In this article, the Suffield Board of Education shares information about its work supporting school district initiatives, promoting academic success, setting policy and adopting a budget. Please visit https://www.suffield.org/ to learn more about our school district.

CABE recognizes BOE leadership team and superintendent. (L-R) Melissa Finnigan, Superintendent Matthew Dunbar, Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker, Maureen Sattan and Debra Dudack.
Annual Budget Process
The Suffield Board of Education is starting its annual budget process. In the coming weeks, Board members will hear presentations from district leadership and school principals on various areas of the district’s budget proposal. The Board’s Finance and Facilities Subcommittee will also meet regularly to continue reviewing the budget. Typical drivers of any budget increases include health insurance rates, salaries and required special education costs. The Board expects to adopt a final budget and send it to the Board of Finance in March.
Leadership Award
The Suffield Board of Education was selected by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) as a recipient of a CABE Leadership Award for the third year in a row. The award honors exceptional leadership and teamwork related to board governance. The Board’s leadership team and Superintendent accepted the award at an annual convention for school board members and superintendents hosted by CABE and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents.
Board of Education Recognition
The Board of Education recognized the following people for their contributions to our schools and students at meetings in December and January:
Joe Grimard, Suffield High School Science Teacher, for his dedication in creating the Outdoor Learning Lab across from Suffield High School for students to explore.
Domenico Casolari, 6-12 Math Instructional Coach, for being selected as the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) 2024 Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Chad Lemmens, Lemmens Design, LLC, for his work educating students about drones and sharing drone footage of District events on social media.