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Simsbury Public Schools

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Budget

Budget

Logo for Simsbury Public Schools featuring a building illustration and laurel branches.
Board of Education Budget 
The Board of Education was presented with the 2026-27 capital improvement plan recommendations at their meeting on October 28, 2025. There are 3 projects on the plan which include turf and track resurfacing at Simsbury High School and the recurring biennial network improvements and flooring improvements.  The board will vote on the plan at their meeting on February 17, 2026 which will then be forwarded to the Board of Selectmen.
On December 16, 2025, a meeting of the Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen and Board of Education was held at the Simsbury Public Library.  During this meeting, the boards had the opportunity to share fixed cost data and discuss contextual factors that will impact overall budget development.  The Board of Finance provided a 3.5% budget increase recommendation to both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Education.
During the month of November, Principals and Directors submitted their 2026-27 budget proposals to the Finance Department.  In December, Central Office Administrators met with each of the Principals/Directors to review their requests.  At their budget workshop on February 7, 2026 the Board of Education began discussions around the budget.  At this workshop the discussion focused on budget context and major drivers, enrollment and staffing, special education, and Superintendent Curtis presented his proposed 2026-27 budget. The Board of Education continued their budget discussions at their regular meeting on February 10, 2026. On February 24, 2026 the Board of Education adopted a 2026-27 budget in the amount of $91,303,244 which represents an increase of $2,480,133 or 2.79%. The Board of Education presented their budget to the Board of Finance on March 10, 2026. The first Board of Finance Public Hearing was held on April 7, 2026. A second public hearing was held on April 21, 2026, with a third public hearing scheduled on April 29, 2026. The budget referendum was held on May 16, 2026. The BOE budget passed by a vote of 692 in favor and 376 against.

BOE Calendar

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Overview of the Budget Process
October 
Budget Forms
Information/Calendar to Principals & Directors

  • October / November
    • Discussion and prioritization of budget items in conjunction with Principals & Directors.
  • December
    • Superintendent, Director of Finance, and Assistant Superintendents meet with Principals & Directors to discuss budget proposals and building improvements.
  • January
    • Budget workshops begin with the Board of Education (BOE).
  • February
    • BOE budget workshops culminate in operating budget adoption, and the BOE adopts the Capital Improvement Plan for submission to the Board of Selectmen (BOS).
  • March
    • BOE presentation to the Board of Finance (BOF) regarding capital and operating budgets.
  • April
    • Public hearings on BOE, Town, and capital budgets.
  • May
    • Budget Referendum held at Henry James Memorial School.

2026-2027 Budget

  • 2025-26 Budget

    2024-25 Budget 

     2023-24 Budget

     2022-23 Budget

    2021-22 Budget

    2020-21 Budget 

  • Contracts & Negotiations
    Following are the existing collective bargaining agreements negotiated by the Board of Education with its recognized employment groups.

    • NAGE (effective 7/1/25-6/30/28) National Association of Municipal Employees Agreement covering custodial and maintenance personnel
    • SSNA (effective 7/1/24-6/30/27) Simsbury School Nurses Association
    • SEA (effective 7/1/23-6/30/26) Simsbury Education Association covering certified teachers
    • SEA (effective 7/1/26 - 6/30/29) Simsbury Education Association covering certified teachers
    • SSASA (effective 7/1/24- 6/30/27) Simsbury School Administrators & Supervisors Association
    • SFEP (effective 7/1/23-6/30/26) Simsbury Federation of Educational Personnel
    • Security Guards (effective 7/1/24 - 6/30/27)

  • The Town of Simsbury and the Simsbury Public Schools are working together to cut costs, share resources and improve service delivery. Below is a list of some of our efforts to engage in cost-saving measures.

