Pomfret Board of Education Update: Budget Stability, Student Growth, and Community Engagement Lead the Year

The Pomfret Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting, featuring special presentations, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Pomfret Community School. The meeting began at 6:00 PM in the school cafeteria and covered key updates on fiscal stability, enrollment, special education costs, academic progress, and upcoming community initiatives. Here’s a breakdown of what’s ahead for the 2025–2026 school year.

Budget Approved: Stable but Dependent on Grant Funding

The Board approved the Fiscal Year 2025–2026 budget, authorizing payments totaling just over $1 million. The district remains financially stable, though part of the budget depends on an uncertain $3 million state grant expected in 2027.

To cover last year’s shortfall, $789,967 was transferred from available funds, leaving a small surplus of $31,939. However, special education costs continue to exceed projections, running about $455,000 over budget, with an additional $606,809 likely needed next year.

A new $221,423 grant will help offset costs by supporting staff such as guidance counselors, psychologists, and teaching assistants. The Finance Committee reaffirmed that the district’s non-lapsing fund remains under Board control and will continue to be used strictly for educational purposes.

Rising Enrollment and Special Education Needs

Enrollment continues to grow, with 30 new high school students forecasted for next year. Currently, 19% of students are identified for special education services and 28% qualify as high-needs—numbers that place increasing pressure on district resources.

The Board discussed the benefits of maintaining in-district programs like the ILP special education model to reduce costly out-of-district placements. Conversations may soon begin with private schools in town, such as Rectory and Pomfret School, about potential cost-sharing solutions.

Academic Growth: Strong Gains in Math

Pomfret students achieved their highest math growth rate ever, with 72.6% meeting growth targets on state assessments. While overall proficiency rates dipped slightly in both ELA and math, the district emphasized that individualized growth remains a more meaningful measure of progress.

The district’s shift to the Open Up Resources math curriculum and continued use of interim assessments have improved student performance. Coaching, co-teaching, and targeted interventions are being expanded in key grades to build on these results.

Restorative Practices Take Root

This school year marks the official launch of restorative practices as a central part of the district’s approach to discipline. Instead of focusing solely on punishment, restorative methods aim to repair harm, build empathy, and strengthen school culture.

Students and staff are engaging in social-emotional learning lessons, morning circles, and restorative conferences to resolve conflicts constructively. Parents will soon receive a Q&A guide clarifying how restorative practices work and what benefits they bring to students and the community.

Playground Fundraising and Community Involvement

A new playground campaign is kicking off, with events planned throughout the year leading up to a major community celebration in April. Volunteers are organizing roles for event leads, sponsorships, marketing, raffles, and finance tracking to ensure the campaign’s success.

Upcoming events include a December Sip and Paint night, a semi-formal dance, a color run, and themed family breakfasts. The Board also discussed rekindling alumni connections and integrating school reunions into future fundraising efforts.

My Personal Observations

It was disappointing to some that our presentation on Restorative Practices was a repeat of the slides shared the week prior and did not include answers to the questions written and submitted on notecards from the previous week. This raised the question, why have two separate presentations one week apart regarding the same topic that lasted under 13 minutes each time? It was great that they spent an hour and three minutes reviewing our Testing and Scoring, but parents were disappointed at the disregard for their time by not making them fully aware that the Restorative Practices portion was a repeat and would still not include a Q&A session at the meeting. We were told we would have to wait for those answers to come at a later date.

Audience Participation

It appears that the audience does have the ability to speak for a strict 3 minutes per person, per time; however, the board does not answer or comment on their questions at these meetings. Furthermore, I do not see them addressing the audience's comments at the subsequent meetings, outside of a note being made in the meeting minutes for awareness of the comments or concerns.

Bringing Back Activities that Died with COVID

Several parents brought up great points regarding wonderful opportunities that started dying down leading up to COVID. We are currently seeking to reinstate some of these great activities or create some new ones. These would include things like Grandparents Day, a Holiday Senior Dinner, something for our Retired Teachers, and more. I would also love to see our graduating senior classes come back to walk through the halls in their cap and gowns to inspire the younger kids and see their old teachers. My big four LOVED doing this, and it's really special. Their high school would bus them to their respective elementary schools and do a walk of the halls while students and teachers held signs or gave them cards honoring their achievements.

Are We Really Saving by Keeping Kids In-House

A parent brought up the concern that we don't have the visibility to see the savings we were promised regarding keeping kids in our school versus sending them to outplacement when they have special needs. A suggestion was made to share that information year over year, and also share how many are coming from schools like Rectory and The Pomret School, which do not pay taxes and no longer offer scholarships for PCS students.

Looking Ahead

While the current budget technically remains balanced, many residents have voiced growing concern over its long-term sustainability. Rising special education costs, rapid enrollment growth, and reliance on uncertain grant funding have placed increasing strain on district finances. The Board will need to demonstrate stronger fiscal accountability and transparency to rebuild public confidence and ensure that educational needs are met responsibly—without pushing additional costs onto taxpayers.