Updates

March 11, 2020:

On Wednesday, March 11th the School Committee voted to approve the FY2021 Final Operating Budget in the amount of $44,471,500.  The approved operating budget for next year includes the restoration of several cuts made in prior years, as well as a few strategic new investments that we believe will have an immediate and widespread impact for many students, across all our schools.  These changes are outlined below under the February 12th entry that details the Tentative Budget.

  • The changes that impact the overall bottom line dropping slightly from the Tentative figure include:
  • Additional savings due to newly identified retirements
  • Additional revenues assumed for reimbursements of Special Education costs through Circuit Breaker
  • Additional expenditures to add a new section to sixth grade at the Pine Grove School

The budget as finalized has been supported by our members town officials in ongoing discussions, and represents the support of ongoing services, as well as a few strategic investments in key areas.


February 12, 2020:

On Wednesday, February 12th the School Committee voted to approve the FY2021 tentative operating budget in the amount of $44,545,246.  The proposed operating budget for next year includes the restoration of several cuts made in prior years, as well as a few strategic new investments that we believe will have an immediate and widespread impact for many students, across all our schools.  These changes include:

  1. Movement towards tuition free full day kindergarten.  Next year’s budget includes $75,000 of funding for the first year of a three-year phase in plan towards achieving tuition free full day kindergarten.  Under the plan, tuition will be reduced in FY21 from $2,950 to $2,000, then to $1,000 in FY2022, and then free in FY2023.
  2. Implementation of new history and social sciences curriculum for grades 6, 7, and 9.  The $28,256 proposal includes funding for both the curriculum, as well as additional Chromebooks.
  3. Implementation of a 5-year athletic uniform renewal cycle, at a cost of $25,000.
  4. Reduction of a full-time grade 6 teacher at Salisbury Elementary School due to a smaller incoming grade 6 class.  This reduction will yield a $90,700 savings, and there will be no change in class sizes as compared to the current year.
  5. Restoration of a half-time Evaluation Team Chair (ETC) for grades 6-12 at a cost of $62,300.  This position will aide in secondary and grade 6 student transition.
  6. Restoration of a full-time Special Education teacher at the Middle School at a cost of $81,533.
    This position will offer additional support for the incoming class from grade 6.
  7. Restoration of a half-time custodian at each of the three District elementary schools, for a total cost of $57,957.
  8. Restoration of free parking for all students.  The $20,000 required to fund this initiative will be utilized towards the cost of maintaining District grounds that were previously funded through student parking fees.

The full detailed tentative budget document, along with a summary of all the proposed changes from FY20 to FY21, is available by selecting the corresponding tab above.  This tentative budget document represents the “high water mark” of FY2021 District spending.  There are still several areas that District is pursuing that could translate into cost savings to our communities.  These areas include special education out of district tuition and transportation costs, as well as the potential for additional charter school funding and transportation reimbursements from the Commonwealth.

There will be a public hearing on the tentative budget on Wednesday, February 26th that everyone from our communities is welcome to attend and provide input on the spending plan.  The School Committee will consider this input and feedback at the March 4th Committee meeting, before voting a final budget on Wednesday, March 11th.


February 5, 2020:

On Wednesday, February 5th, the School Committee continued its review of the FY21 budget. The spending plan outlined on January 25th outlined ‘must do’ increases in spending in order to maintain a level services budget. The proposed changes on the document linked below detail those assumptions from January 25th along with updated figures and assumptions since that time. Of note, medical insurance was able to be decreased based on actual renewal rates being lower than projected. Overall, the assumptions in spending were reduced by approximately $356,000.

Along with those changes, there are several items recommended to be restored to the budget, including high impact additions like funding ($75,000) the first year of a 3 year phase in to provide tuition-free full day Kindergarten for all Triton students. Other changes include adding funds ($20,000) to eliminate the student parking fee, and restoring key positions to improve special education services in district. Overall, the proposed plan outlined on February 5th decreases the bottom line from January 25th by over $70,000, but still carries an increase to spending over the current year of roughly $2,000,000.

The full details of these changes are included at the document linked below, along with an assessment summary that details what the increase in spending yields for an assessment to our member towns. With NO new money coming from the State with the passage of the Student Opportunity Act, we will again receive $30/student in new money, which means only about $65,000 in new State aid for an increase of $2M. The state funding system is broken, even with the “fix”.

As we approach the Tentative Budget, there are still several areas that may yield some savings through increased revenues or decreased expenditure. Toward that end, the Tentative Budget is the high water mark, confirming for our member towns the highest possible request that would be made. Over the 4 weeks from February 12th when the Tentative Budget is approved, and March 11th when a final budget will be passed, these figures will continue to be refined, and we will be able to determine whether the positions/spending that are above level services can remain in the budget.

**NOTE:**There will be a public hearing on the proposed budget on Wednesday, February 26th. Once the Tentative Budget is approved on Wednesday, February 12th, we will communicate and share that document more broadly, and welcome everyone from our communities to provide input as to the spending priorities supported in the plan. The Committee will then consider that feedback on March 4th before voting a Final Budget on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.


January 25, 2020:

On Saturday, January 25th, the School Committee held their workshop to review all requests from the prior week. The documents below include a summary of all requests, which outlines all requests made by principals and administrators, noting which are ‘must do’, and those that are optional. Those categorized as must do’s are truly fixed costs, and would provide the same level of services in 2021 as in the current year.

Following a review of that document, the Administration outlined what the preliminary estimate of $2.1M in new spending to maintain a level services budget would yield for assessments to member towns. This calculation is based on expected new revenues from the state, which will be very limited, even with the passage of the Student Opportunity Act, as well as updated enrollment calculations that drive each towns share of the assessment. With limited new revenues, the majority of all new spending will fall on the member towns, an issue we have routinely brought to our leaders on Beacon Hill to no avail. It is important to understand and note that there has been no budget finalized or proposed at this time. These discussions will yield a proposed budget, but the discussion and resulting preliminary assessments are merely models to inform our discourse and next steps.

At this point in the budget process, there are still major budget drivers that are being estimated in anticipation of more firm numbers. These include healthcare and insurance costs, special education services, and salaries. With the two largest unions (Teachers and Assistants) currently in negotiations, and anticipating renewal rates for insurance in the coming weeks, there are still areas where we expect this ‘must do’ budget to decrease. This will be further refined on February 5th, and then again on February 12th when a Tentative Budget is approved, setting the high water mark.

With the reality of the cost of level services, or ‘must do’ spending, the Committee focused on priority areas to address if expenditure assumptions adjust to a place that allows the restoration of old positions or addition of new positions to address new needs. The primary concern and focus was on student services, especially those addressing the mental health needs of our students. There was also discussion about the ‘basics’ of operating schools, including the restoration of a half time custodian at each elementary school that was cut 2 years ago to the detriment of the cleanliness of our schools, and the reduction of user fees paid by district families. Full Day K being offered for free is also a priority, with the potential impetus of the state requiring FDK being offered, a phased in approach was discussed. All in, the priority areas are likely well beyond what funding will provide.

The Superintendent and Leadership Team will review the discussion and guidance provide and return on February 5th with a proposed listing of all changes to current services. The Committee will review and provide additional direction that evening, which will be the basis of the Tentative Budget presented for approval on February 5th.

DOCUMENTS:


January 16, 2020:

As noted in the summary, presentations to the School Committee were made this week. You can see all the documents on the ‘FY21 Requests’ tab, and check back to this tab in the coming weeks for updates as we move through the process.