On Tuesday evening, January 21st, the Board of Education (BOE) held a Special meeting to discuss the Superintendent’s proposed 2025-2026 budget. The discussions at this meeting were a continuation of the presentation scheduled for the January 14th meeting. The agenda for the January 21st meeting can be found here and the relevant materials from the January 14th are available here (no new materials for January 21st were provided).
A full recording of the meeting can be accessed here. A timestamped guide to the budget discussions by proposed budget initiative/reduction is provided here.
Towards the end of the meeting, the BOE asked Dr. Addley to provide a list of approximately $1 million in alternative efficiencies, with a focus on items that would not directly impact students. The BOE emphasized that their intention was not to reduce the budget by an incremental $1 million, but instead to provide possible alternatives to the proposed efficiencies currently on the table for consideration.
The next BOE meeting is scheduled for January 28th at 7:30pm. At this meeting, BOE members will propose specific modifications (“add/cuts”) to the proposed budget. Public comment will be available at the beginning and end of this meeting if you wish to voice your opinion. Public comment may be given in person or via zoom. You may also email the BOE at darienboardofeducation@darienps.org.
The CDSP and PTOs have compiled a list of FAQs which includes items such as an overview of the budget process timeline and how to voice your opinion. This document also contains links to all relevant budget documents and information.