Ledyard council OKs spending for trucks, schools
Some of appropriation needed to keep up with increasing enrollment
Ledyard — The Town Council voted at its meeting Wednesday to authorize a series of appropriations that would help the town take care of its streets and schools.
In separate motions, the council voted unanimously to authorize a $176,160 purchase of a Caterpillar wheel loader for the Public Works Department, a $105,000 appropriation toward repairs of Ledyard Fire Company’s R-13 truck and a $105,000 appropriation toward the school district’s accounts.
The latter was a three-part request from the Board of Education in response to increased custodial needs at Ledyard Middle School, as well as the arrival of 95 new students who moved into the district this year, which exceeded enrollment projections. The money will be transferred from the general fund.
About $30,000 will be used to hire an additional custodian. With the ongoing expansion, the middle school’s area will increase from 74,500 square feet to 93,000 square feet by the end of the year, including two new stairwells and 15 additional bathroom spaces.
About $15,000 would be used to purchase 59 Chromebooks to keep up with increasing enrollment; currently the 95 new students are sharing the spare Chromebooks kept on hand in case one breaks.
The remaining $60,000 would be used to hire a special education teacher. Five of the 95 students who moved into the district have intensive special education requirements, outplacements for which would cost on average about $115,000 per student. The new special education teacher would be able to take all five of the new students.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Superintendent Jay Hartling said it’s not just a financial decision but also a philosophical decision. Keeping Ledyard students in-district for school keeps them part of the community and interacting with their neighbors. Ongoing efforts to keep students in-district have decreased outplacements from 31 in 2016 to 15 this year, he said.
The new Caterpillar wheel load-
er would replace what public works representatives called the backbone of the department for its across-town work moving snow, gravel, sand, salt and other large loads. The 1998 vehicle was scheduled to be replaced within the next few years and already has undergone a refurbishment and other repairs but a recent trip to the shop to investigate brake problems found additional issues that would cost more than its $25,000 trade-in value to repair.
Because of the sudden need for replacement, the Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Account doesn’t have enough money to cover the full purchase. Instead, the town will present a $50,000 down payment, including the trade-in, and enter a fouryear lease-purchase agreement for the rest.
Several councilors questioned why the vehicle hadn’t been slated for replacement sooner and proposed changes to how money can be set aside for emergencies, as well as rescheduling vehicles for replacement.
The $105,000 proposal for firetruck repairs also was the result of a trip to the shop that found additional issues. Originally the department had asked for $135,000 for the repairs, which would fix body damage that occurred during a collision in August, as well as corrosion issues and cover the installation of new lights. Last week, the Finance Committee asked the department to cut its request to $105,000 and push the lights upgrade to a later date. The truck is slated to be replaced in 2024, but the repairs would extend the truck’s life through 2034.
The council also is working with the town police department to review the department’s vehicle replacement schedule.