[Speaker 1] (4:02 - 4:04)
The vehicle is for us.

[Speaker 1] (4:06 - 4:08)
I just now this this issue is

[Speaker 2] (4:08 - 4:08)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (4:08 - 4:09)
like I don't

[Speaker 2] (4:09 - 4:10)
Good evening everyone.

[Speaker 1] (4:10 - 4:10)
know.

[Speaker 2] (4:10 - 4:20)
We are going to call this um meeting to order. It's Wednesday, January twenty first. Um if everyone wouldn't mind rising for the pledge of allegiance.

[Speaker 2] (4:24 - 4:26)
I pledge allegiance to the flag

[Speaker 1] (4:26 - 4:28)
for the United States of America,

[Speaker 1] (4:28 - 4:30)
and to the Republic for which it stands,

[Speaker 1] (4:31 - 4:35)
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[Speaker 2] (4:43 - 4:46)
Okay, so it's been here once before,

[Speaker 2] (4:46 - 4:50)
this is a joint meeting of uh Select Board, School Committee and the Finance Committee.

[Speaker 2] (4:51 - 4:52)
Um

[Speaker 2] (4:53 - 4:55)
I'm Katie Phelan. The select board chair.

[Speaker 2] (4:56 - 4:56)
And

[Speaker 3] (4:56 - 4:57)
I'm Glenn Pastor,

[Speaker 3] (4:57 - 4:59)
vice chair of the school committee.

[Speaker 2] (5:00 - 5:00)
Eric?

[Speaker 4] (5:00 - 5:01)
I'm Eric Carbon, chair of the finance committee.

[Speaker 2] (5:02 - 5:06)
Alright. And we will begin our meeting with public comments.

[Speaker 3] (5:11 - 5:12)
Oh yeah,

[Speaker 2] (5:12 - 5:12)
Oh

[Speaker 3] (5:12 - 5:12)
we have

[Speaker 2] (5:12 - 5:13)
you guys have to call you to

[Speaker 3] (5:13 - 5:14)
call to order, yeah.

[Speaker 2] (5:14 - 5:14)
order? Yeah,

[Speaker 4] (5:14 - 5:14)
Okay.

[Speaker 2] (5:14 - 5:15)
sorry.

[Speaker 3] (5:15 - 5:16)
Um that's okay.

[Speaker 3] (5:16 - 5:21)
Um so we will call to order the meeting of the school committee. Today is

[Speaker 3] (5:22 - 5:29)
21st of January. We're at a tri-committee meeting um and we are at Swansgate High School room

[Speaker 1] (5:29 - 5:29)
B119.

[Speaker 3] (5:29 - 5:31)
129 B.

[Speaker 2] (5:31 - 5:31)
You got it.

[Speaker 3] (5:31 - 5:33)
B129, so we're all set.

[Speaker 2] (5:33 - 5:34)
Okay.

[Speaker 4] (5:34 - 5:36)
And similarly I'll call call to order the meeting of the Finance Committee.

[Speaker 3] (5:37 - 5:37)
Thank you, Susan.

[Speaker 2] (5:37 - 5:38)
Very good.

[Speaker 2] (5:38 - 5:40)
All right, now we will indulge public comment.

[Speaker 2] (5:45 - 5:49)
Seeing none, we will move on to um

[Speaker 2] (5:50 - 5:55)
The Glenn, the budgeting for the public school districts in mass facilitated by the mass association of school committees.

[Speaker 3] (5:55 - 5:56)
Great. Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (5:57 - 5:59)
Thanks everybody for coming.

[Speaker 3] (5:59 - 6:02)
We're looking forward to answering what we certainly can.

[Speaker 3] (6:03 - 6:12)
As we've talked a lot about, I think one of the differences that we have on the school committee side is we all have to go to school committee school when we're elected,

[Speaker 3] (6:12 - 6:15)
and there's countless other

[Speaker 3] (6:15 - 6:29)
um meetings and topics that we can go to. Um a couple years ago Suzanne made the good suggestion suggestion excuse me when she was chair that each one of us attend at least one of those lunch and learns every year.

[Speaker 3] (6:30 - 6:31)
And so that's what we do.

[Speaker 3] (6:32 - 6:40)
And we felt the best way to continue to educate both the select board and the finance committee was to hear it from the horse's mouth,

[Speaker 3] (6:40 - 6:40)
so to speak.

[Speaker 3] (6:41 - 6:45)
So I'd like to introduce two members of the Mass Association of School Committees,

[Speaker 3] (6:46 - 6:49)
Tracy Novak and Alicia Mallett.

[Speaker 3] (6:50 - 6:52)
They were they did intend to come live,

[Speaker 3] (6:52 - 6:57)
but the fear that I had was we're going to have a snowstorm and then they're going to be stuck here because they do not live in the North Shore.

