Vernon Proposed 2025-26 Education Budget: An Up-Close Look

VERNON, CT — Here is a look at the proposed $60.4 million Vernon public schools budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year as approved by the Board of Education and presented to the Town Council this week.

Vernon Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary was optimistic about the budget.

"I'm very happy with it," he said. "The council was receptive and the mayor was supportive. It's an honest budget that balances the needs of students for an education with town resources."

The council is set to deliberate over and perhaps vote on a town-wide spending plan budget Thursday.

The education budget has a bottom line of $60,419,570, which represents an increase of 2.79 percent, or $1,640,506.

Past budget increases have been:

• 2016-17: 1.06 percent
• 2017-18: 1.02 percent
• 2018-19: 0.87 percent
• 2019-20: 1.30 percent
• 2020-21: 1.20 percent
• 2021-22: 0.95 percent
• 2022-23: 1.35 percent
• 2023-24 3.75: percent
• 2024-25: 1.57 percent

School Enrollments as of Jan. 2 are:

• Center Road School — 459
• Lake Street School — 256
• Maple Street School — 257
• Northeast School — 258
• Skinner Road School — 337
• Vernon Center Middle — 650
• Rockville High School — 988
• Outplacements/Next Step — 45

A total of 75 teaching positions are funded via grants.

Salaries account for an increase of $521,862, a jump of .09 percent.

Benefits — primarily insurance — increased by $759,159 or 1.3 percent.

Several inflationary factors were also involved. For example, the price of plywood has gone up 120.r percent since 2020 and the cost of toilet paper is up 11 percent over the same time period.

The budget factors in several teacher retirements — a classroom teacher at CRS, a reading Interventionist at VCMS, a reading Specialist at LSS, reading Specialist at NES and a technology education teacher at VCMS

Under the budget plan, Rockville High School is getting an additional social worker via an IDEA Grant, Vernon Center Middle School is losing one unified arts teacher, Center Road School is losing two Classroom teachers and Lake Street School is getting an additional ABL (IDEA) teacher.

"Changes in teaching personnel are due to changes in student enrollment and based on the educational needs of children," Macary said. He said no one is getting laid off and the lost positions involve re-assigning the respective faculty members.

A plan is in place to replace interactive white boards with slat screen TVs (Newline) in classrooms.

The RHS Marching Ram Band is getting new uniforms.

The budget factors in increases funding for family engagement activities at all five elementary schools "to enhance parent involvement with the district," Macary said.

Funding is set aside for two building substitutes for each K-5 school and three at RHS and VCMS.

Summer school will be offered at no cost to students, the system will continue the fifth grade Boston Trip with transportation paid for by the district budget, thus "allowing all students to participate."

A new Grade 8 field trip to New York City will be offered for all students with the school system providing bus transportation.

Several high school and middle school interscholastic sports programs are getting new uniforms.