    • Cooperative capital projects (new shared accounting system, radio system replacement, emergency generators) 
    • Cooperative bidding (electricity, trash collection and recycling, fuel oil, insurance, actuarial services, auditing services, benefits advisor services, etc.) 
    • Budget request for shared accounting position
    • Cooperative Technology planning and IT audit with Blum Shapiro
    • SHS Solar Project grant funding obtained through Town Clean Energy Task Force and DPW Director efforts
    • Joint efforts to extend natural gas and fiber optic cable to shared maintenance facility and DPW complex on Town Forest Road
    • Town provides IT support to BOE Central Offices
    • BOE Microsoft Exchange server (e-mail) shared with Town
    • Shared technology network and fiber infrastructure 
    • Simsbury Library added to BOE internet connection with CEN
    • Health Insurance carrier consolidation
    • Creation of a high deductible health plan (HDHP)
    • Affordable Care Act implementation
    • Shared membership in new stop-loss insurance captive entity with CREC
    • Human Resources information systems review
    • Creation of a defined compensation retirement plan
    • Shared financial management system/ Town use of BOE server room 
    • Shared employee benefits consultant
    • Shared staffing of the Retirement Plan Subcommittee
    • With town implementation of FSAs, sharing a third party administrator
    • Two school resource officers
    • Town maintenance of school athletic fields 
    • Shared town hall offices 
    • Town use of schools for culture/recreation programs 
    • Shared voluntary advisory boards (insurance, retirement) 
    • Town and BOE participation on employee interview processes
    • Town Engineer/Director of Capital Projects support of BOE Capital Projects
    • Town use of school buses 
    • Town sand sweeping of school lots
    • Town provides access to de-icing material for schools
    • Schools are town polling places and major meeting locations 
    • Schools serve as town emergency shelters
    • BOE participation in emergency operations center, public safety subcommittee, and emergency training drills
    • Shared employee participation in wellness programs and new Simsbury Employee Life and Fitness (SELF) program
    • Shared Budget Mailer to residents prior to referendum
    • BOE support for Town’s Bicycle Friendly Community Award and efforts
    • Town support for Safe Routes to School Program implementation

    The Simsbury Public Schools also engages in regional cooperation with other school districts in order to aggregate buying power as well as avoid duplication of administrative and procurement services. Simsbury joins with 9 of its neighboring districts in North Central Connecticut in the Educational Resource Collaborative (ERC) and representatives meet regularly to share information and look for additional ways to achieve practical efficiencies through cooperation.  Recently the ERC was featured in the December 2015 report on Regional Cooperation Between Local Boards of Education by the state Program Review and Investigations Committee.  In addition to purchasing supplies and commodities, Simsbury utilizes cooperation with neighboring districts to provide services on a more cost effective basis than we could do alone as outlined below:

    • Utilization of state bid contracts 
    • ERC copier services bid – Cooperative bid 
    • ERC fixed asset inventory – Cooperative bid 
    • ERC environmental services – Cooperative bid 
    • Regional heating fuel oil bid 
    • Regional vehicle gasoline,  diesel and propane fuel bid 
    • Regional school supplies, art supplies, audio-visual equipment and custodial supply purchase 
    • ERC oversight of Regional Farmington Valley Diagnostic Center administered by CREC.
    • Farmington Valley Transitional Academy at University of Hartford (a cooperative program with Farmington Public Schools that serves many other districts in the Hartford Region.
    • Simsbury shares its Director of Nursing with Farmington Public Schools
    • Simsbury shares its Teacher of the Deaf  with Farmington Public Schools
    • Special Education Consortium-Professional development
    • Some cooperative shared transportation

