June 11, 2026
.com
Guilford Vol. XXIX Iss. 24
After Referendum Defeat, BOE Cuts Another $525,000 By Aaron Rubin Staff Writer
The Guilford Board of Education cut an additional $525,000 from its proposed budget following a June 1 meeting. The cuts were directed by the Board of Finance following the second budget referendum failure last month, which saw Guilford taxpayers reject both revised town and education budgets. The Board of Finance directed that a total of $700,000 in cuts be made across the town and education budgets and mandated that
the largest reductions be made by the Board of Education. The amount reduced at the board’s most recent meeting is the same amount education leaders cut from their budget following the first budget referendum failure. Superintendent Paul Freeman told the Courier that the Board of Education decided to cut an instructional coaching position from the budget, resulting in “three instructional coaches that we have cut from our staffing plan going into next year,” he said.
Other cuts made to reach the $525,000 target came from the district’s medical insurance and professional development accounts. The board also cut “a significant amount of money from site improvements,” Freeman said, referring to funds intended for “preventative maintenance projects.” The superintendent said the cuts indicate a preference by the board to “avoid making any further personnel cuts, with the
Zach Earls is helping pump up the community....................................2
See After Referendum Defeat page 8
Running for Ethan Runners leave the starting line at the 7th Annual SongStrong 5K at the Guilford Fairgrounds on June 6. The event raised funds for the Ethan Miller Song Foundation, established in memory of Ethan Song, who died at age 15 in 2018, to support causes he cared about most. See more photos at Zip06.com.
Photo by Wesley Bunnell/ The Courier
Leading the Way Chieffo helps power the Grizzlies' relay teams during championship season.........................................20
Postcards from Afar Susan Cornell continues her threepart series chronicling her journey to Alaska.....................................22
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