Many Old Lyme residents are concerned with the threat of a 20% tax increase this year. Rightfully so, with the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme approving a $2.7 million jump in the Region 18 budget to nearly $40- million for the 2025/2026 school year. The new mill rate will be set once the town approves the overall budget which could happen at the Old Lyme Annual Town Budget Meeting on Monday, May 19th, at 7:30 PM at the Memorial Town Hall.
The main driver of the Region 18 budget is debt service on the $57.5 million that has been borrowed for school construction. Those most alarmed about their taxes significantly increasing this year have followed along as this Administration has told conflicting stories about the number of students for the past ten years. We’ve officially circled back to the “population is decreasing” narrative after a brief four years with proclamations of a “population increase”. The number of students has remained steady at less than 1300 from pre-K to 12th grade.
The claims for urgent expansion started right about the same time that a new group of BOE members were installed in 2021. In November of that year, with four brand new Board of Education members, Region 18 Superintendent Ian Nevasier presented a set of prospective building project plans. Each plan boasted over a $50 million price tag, even the one that utilized existing space. The claims for urgency included an upcoming huge population increase. Today, with no increase in students, the interest on the bonded debt is being blamed for a majority of the $2.7 million spike in the 2025/2026 Region 18 budget.
Plans for improvements and changes to the schools officially started in the summer of 2021 and were supposedly timed with the reduction in bonding obligations from the high school project. Similarly to the Halls Road Overlay District, an outside consulting firm, QA+M, was brought in to create the designs. At the initial meeting in September, 2021, grand ideas of spaces being reinvented for learning were discussed while an urgent need for expansion was pressed. People in attendance were asked to dream about the future of education and were more than a little confused about whether these changes were actual needs or just wants for the future.
From the very beginning stage of planning, there was a rush to get the project approved quickly. All options presented were limited in scope and solid information detailing cost; none quite fit the exact needs of our schools and town. Parental input from the first meeting was not used. When it was time for public comment, meetings often diverted to other conversations including one where teachers were invited in to complain about the outdated air conditioning. There was never a serious, well attended BOE or town meeting that involved the community to discuss what is in the best interest of the towns and the school system.
It’s been three years since the town voted to borrow $57.5 million. At the time of the referendum, the BOE selected the “best” of the proposals as presented. Actual prices were not part of the vote, and all future decisions would be made by an unelected building committee appointed by the BOE. Taxpayers were sent 5 glossy postcards paid for by tax money to convince them that a $57.5 million construction project was absolutely necessary at that time, with that cost, with an imminent population explosion – one that has not happened yet and probably never will.
In February, 2025, the Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the 2025/2026 budget that included a 7.39% increase from this year. Most of the $2.7 million increase is blamed on interest for the debt from the construction project. The budget also included the elimination of a music teacher and reduction in the music programming in our school district. This recommendation by the Administration was attributed to several reasons which did not include the cost of the salary and benefits.
Historically, music and the arts have been very important to the people of Lyme and Old Lyme. Most would agree that music plays a vital role in the wellbeing of our children. Some would prefer expanding music programming, and, at a special meeting of the BOE on April 10, 2025, the music teachers offered a wide variety of opportunities to expand the music offerings in the future. Until that night, despite community concern in person, online and through letters to the BOE for months, no one on the Board of Education stepped up to fight for keeping the music staff.
At the March 5, 2025 Board of Education meeting, a parent mentioned they have concerns over $2.5 million that is being spent on the parking lot at Mile Creek. According to her testimony, the plan will not add significant parking and, in the case of large events when people typically park on the grass, may actually decrease the amount of available parking. This was her second time appealing to the BOE. It’s unclear whether anything was done about her concerns; the beautiful grass and trees are gone now.
It is surprising that this topic did not raise more conversations with the BOE. We are a town that cares greatly for preserving the environment and seeks affordability. This concern from the community could have led to exploring different options to reduce the physical and financial impact. Perhaps there could have been discussions about why so many families drop off their children. Why are people not using the bus? Could something be changed to make bussing better? Maybe they could have even questioned why, if people aren’t using the buses, has the cost of buses nearly doubled?
The BOE had the opportunity to significantly reduce the 2025/2026 budget by using taxpayer funds already accumulated through the “undesignated” fund. State law and school policy for school districts allows up to 2% of each years’ budgets to be set aside as reserves that can be used to offset future expenses. Region 18 currently has approximately $3.1 million in taxpayer money in the Rainy Day fund; enough money to fully offset the proposed $2.7 million increase in the 2025/2026 school year annual budget.
Another state law, the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR), restricts school budgets from decreasing below the previous year’s budget. This requirement forces schools to spend at least as much as the last year; once a budget goes up, it is not allowed to go down with few exceptions. Maintaining a budget as close to the previous year as possible is fiscally responsible, especially with a potentially decreasing student population.
Region 18 presented the 2025/2026 budget to the Old Lyme Board of Finance on March 11, 2025. One member of the BOF, who is a former BOE member, and currently serves on Region 18 facilities and building committees, asked Ian Neviaser if the BOE had proposed to the school district to use the undesignated fund to cover the 7.39% increase. Superintendent Ian Neviaser said they had not. Instead, they had, according to Mr. Neviaser, a lengthy discussion on returns from the school to the towns. The debt burden is being pushed onto all taxpayers and, because of the MBR for schools, this will result in a significantly higher Region 18 budget moving forward.
Taxpayers in Old Lyme will soon feel the pain of this budget. The Board of Finance in Old Lyme had previously voted for the town to use some town funds from their undesignated account to help slightly reduce the increase. Up until May 5th, the BOE could have voted to use undesignated funds to partially or fully offset the huge increase. Several members of the BOF appealed to the Board of Education, acting as citizens, to at least match the town’s efforts; the Board of Education declined by pushing forward with the nearly $40- million school budget. Most people have not paid attention; only a very small group came out to vote on Tuesday, May 6th.
Taxpayers will not know the full price tag until the town budget is approved by taxpayers. The next vote for the public, approving or voting down the budget for the town, will be on Monday, May19th at the Annual Town Budget Meeting. If the budget is rejected, the Board of Finance could seek using more undesignated funds to cover the Region 18 increase; not the best fiscal policy but certainly better for people with fixed incomes than allowing the increase to push through to taxpayers. The new mill rate and tax calculations will be set after the town budget is passed – hopefully with more reductions. Voting is done in person; taxpayers can request that ballots be used.
It’s up to the taxpayers to show up on May 19th, at 7:30 PM at Old Lyme’s Town Hall and ultimately decide how affordable the town of Old Lyme will be moving forward in the future.