[Speaker 3] (6:58 - 7:01)
So I'm going to turn it over to Alicia and Tracy.

[Speaker 3] (7:01 - 7:03)
They do have a presentation.

[Speaker 3] (7:03 - 7:08)
Please feel free to ask any question. This is your time.

[Speaker 3] (7:09 - 7:12)
To ask the most mundane question, they will answer.

[Speaker 3] (7:13 - 7:19)
What this is going to do is educate everyone on the ins and outs of our budget,

[Speaker 3] (7:19 - 7:22)
the legal responsibilities that we as a school committee have,

[Speaker 3] (7:22 - 7:27)
the legal responsibilities that you on the Finance Committee and Select Board have,

[Speaker 3] (7:27 - 7:28)
and more importantly,

[Speaker 3] (7:28 - 7:30)
where the guardrails are.

[Speaker 3] (7:31 - 7:42)
And I'll tell you that one of the things we learned at our prep meeting is that we have had some guardrail challenges when it comes to special education and some of the things that we have been sharing.

[Speaker 3] (7:42 - 7:44)
So it's always an education.

[Speaker 3] (7:44 - 7:46)
I'll turn it over to Alicia and Tracy.

[Speaker 3] (7:46 - 7:48)
Thank you very much for joining.

[Speaker 5] (7:50 - 7:53)
Thank you for having us. So we do have some slides.

[Speaker 5] (7:54 - 7:57)
And I'm going to share them while Tracy starts moving forward.

[Speaker 5] (7:58 - 8:08)
Our slides are broken down into, excuse me, sort of two parts. The first part will be mostly financial and the second part will be about special education and student privacy protections.

[Speaker 5] (8:08 - 8:16)
So I'm going to share my screen now and Tracy will begin with the slides. Hold on one second.

[Speaker 2] (8:21 - 8:25)
While you pull those up, I just want to remind us here that if since we are sharing microphones,

[Speaker 2] (8:25 - 8:31)
Joe asked that we hold the microphone close to us because this is being recorded and people at home will need to hear us. So.

[Speaker 5] (8:41 - 8:41)
Excellent.

[Speaker 5] (8:41 - 8:42)
So good evening.

[Speaker 5] (8:42 - 8:44)
As was said, my name is Casey Novick.

[Speaker 5] (8:44 - 8:48)
I'm among the field directors for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

[Speaker 5] (8:48 - 8:58)
I'm the one who specializes in school finance and related to the school business administrator in Massachusetts in addition to my responsibilities for an ASC.

[Speaker 5] (8:59 - 9:08)
And so the initial part of this is really looking at budgeting as a responsibility of school committees in Massachusetts and where the parameters are that of that are.

[Speaker 5] (9:09 - 9:10)
Next slide.

[Speaker 5] (9:16 - 9:19)
So as some of you may be familiar with, I know the school committee certainly is,

[Speaker 5] (9:19 - 9:27)
the section of master in law that specifically outlines the responsibilities of the school committee is master in law chapter 71 section 37.

[Speaker 5] (9:27 - 9:38)
We think of school committees in Massachusetts as having four broad purviews with an additional fifth because they're the employer of record for the purposes of collective bargaining.

[Speaker 5] (9:38 - 9:40)
As you're aware,

[Speaker 5] (9:40 - 9:42)
I'm sure they have the power to select and terminate the superintendent.

[Speaker 5] (9:43 - 9:45)
They established goals for the district,

[Speaker 5] (9:45 - 9:48)
they established policies for schools in the district,

[Speaker 5] (9:48 - 9:51)
and they also review and approve budgets for public education in the district.

[Speaker 5] (9:52 - 9:59)
And these are very specific authorities that are granted under state law that are required to be followed.

[Speaker 1] (10:10 - 10:22)
One of the things that we emphasize, as was mentioned, ongoing professional development in addition to the requirements for professional development initially for school committee members is something that we encourage.

[Speaker 1] (10:22 - 10:26)
And when we're talking about the role of the school committee in Massachusetts,

[Speaker 1] (10:26 - 10:36)
we mention frequently and emphasize the school committees that their four major responsibilities are interrelated and mutually support.

[Speaker 1] (10:36 - 10:45)
is affording and so when they're talking about the budget and making decisions about the budget and allocating the budget they need to be allocating the budget

[Speaker 1] (10:46 - 10:49)
in line with the goals that they've set for the district,

[Speaker 1] (10:49 - 10:56)
which is something that, again, that they're required to do by state law with the policies that they have set for the district and with the oversight of the superintendent.

