By Avice Meehan

The Board of Education addressed routine—and not so routine—matters at the March 31 meeting, including a resolution to request an additional $58,000 for the current year budget to resolve the fact that the town ran afoul of the state’s minimum budget requirement.

The request will ultimately come before voters at the annual town meeting in May after being reviewed by the Board of Finance. Botelle School does not need the money and does not plan to spend it, noted Superintendent Kevin Case.

The issue arose during the last budget cycle with a $185,000 reduction in planned spending for special education when a high-needs student moved out of the school district. The Botelle budget ultimately dropped by $103,000 over the prior year, but changes in special education costs are not among the exceptions allowed by law. Case said he would continue to advocate for changes to the law.

Case read a proclamation to board members and presented them with certificates in recognition of “Board Member Appreciation Month” in Connecticut. He noted that Donna Rubin set the record among current members, with 22 years of service to the school district.

In his report, Case confirmed that the school district would receive $32,000 for building repairs and infrastructure through a new state program. The district has until June 2027 to decide how to spend the funds and would begin discussing the matter at the April 28 meeting.

Principal Lauren Valentino shared two significant milestones for the school. She reported that the number of students who require extra instruction has gone down, reflecting the impact of the intense focus on shared learning goals. She also noted that the state has restored funding for a school-based mental health counselor provided to Botelle through EdAdvance. She also reported on productive conversations with Mike Zarfos (executive director) and Vicki Nelson (program coordinator) of Great Mountain Forest about developing forest-based programs for Botelle students.