Ledyard school board agrees to no increase in funding

Ledyard — The Board of Education voted “unanimously and enthusiastically” in favor of a zero-increase education budget for next year at its regular meeting Wednesday night, said Superintendent Mike Graner.

The $29.7 million school budget for 2013-14 maintains class size and both academic and extracurricular programming, Graner said. It also adds on a new all-day kindergarten program to begin in the fall. Increases due to staff contractual obligations were offset by a number of smaller items, including fuel savings, the ending of a one-year contract for temporary staff, a handful of retiring teachers, and lower-than-anticipated special education, custodian contract and special education costs.

The budget will be submitted to Mayor John Rodolico on Monday.

— Anna Isaacs