.
o C.McNeely osked obout the 4.5 Office Professionol (OP) positions, noting thot BA
is the only school with this stoffing level. The roles include: one odministrotor's
office professionol; one hondling ottendonce, dismissol, ond sign-ins/outs; two
stoff members in the counseling office monoging high student volume,
registrotions, withdrowols, record mointenonce, counselor support, owords
ceremonies, groduotion coordinotion, college reodiness processes, tronscripls,
ond presenfotions; ond 0.5 FTE dedicoted to finonciol responsibilities including
deposils, requisitions, ond record occurocy.
r C.McNeely osked obout lhe scope of odministrotive support ot BA. It wos
exploined thot the two Assistont Principols (APs) ore responsible for studenf
supervision, compus sofety, lunch supervision, conflict resolution, investigotions,
ond discipline. They oversee more thon 80 evening evenfs onnuolly, with overoge
l0-hour workdoys extending to events thot run until 9:O0 PM. The oddition of lurf
fields will increose the need for evening supervision. They conducf over 600
observotions, evoluotions, ond meetings per yeor ond choir more thon 200 PPT
ond 504 meefings onnuolly. Responsibilitles olso include MTSS, speciol educolion
scheduling, PLCs, school climote, ond discipline for opproximotely holf the
sJudent body eoch. One AP oversees sludents with significont needs, supports
speciol educofion, ond choirs PPT meefings, while the other oversees testing,
scheduling,504 meetings, stote testing, ond professionol development. It wos
emphosized thot the worklood exceeds whot one AP could monoge ond includes
legol mondotes, climote leodership, ond mointoining o strong BA community
presence.
o C.Duigo osked obout poge 35, line 179, ond whether there is o list of clubs
offered ond whether clubs roise their own funds. A documenl ouflining oll clubs
ond othletic offerings is posted on the website. Offerings ore bosed on
enrollment ond interest.
. S.Trocey-Colosh noted tfiot excess cost is opproximotev $500,0OO ond osked
obout non-resident tuition not being fully reflec'ted. It wos clorified thot the
numbers hove been provided to the town.
. s.Trocey-colosh osked obout the MOU with the town regording debt service for
the fields ond roof ond where il is reflected in the budget If oppeors on poge 14,
lines 250 ond 251, ond poge 53, lines 180 ond 181.
e G.Gilberti osked oboul currenf out-of-distric{ (OOD) plocements. At present,
there ore 16 sJudents ploced out of district
r C.McNeely noted lhot there ore 385 IEPS ond 278 5M plons, totoling 661 sludents
wifh documented disobilities. A 504 plon provides designoted occommodotions,
while on IEP includes gools ond objectives. These studenls ore proportionolly
distribufed ocross schools, with reloted service sfoff working district-wide.
r C.McNeely osked obout the BCBA position, which begon eorlier this month ond is
fully funded fhrough the SEED gront. Previously, there wos one BCBA serving oll
3
schools. Now there ore lwo: one serving Pre-K, CES, ond JJIS, ond lhe other
serving BA, WJ, ond ERTA.
. G.cilberti osked obout poge €, line 65, regording ESY certified stoff. It wos
clorified thot the line reflects cumulolive stoffing, not o single individuol.
. S.Trocey-Colosh referenced poge 45, lines 197 ond 199, noting the 16
oulplocements ond osking obout plocement chonges from public to privote.
Public plocemenls ore under lorger operoting ogencies such os CREC or
ottoched lo onother school. Chonges moy occur bosed on student needs ond
progress, including tronsition progrcms. Tttition projections ore bosed on trend
doto ond onticipoted rote increoses, which ore typicolly not finolized until spring.
The projections olso occount for potentiol new students. A question wos roised
regording reimbursemenl these costs moy quolify for excess cost
reimbursement under the stole formulo.
o G.Giltrerti osked obout stipends ond noted thot significonf reductions hove been
mode over the lost three yeors. Current stipends include teocher leoders ot the
elementory level, Wd ond BA. IDEA gront funding supports Psychologicol
services for ooD testing ond Birth-to-Three.
o M.Millingfon osked oboul stipends of BA ond whether they ore increosing, The
stipends ore for leocher leoders ocross oll deportments, othletic slipends for
cooches, ond stipends supporting oll clubs.
2.3. Citizen Q&A on Following Budgets: BA, Athletics, Speciol Educotion, Focilities,
Technology
. Jen Emery, union boord member, Bocon Acodemy educotor, resident, ond
porent, spoke obout colloborotion belween lhe superintendenf ond the union.
She emphosized thot cutting teoching positions should be ovoided ot oll costs,
sloling thot closs size hos o direct impoct on student ochievement. As closs sizes
increose, individuolized support decreoses, which chonges the entire clossroom
dynomic ond shifts the focus from meoningful relotionships lo crowd
monogement. She noted thot teochers connot provide the some level of
instruction when strelched beyond their limi?s. She further sfoted fhot teochers
support sfudents' sociol ond emotionol heolth ond work to bridge leorning gops,
often well beyond controcfuol hours, leoding to bumout ond turnover lhot is not
sustoinoble.