[Speaker 1] (10:56 - 11:01)
And again, each of those other things also should then be supporting the budget.

[Speaker 1] (11:01 - 11:06)
So simply allocating the budget without reference to the goals is not wise.

[Speaker 1] (11:06 - 11:07)
It's not recommended.

[Speaker 1] (11:08 - 11:09)
The oversight of the superintendent,

[Speaker 1] (11:09 - 11:14)
among other things, includes the fact that the superintendent is

[Speaker 1] (11:14 - 11:29)
is the day-to-day manager and oversight of the budget generally with the assistance and under the purview of the school business administrator and the policies that are at length for the district also need to be aligned with the budget. In fact there's a whole section of a policy manual.

[Speaker 1] (11:30 - 11:47)
as well as myriad other policies that have to do with managing school finance because school finance in Massachusetts is so strictly overseen and so strictly regulated and those are policies that we strongly recommend school committees that they make sure are ongoingly up-to-date.

[Speaker 1] (11:48 - 11:53)
We recently did a review of all of the policies in that section and sent them out to school committees.

[Speaker 1] (11:53 - 11:57)
We make sure that school committees have up-to-date information regarding

[Speaker 1] (11:57 - 12:13)
things like the purchasing policy as you may be aware was updated a couple of years ago so making sure that those policies then set the parameters for the spending that happens not only by the school committee at the broad level but also by the administration at a more granular level next slide

[Speaker 1] (12:16 - 12:24)
When it comes to municipal appropriation, and of course in Massachusetts, school districts may receive a municipal appropriation from a single municipality,

[Speaker 1] (12:24 - 12:25)
as we do in Swampscott,

[Speaker 1] (12:25 - 12:30)
or regional schools receive municipal appropriations from multiple municipalities,

[Speaker 1] (12:30 - 12:34)
and in some cases municipalities are appropriating for multiple school districts.

[Speaker 1] (12:35 - 12:37)
It's important to note that by state law,

[Speaker 1] (12:37 - 12:43)
the municipal appropriating authority appropriates only the bottom line of the general fund budget for schools.

[Speaker 1] (12:44 - 12:54)
There is not an appropriation that happens beyond that and there is not specific authority within that by state law.

[Speaker 1] (12:55 - 12:59)
And the municipal authority may not direct specific appropriations.

[Speaker 1] (12:59 - 13:01)
And here on the next slide,

[Speaker 1] (13:01 - 13:10)
I included the master in law because it's one of the only sections I'm familiar with in master in law, particularly around school finance, around finance,

[Speaker 1] (13:11 - 13:15)
that actually makes a point of saying the same thing three times.

[Speaker 1] (13:16 - 13:22)
So this mass general law chapter 71 chapter 71 deals with much of the school committee work and much of the

[Speaker 1] (13:23 - 13:25)
You'll find a bunch of the school finance laws in there,

[Speaker 1] (13:25 - 13:28)
but the first section here,

[Speaker 1] (13:28 - 13:30)
the emphasis added here is mine.

[Speaker 1] (13:31 - 13:58)
within section 34 is enacting on appropriations for educational costs the city or town appropriating body which I believe in Swampscott is actually the town meeting shall vote on the total amount of the appropriations requested and shall not allocate appropriations among accounts or place any restrictions on such appropriations and that of course is because that's under the purview of the school committee and then as the section goes along the city or town appropriating body may make non-binding monetary

[Speaker 1] (13:58 - 14:02)
monetary recommendations to increase or decrease certain items allocating such appropriations.

[Speaker 1] (14:02 - 14:10)
Again that means the town meeting can have a discussion as they're allocating that bottom line but they are non-binding monetary recommendations.

[Speaker 1] (14:10 - 14:13)
And again, emphasize for a third time,

[Speaker 1] (14:13 - 14:21)
the vote of the legislative body of a city or town here again town meeting shall establish the total appropriation for the support of public schools,

[Speaker 1] (14:21 - 14:27)
but may not limit the authority of the school committee to determine expenditures within the total appropriation.

[Speaker 1] (14:27 - 14:33)
And that is something that we because school committees in Massachusetts are required to be trained within their

[Speaker 1] (14:34 - 14:35)
early term of office.

[Speaker 1] (14:35 - 14:38)
When we're training school committees on school finance,

[Speaker 1] (14:38 - 14:42)
we talk a lot about what level of appropriating authority they have,

[Speaker 1] (14:42 - 14:53)
but then we also make sure that they understand that in the relationship with their municipal body or bodies that the bottom line appropriation is all that that is happening.

[Speaker 1] (14:53 - 14:57)
There is not further authority that comes from those bodies,

[Speaker 1] (14:58 - 15:00)
whatever those bodies may be in some cases.

