Voters Approve School, Town Budgets at Town Meeting
EASTFORD — On Thursday, May 14, Eastford voters gave a collective thumbs up to the town’s fiscal 2026-27 budget plan.
The general town government budget proposal was set unanimously at $2,204,416, which represents an increase of $118,847 (5.7 percent) over fiscal 2025-26. The Board of Education budget proposal was approved by majority vote at $4,937,953, an increase of $143,774 (3 percent). Combined, both budget proposals total $7,142,369, an increase of $262,621 (3.8 percent) over fiscal 2025-26. The new spending plan results in a property tax rate of 22.2 mils, a 1-mil increase over fiscal 2025-26 (21.2 mils). The new mil rate was made official at a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen on Monday, May 18.
One key piece of information noted at the Town Meeting was the appropriation of recently announced state supplemental funding (see related story on page 2). Under the legislation, Eastford was allotted $37,888 in supplemental education aid and $14,635 in town aid for a total of $52,523. During the budget process, it was noted that the Board of Selectmen asked the Board of Education to reduce its funding request by $50,000, which resulted in the final 3-percent increase up for vote on May 14. The supplemental education aid restores a significant portion (about 75 percent) of the funds that were cut. Therefore, at the Town Meeting, First Selectman Deb Richards announced that following the April 30 Budget Hearing, the Board of Selectmen, acting as the Board of Finance, took action on the request from the Board of Education to revise the order of allocations within the Eastford Elementary School Ten-Year Plan, moving forward $45,750 originally allocated for fiscal 2030 and moving it to fiscal 2026-27, making it so that the supplemental aid remain accessible to the Board of Education in addition to their submitted budget.
Additionally, according to minutes from the Board of Selectmen, the remaining $29,250 originally designated for the elevator project — including $27,100 for the water project and up to $2,150 for electrical work — was reallocated to the water filtration project for both EES and the Town Office Building (TOB). In addition, the $75,000 elevator allocation was moved to FY 2028-2029.
Superintendent Donna Leake told the Communicator she was grateful to the town for working to help the school retain the state supplemental aid in addition to budget funds, rather than asking for further cuts.
“I feel very fortunate to share a respectful, collaborative relationship with [Richards],” Leake said. “This relationship mirrors the positive relationship between the [Board of Education] and the [Board of Selectmen]. Each group represents their constituents very well, yet work together to do what is overall beneficial to the entire Eastford community.”
Minutes from the Annual Town Meeting are available from the town website here.