City Council

~AD HOC REPORT~ Ad Hoc: Budget - Education Thursday, April 16, 2026 Chair Holly Robinson called the meeting to order at 6pm. on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Present were Committee Members Andrea Gartner, Cheryl Wallace-Smith, Joseph Britton and Candace Fay. From the City were Dan Garrick, Director of Finance; Kara Prunty, Assistant Director of Finance (Budgets and Grants), and Joanne Stark, Assistant Finance Director (Operations); Roberto Alves, Mayor; and Taylor O’Brien, Chief of Staff. From Danbury Public Schools were Kara Casimiro, Superintendent; Michael Weaver, CFO; and Mike Seelig, Chief of Strategy & Operations. Also from the City was Farley Santos, Community & Economic Development Advisor, Mayor’s Office. Ex-Officio members present were Mike Flanagan, Lou Giordano, Michael Coelho and Mike Henry. Chair Robinson provided an overview of the budget topics that she would like the committee to focus on. She thanked the Superintendent and both Finance teams at the City and Danbury Schools for all their hard work. Ms. Casimiro noted that her staff, Cabinet members, office staff and Board members were all present. Ms. Casimiro went through a presentation of the schools’ budget request highlighting: a total request of $175M, a total of 22 education facilities/schools that are now operating, an overall enrollment of 11,397 students, 36% of which are multilingual learners, and 15% of which have disabilities. Ms. Casimiro discussed surplus funds and what is being done to fix this issue; she explained the benefits of having complete audits to assist with making more efficient decisions. She noted challenges from multiple CFOs throughout the last few years, and staff vacancies that were budgeted for but have not been filled. She identified new cuts to vacancies that are not likely to be filled, closer analysis of underspent department budgets, and planning with sustainable funding sources. She noted that this year’s ask was a tight proposal, however, there is a healthy reserve to help with unexpected costs. She addressed concerns with future grants and formula-based funding due to decreases in both enrollment and the number of special education needs students. Mr. Weaver identified reductions to this year’s budget including: a $6.79M benefits reduction, vacancy savings of $5.5M, and funding from grants and alliance equaling $56M. She presented a three- year budget projection. Chair Robinson thanked the administration for putting together a projection and facilities breakdown. She asked about alliance funding concerns; Ms. Casimiro explained the impact of decreased enrollment on future budgets, and the possibility of having to make core staff reductions. She emphasized the need for more staff, not less. Member Gartner asked what the per pupil spending is now; Ms. Casimiro estimated that it is about $17,000 per student; Mayor Alves explained that the state’s reporting of those numbers are always a few years behind. Member Britton asked how an increase in enrollment would affect future budgets; Ms. Casimiro spoke to the need to not drastically decrease staffing because they are already short staffed. Member Britton asked about an increase request in the special education students’ budget; Ms. Casimiro spoke to specialized needs that take students out of the district and that that transportation is a significant expense. Member Wallace-Smith asked how much of the $6.79M in savings came from an actual head-count reduction; Ms. Casimiro spoke to this being the first time that the budget is utilizing risk assessment to try and create a new baseline; Mr. Weaver identified $2.4M from head-count reductions, and he confirmed that they monitor the numbers monthly and there is a stop-loss plan. Chair Robinson asked about the projections of savings from benefits that were incorrect in the past; Ms. Casimiro and Mr. Weaver spoke about their monitoring of staff health profiles and regular review of stop-loss numbers. Member Fay thanked the administration for their hard work and accessibility. Mr. Coelho asked about enrollment deadlines; Ms. Casimiro confirmed that all districts get their enrollment timestamped on October 1st and that is the number that is used. Mr. Coelho asked why monies in the reserve were not used to keep this year’s request flat, and where the reserve funds came from; Ms. Casimiro identified the deliberate choices that they have made for this budget request, and that the surplus was mostly due to unfilled vacancies and staffing needs; she explained that correcting the issues from the past will take time. Member Coelho noted the Council’s obligations to the taxpayers and urged that they consider using reserve funds to fulfill the increase request; Ms. Casimiro explained that the reserves can consist of 2% to 3% and it serves as a margin of error without having to come back to the Council for more funds throughout the year. She further noted that the Board must approve use of any of those reserves, and that the city has the authority to do what it wants with the surplus. Chair Robinson clarified the difference between previous surpluses and these new reserves, she explained that they are urged to have the reserve due to being self-insured. Ms. Casimiro acknowledged and understands the concerns of the burden on taxpayers. A motion was made by Member Gartner, and seconded by Member Wallace-Smith, to recommend that the City Council approve the Education Budget of $175,508,575 as presented in the Mayor’s 2026-2027 budget proposal. Motion Carried Unanimously. A motion was made by Member Wallace-Smith, and seconded by Member Gartner, to adjourn. Motion Carried Unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:16 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Holly Robinson, Chair; Andrea Gartner, Cheryl Wallace-Smith, Joseph Britton, and Candace Fay