Thomaston school and town officials are working to determine the final amount and causes of a significant 2025-26 Board of Education budget overage identified this summer, while trying to understand what impact it may have on the district’s 2026-27 budget.

The Board of Education’s latest figures, presented at a Budget/Audit Committee meeting on Sept. 9th, show the district ending the 2025-26 fiscal year approximately $449,000 over its approved budget. The Board of Finance, however, currently expects that the final overage could exceed $575,000, as town finance leaders believe there may be additional items not included in the Board of Education’s calculation.

Members of both boards and district staff have emphasized that approximately $213,000 of the overage was anticipated. Those costs were primarily related to unanticipated HVAC repairs, known increases in employee benefit costs and the execution of a union contract, which included retroactive pay attributable to the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The overage, along with the district’s financial processes and controls, is now expected to be examined by a third-party accounting firm. The Board of Finance voted Sept. 8th to accept a $31,625 proposal from PKF O’Connor Davies for the first phase of a “special operational and internal controls review” of the Board of Education’s finances. The proposal now goes to the Board of Selectmen, which is scheduled to consider it Sept. 15th. Because the cost exceeds the town’s $20,000 purchasing threshold, it would then require approval at a town meeting.

According to the town’s request for proposals, the first phase will examine accounts that exceeded their approved amounts during the 2025-26 fiscal year and seek to determine why the overruns occurred and when they may have become apparent. PKF O’Connor Davies, which has served as the town’s independent auditor since the town’s 2017 audit, recommended proceeding one phase at a time. If officials choose to continue beyond the first phase, the firm would provide a new proposal taking into account work completed during the first phase. Town officials have asked PKF to complete the first phase within one month of the town meeting.

The school district is working to determine how the prior-year overage could affect the 2026-27 budget. Updated financial projections are expected to be presented to the Board of Education in October, providing school and town officials, as well as the public, with a clearer picture of the current year’s finances.

Interim Business Manager Raymond Engle recently succeeded Attallah Roundtree and is currently working for the district two days per week. As he begins his tenure as interim business manager and works to close out the 2025-26 fiscal year, he has also been tasked with completing required state reporting and addressing inaccuracies in the district’s payroll. The district faced significant payroll issues at the start of the school year that affected most employees, and central office staff hope all remaining issues will be resolved with the Friday, Sept. 11th payroll.

Separately, the Board of Education has recently experienced turnover. Board members Matthew Van Ormer and Roxy Fainer, both members of the Budget/Audit Committee, resigned following a policy discussion regarding conflicts of interest and nepotism at the board’s Aug. 17th meeting. Their resignations left two vacancies on the school board. We break down how Board of Education vacancies are filled in our latest Tick by Tick explainer here.

Financial uncertainty has also placed discussion of the district’s recently completed school facilities feasibility study on hold. Board Chairman Nathan Vieira said at an August meeting that the board would not move forward with discussions related to the study while officials work through the uncertainty surrounding the district’s finances.

A potential change in how residents vote on future town budgets was raised during the Board of Finance meeting. Under this change, voters would cast separate votes on the Board of Education budget and the remainder of the town budget rather than considering the entire spending plan in a single vote. “With a lot of the frustration we’ve heard from the taxpayers, this is something we should consider,” First Selectman Rich Sileo said.

Superintendent Francine Coss implemented a spending freeze effective Aug. 10th, restricting new and unprocessed purchases, non-preapproved reimbursements, overtime and additional work hours unless budget projections show funding is available. The Board of Education later rejected a motion from board member Larry Duffany at its Aug. 28th meeting, which would have further restricted hiring for positions at compensation levels above what had been budgeted.

The Board of Education’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14th.

Update: This article was updated to include the anticipated timeline for completion of Phase 1.