    Updated 1/10/19

  • Q. What was last year's budget increase?
    A. The 2019-20 budget increase last year was 2.5%. The Board of Finance allowed for the additional funding of OPEB and pension and after the Board of Education approved  a 2.2% budget, the Board of Finance raised it to 2.5%.
    Q. What guideline has the Board of Finance (BOF) given for operating expenditures in 2020-21?
    A. The BOF has given the BOE and the town a guideline of 2.5%.
    Q. What is an FTE?
    A. FTE is the abbreviation for full-time equivalent. An FTE represents the equivalent of one full-time staff position and can be one individual or various part-time assignments equaling one position.
    Q. As student enrollment decreases are we reducing the number of teachers?
    A. In the 2019-20 school year, student enrollment increased by 7 students, the majority at Latimer Lane School (19 students) and Squadron Line School (16 students).  This is a total of 24 students above our projection. K-6 enrollment increased by 49 students, Grade 7-8 enrollment increased by 23 students, and Grade 9-12 decreased by 65 students.
    Over the past 10 years, overall enrollment has declined from 4,908 to 4,025 a reduction of 883 students.  During this same time period the decline in staffing was 53.31 FTE.  Our projected enrollment for 2020-21 is 4,025 which demonstrate no change compared to the current year, with SHS enrollment continuing to decline and K-6 enrollment continuing to increase. We are recommending a corresponding reduction of 3.0 FTE at SHS.
    Q. Have you considered reconfiguring the school buildings in light of the enrollment decline?
    A. We continue to work with Tecton Architects as they develop the Facilities Master Plan and Reconfiguration Study. Alternative proposals will be reviewed by the Facilities & Enrollment Task Force during the winter and further community input will be collected.  The Board of Education will make decisions in the spring as to the plan for school facilities going forward.
    Q. Are the course offerings at SHS examined each year?
    A. Yes. Each year, Department Supervisors and the Principal review the Program of Studies and the Learning Clusters booklet and make needed adjustments to course offerings. Over the last several years, many classes have been eliminated from the Program of Studies and replaced with more relevant offerings that emphasize 21st Century Skills, such as Engineering, Biomedical Science and Financial Literacy.
    Q. With the BOE budget increases no more than 2% over the past 10 years, has the school district been able to enhance or add any programs?
    A. During these lean budgets the school district introduced full day Kindergarten, the Simsbury Reading Intervention Program (SRIP), expansion of the World Language program at the elementary level and the move to an 8 period day at SHS and HJMS.  In addition staffing has been added in the form of Math Instructional Coaches, special education teachers, special education paraeducators, elementary social workers, a high school social worker, preschool support and a Ready, Set, Go program facilitator.  We have also increased access to the SHS Learning Clusters.  We now have a 1:1 Chromebook program for students at SHS and HJMS.
    Q. Have we done anything to reduce the cost of employee benefits?
    A. Beginning in 2014-15, the BOE has offered a High Deductible Health Plan and those who choose to continue to participate in the HMO or PPO must pay the difference between what the BOE would have paid in premium plus the applicable BOE payment to offset the deductible amount for the HDHP in addition to the cost of participating in the HMO or PPO.  All new employees hired only have the HDHP option available to them. For those employees who are pension eligible, beginning on July 1, 2013 all new employees will be enrolled in a Defined Contribution Retirement Plan rather than a Defined Benefit Retirement Plan.
    Q. Why do we fund a Non-Public School budget?
    A. CT General Statues, Section 10-217 requires each town which provides health and welfare services for children attending the public schools shall provide the same health and welfare services for children attending private schools therein, not conducted for profit, when a majority of the children attending the private schools are from the State of Connecticut. This results in the Simsbury Board of Education providing school nurse and psychological services to St. Mary’s School, The Masters School, and the Cobb School. CT General Statues, Section 10-281, concerning provisions for bus transportation for children attending qualifying private schools requires that the same kind of transportation services provided for public school children is provided for children attending private schools when the majority of children attending those schools are from the State of Connecticut. The Simsbury Board of Education buses Simsbury children attending St. Mary’s School and provides mileage reimbursement to parents of Simsbury children attending The Masters School, Cobb School, Westminster School and Ethel Walker School.
    Q. Does the Nutrition Services Department generate revenue for the school district?
    A. The Nutrition Services Department operates as a separate cost center with a separate budget and is a self-funded program. The Board of Education budget includes a contribution of 10% of the Director of Food Services salary.
    Q. How does Simsbury’s per pupil expenditure compare to area towns and the state?
    A. In 2018-19 Simsbury’s per pupil expenditure was $17,451. We ranked 13th out of 21 DRG B towns. The state average is $18,791. Simsbury ranks 94th out of 169 towns in the state.
    Q. How much are the pay-to-participate and parking fees at the high school and how is this revenue utilized?
    A. The fees collected from students for parking at Simsbury High School are utilized to pay for the student activity late buses from our secondary schools as well as the annual cost of maintenance / repairs to the high school parking lot which includes line striping, repair of winter damage, etc. The fees may also be used to support student activities at the high school. The student parking fee is $150.00 per year. The interscholastic athletic pay-for-play fees are utilized to support certain costs of the interscholastic athletic program at Simsbury High School which are not funded in the Board of Education operating budget including contest fees and officials, equipment and supplies. The pay-for-participation fee is $175 per student per sport with a family maximum of $700. Special assessments for ice hockey and swimming do not count toward the family maximum. These assessments are used toward the payment of the rental of practice facilities for these sports.
    Q. What happens if the budget fails at the first referendum?
    A. Simsbury Town Charter Section 910: The Board of Finance, in cooperation with the First Selectman, shall revise the annual budget, or portion thereof, which has been rejected at the referendum, as the case may be, and present it at a subsequent Town Meeting for discussion and an additional referendum for acceptance. Such subsequent Town Meeting and additional referendum shall be scheduled by the Board of Selectmen. If the budget remains unaccepted after such reconsideration meeting and referendum, the budget adopted for the then current fiscal year shall be deemed to be the temporary budget for the forthcoming fiscal year and expenditures may be made on a month-to-month basis in accordance therewith, until such time as the referendum finally adopts a new budget. Most often, if the budget does not pass it is lowered rather than increased.