Board of Finance presses schools over 30 unapproved hires
Board of Finance · Meeting of February 3, 2026
New Canaan Board of Finance presses schools over 30 unapproved hires costing nearly $9.8 million. Chairman Todd told the school district's finance staff that the board approved 21 net staff additions since 2021 but actual headcount rose by 51, even as enrollment fell from 4,176 to 3,953 students. "We're going to sit here and agree to 803, you're going to add five more...we can't do that," Todd said.
The district's $124 million proposed budget reflects a 3.3 percent townwide operating increase of $5.9 million, with schools driving 74 percent of that growth. Member Victor Alvarez separately flagged overcrowding at East School, now at 565 students. Capital talks centered on a roughly $1.2 million safety and communication system for Saxe Middle School after selectmen stripped $610,500 in other school capital items.
No budget vote was taken; deliberations continue in March.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 948 words
Source: the Board of Finance meeting of February 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
The Full Article
NEW CANAAN — February 3, 2026 — The New Canaan Board of Finance opened its budget season Tuesday by pressing school officials on how district staffing has grown by roughly 30 positions beyond what the board approved since 2021, a gap Board of Finance Chairman Todd said has cost the town nearly $9.8 million.
The board also reviewed the Board of Education's proposed $124 million 2026-27 budget, an increase Superintendent Dr. Lutzy's staff described as adding no new programs or positions, and heard that the town's overall operating budget is projected to rise $5.9 million, or 3.3 percent, with schools accounting for 74 percent of that growth. No vote was taken on the school budget itself; the board will continue deliberations in March.
The Full Story
Members took roll call at the start of the regular Tuesday session, with Diana Carlson, Michael Chen, Chris Lee, Victor Alvarez, Maria Wearden, Bob Hamill, James Yao, Nick Matraus, Steve Doka and Alan Bedain confirmed present, along with two additional members whose names were not clearly captured on the recording. The board approved the minutes of its January 20 meeting on a voice vote.
Board of Education representatives, led by Superintendent Dr. Lutzy and the district's finance staff, spent much of the more than two-hour session walking the board through a budget the superintendent described as an investment rather than an expense, citing eight National Merit semifinalists, a fourth straight state football championship under coach Lou Marinelli, a top-ranked statewide academic showing on the Smarter Balanced Assessment, and a literacy program nearing accreditation from Orton-Gillingham that would make New Canaan the only public school system in the country to hold that status.
The sharpest exchange centered on staffing growth. Chairman Todd told the district's finance director, referred to in the discussion as Brian, that the board had approved 21 net staff additions since 2021 but the district's actual headcount rose by 51, a gap of roughly 30 positions he estimated at $75,000 apiece, or $9.8 million cumulatively, before accounting for associated health care costs. He noted districtwide enrollment fell from 4,176 to 3,953 students over the same period even as headcount grew.
"We're going to sit here and agree to 803, you're going to add five more, and you're going to ask us, and next year you're going to be at 808 asking for two more. We can't do that. We just cannot do that anymore," Todd said.
The finance director attributed part of the growth to specific initiatives, including nine "building substitute" positions created during the pandemic, and said he would provide a detailed reconciliation. The board asked for a forensic analysis of both the headcount trend and the district's self-insured health plan, which insurance consultant Joe Spurgeon is expected to present at a follow-up session.
Board members also questioned an unusual imbalance in elementary enrollment. Victor Alvarez raised concerns about crowding at East School, which now has 565 students under two administrators.
"I have some concerns about the weighting of these three elementary schools. There seems to be just too many kids in East and not enough in West. I'm really concerned about the pressure you're putting on East School," Alvarez said.
District officials said kindergarten enrollment projections show East growing from 112 to 162 students, South from 99 to 135, and West from 77 to 120, but said they lack confidence the increases will fully materialize. Rather than budget for eight additional teaching positions and portable classrooms, the district proposed freezing kindergarten staffing at current levels and creating a contingency fund to be finalized as enrollment clarifies, likely in April.
On capital spending, the district's request stands at $3,150,493 after the Board of Selectmen removed several items, including $500,000 for East School paving, $60,500 for high school band and choir room carpeting, and $50,000 in painting. The remaining request centers on a roughly $1.2 million communication and safety system for Saxe Middle School, similar to a $1.1 million system installed last year at the high school, which includes paging, lockdown alerts, camera integration and real-time language translation for students.
"This system is pretty powerful. It's out of the box. It's reminiscent in some ways of the dome. It's not something that everybody else has, and it's the leadership that kind of drives us to the excellence that we've achieved," said board member Bob Hamill.
The board amended its agenda to move a scheduled financial update to Thursday and adjourned without further business.
Why It Matters
The Board of Finance's questions about unapproved headcount growth strike at how New Canaan controls school spending within a $124 million budget that is part of a town financial picture officials said will exceed $1 billion over the next 10 years. A forensic review of staffing and health insurance costs, along with a kindergarten enrollment contingency plan, is expected to shape budget decisions heading into an early-March follow-up session.
Residents will also see a decision on the roughly $1.2 million Saxe Middle School communication system, which the Board of Selectmen removed from its budget pending the Board of Finance's judgment on whether to restore it, and on whether East School's crowding will prompt redistricting discussions among the town's three elementary schools.
Key Motions & Votes
- Vote: Approve the minutes of the January 20 meeting Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Amend the agenda to move the financial update to Thursday's meeting Tally: Approved unanimously
- Vote: Adjourn the meeting Tally: Approved unanimously
- Action: Board of Education 2026-27 operating and capital budgets — Continued to March meetings for further review; no vote taken
Source
Town Of New Canaan: Board of Finance meeting, February 3, 2026