She osked the Boord lo consider the experience of o child in on overcrowded
clossroom, noling lhot students moy slip through the crocks, go unchollenged, or
struggle quietly. While ocknowledging thot finonciol pressures ore reol, she
stoted thot teochers should not feel punished or required to socrifice their
clossroom quolity or mentol heolth. Strong schools ottroct fomilies, ond cutting
teoching positions compromises the dislricfs obility to provide the high-quolity
educotion fomilies expect ond deserve. She urged the Boord to explore creotive
solulions thol preserve clossroom inslruclion, emphosizing thot studenls will feel
the impoct of reductions.
a Michoel Dubreuil, Colchester, vio Zoom referenced the increose in heolth reserve
costs ond stoted thot there hos not been enough informotion presented for the
public to fully understond the issue. He osked whether the districl is effecfively
rebuilding the reserve fund os por, of o multi-yeor efforl. He suggested
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simplifying the explonotion from the insuronce broker into o cleorer presentotion
so residents con better understond it He described the concept os hoving fwo
'buckels": one for the working fund ond one for the reserve. He noted thot
cleorly identifying those two numbers moy olso be helpful for the Town's side of
the budget discussions.
a Thom Frickmon, Bocon Acodemy teocher ond union presidenl spoke obout fhe
tronsporenl ond professionol conversotions held with the superintendent
throughout the process. He described the working relotionship os positive, open,
forthcoming, ond direa, ond expressed confidence in thot relotionship through
negotiotions ond distric't initiotives. He stoted thot the relotionship is grounded
in frust, professionolism, mutuol respect, ond o shored commitment to students.
He emphosized thot the union's messoge is cleon teoching positions must be
profected. Reductions would hove o direct negotive impocl in the clossroom. He
olso odvocoted for retoining both Assistonl Principols ot Bocon Acodemy,
stoting thot removing one would slretch leodership too lhin, slow response times,
ond moke it more difficult for teochers to preserve ins-tructionol time.
a Monico Sweden, 10 Vicky Lone, vio Zoom osked obout lhe numbers ossocioted
with the superintendenl's proposed budget ond whether it includes stoff
reductions. It wos noted thot no reductions hove been formolly put forth ot this
stoge ond thot the current situotion is o byproduct of o lorge proposed increose
ond the likelihood thot the Boord of Educotion (BOE) ond Boord of Finonce
(BOF) will need fo moke decisions due to the mognitude of the budget.
Clorificotion wos provided thot the first phose is the superinlendenl's proposed
budget, which hos been presented to the BOE. The BOE will defermine the
number if odvonces lo the BOF. The BOF holds bottom-line outhority ond will
determine whol it considers on oppropriote ollocotion, ol which point the BOE
would moke decisions regording potentiol reduclions.
a Koeleo Tewksbury, teocher ol Colchester Elementory School ond speoking os o
mother, shored her grotitude for building her life in the community. She
referenced numerous educotors ond stoff members by nome ocross the district,
including Wheeler, Bokoj, Kehoe, Borrows, Sontos, Floherty, Clough, Arogundi,
Shonnon, McAlpine, Shone, DiFronco, Knickerbocker, Lesser, Bretthouser,
Anderson, Adoms, Collins, Guinon, Guinness, Goode, Schlockfer, Groves, Bennett,
Hebb, Grohom, Lincoln, os well os mointenonce ond cofeterio stoff. She
emphosized thot budget lines represent reol people who serve students every
doy.
a Bobs McNeely, Windhom Avenue, vio Zoom osked whether, if the odditionol $5
million were lo poss through referendum ond be odded to the budget, it would
sove people's jobs. It wos clorified lhot the current proposed budgef does not
include reduclions beyond those identified to dote ond reflec-fs tronsporency
obout potentiol reducJions. The BOE will moke o recommendotion to the BOF,
ond the BOF will debote ond determine the finol ollocotion.
E
It wos stoted thot if the full proposed budget were mqintqined, there would be
no reduclions beyond whot is currently identified. The request represents o
significont increose, ond the district is ottempting to be tronsporent obout
potentiol impocts. In response to questions obout solory freezes ond reductions,
it wos clorified thot no reduclions ore included in fhe current proposol ond thot
discussions ore ongoing. She olso sloted thot teoching positions should be the
lost positions considered for reduction, ond thot other oreos should be exomined
first before ony cuts to teochers.
2.4. Boord Q&A on the entirety of the Superintendenl's Proposed Budget Book
. None
2.5. 'Discussion ond Possible Action on Insuronce Woiver Process
Motion b1n M.Millington
Motion fo toble until the Speciol Meeting on Tuesdoy, Morch 3, 2026
Second: N.Nelson
Roll Cqll: All in fovor
Vole: Motion corried
5. ADJOURNMENT
Motion by C.McNeely
Motion to odjoum.
Second: C.Rivers
Roll Coll: All in fovor
Vole: Motion corried
STrocey-Colosh odjourned the meeting ot 7:56 PM
Respectf ully submitted,
0eilm
Alysso Butovo
Executive Assislont to the Superintendent
b