The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received July 10, 2026.
On July 15th Haddam and Killingworth will have its third referendum on the RSD 17 school budget. Our community stands at a crossroads. We are all feeling the pinch of high inflation, utility hikes, and rising costs of living. These pressures are real, and the anxiety surrounding family budgets is something we all share as neighbors.
It’s good to have a healthy, rigorous debate over municipal spending. However, recent social media posts and a letter recently published by HK Now from Eric Nunes demonstrate some misunderstanding about how the process works.
- The Mill Rates and Tax Stability: The claim that setting the mill rate before the final school budget vote is a “thumb on the scale” misrepresents standard municipal operations. By state law and fiscal necessity, towns must set mill rates by a certain date to ensure financial continuity and generate tax bills. These rates must be set before the July 1 tax bills. The alternative, to not being able to send out tax bills, is unacceptable to our residents or our fiscal well-being. Our Selectmen and Boards of Finance did their jobs in adhering to this requirement, as they have in past years, and they set the mill rate for both towns by the required date.
Some further items to note:
- A Lean, Responsive Budget: Several have claimed that the Board of Education is ignoring voter preferences. This is not true: the BOE didn’t ignore the first two votes. They responded with fiscal restraint. The district has reduced 15.7 full-time positions through attrition, frozen new hiring, and cut outside professional development consultants. They have done this to absorb massive, uncontrollable external cost drivers like a mandatory 15% health insurance hike, high energy costs, broad inflation and bus driver unionization— items out of our control, especially in the short term.
- Stretching the Dollar: Despite these pressures, RSD17’s Per Pupil Expenditure ($28,369) remains significantly lower than some our neighbors, for example Region 13- Durham/Middlefield ($30,387) and Region 4-Chester/Deep River/Essex ($34,045).
- Capital Reserves: Finally, we have seen many complaints about the capital reserve that RSD 17 has for future capital projects, repairs and infrastructure needs. Some of the same critics have in past complained that RSD 17 doesn’t do a good job preparing for these future needs. I find it especially confusing now that our school district is doing necessary preparations for future repairs to facilities, etc. they are being criticized for it. To me, it’s good fiscal practice, just as any of us save money for such things.
- The alternatives? Cutting teachers. Cutting arts and sports. Risking our reputation as a school district.
Our school district is the economic and cultural backbone of both Haddam and Killingworth. School quality is one of the most important drivers of home values and creating vital, healthy communities. I have debated and examined this proposed school budget in great detail. I am voting “Yes” on July 15th and I hope we do as a community.
Peter Baird, Higganum
The author is a member of the Haddam Board of Selectmen.