[Speaker 1] (15:00 - 15:18)
is of course it's things like city councils as well to the school committee it is up to the school committee to determine upon the recommendation of the superintendent the administration in line with the goals that are established by the school committee what those appropriations are going to be within the school committee budget next slide

[Speaker 1] (15:21 - 15:21)
Now,

[Speaker 1] (15:21 - 15:23)
when it comes to what the school committee does,

[Speaker 1] (15:23 - 15:28)
the school committee receives a recommended budget from the superintendent.

[Speaker 1] (15:28 - 15:31)
It is a recommended budget until it is voted by the school committee.

[Speaker 1] (15:32 - 15:39)
And the level at which the school committee has authority,

[Speaker 1] (15:39 - 15:40)
this,

[Speaker 1] (15:40 - 15:43)
by the way, is under the 1983 education reform law,

[Speaker 1] (15:43 - 15:46)
is that the cost is what we call the cost center level.

[Speaker 1] (15:46 - 15:48)
And the cost under level are.

[Speaker 1] (15:49 - 15:54)
Areas that the school committee jointly with the administration establishes of oversight,

[Speaker 1] (15:54 - 15:58)
they frequently align with, although they are not required by state law to,

[Speaker 1] (15:59 - 16:02)
align with the chart of accounts,

[Speaker 1] (16:02 - 16:05)
which is how you may or may not be familiar your school actually,

[Speaker 1] (16:05 - 16:12)
school district is required to report their school finance back to the state every year.

[Speaker 1] (16:12 - 16:15)
Those are often referred to as the 1000 level,

[Speaker 1] (16:15 - 16:16)
2000 level and so forth.

[Speaker 1] (16:16 - 16:39)
work they would be things like administration instructional leadership teachers operations and maintenance and so forth but the establishment of what those cost centers are is up to the school committee to do jointly with the administration and then over the course of the year once that appropriation has been voted by the school committee it is for the school committee to interact with the administration

[Speaker 1] (16:40 - 16:44)
And the exercise of oversight as to not just what,

[Speaker 1] (16:44 - 16:46)
how much has been expended from each cost center,

[Speaker 1] (16:46 - 16:50)
but what the administration foresees happening within each cost center.

[Speaker 1] (16:50 - 16:52)
Because in education,

[Speaker 1] (16:52 - 16:56)
you're going to hear more of this from Alicia on the student end,

[Speaker 1] (16:56 - 17:00)
but because within the financial budgetary end,

[Speaker 1] (17:01 - 17:04)
so much of what goes on with school budgeting is people.

[Speaker 1] (17:04 - 17:07)
Every school district in Massachusetts spends.

[Speaker 1] (17:07 - 17:14)
at least 70% of their budget on salaries because we have teachers and nurses and principals and that's how we educate children.

[Speaker 1] (17:15 - 17:22)
The people do things like go on medical leaves and they go on parent leaves and they

[Speaker 1] (17:22 - 17:43)
decide to retire and so forth and so salary accounts change very much over the course of the year and the school committee making sure that they're keeping attuned to that which is so much of their spending is really one of the main ways in which the school committee exercises oversight over the course of this of the year from one budget approval to the end of the fiscal year next slide

[Speaker 1] (17:46 - 17:47)
And again,

[Speaker 1] (17:47 - 17:51)
the idea here is that, as we said,

[Speaker 1] (17:51 - 17:57)
the responsibilities of the school committee are interrelated with one another.

[Speaker 1] (17:57 - 18:10)
And so cost centers are established with the administration so that at a level at which the school committee then is able to ensure that the goals that they've established for the district are actually being carried out over the course of the year.

[Speaker 1] (18:10 - 18:12)
When I work with school committees on goal setting.

[Speaker 1] (18:13 - 18:22)
One of the things I make sure they think about is the fact that they establish goals for the district and then they don't actually align the budget of the district with the goals,

[Speaker 1] (18:22 - 18:24)
then they've passed some lovely language,

[Speaker 1] (18:24 - 18:26)
but they haven't actually put the dollars behind it.

[Speaker 1] (18:26 - 18:33)
So it's really key that those responsibilities be seen jointly when it comes to the school committee working with the administration.

[Speaker 1] (18:34 - 18:35)
Next slide.

[Speaker 1] (18:37 - 18:38)
So we have some questions.

[Speaker 1] (18:38 - 18:44)
something about revolving funds. And revolving funds are established specifically by Mass General Law and are used to support

[Speaker 2] (18:44 - 18:45)
I have a question. Excuse

[Speaker 1] (18:45 - 18:45)
Question?

[Speaker 2] (18:45 - 18:46)
me.

[Speaker 1] (18:46 - 18:47)
Certainly.

[Speaker 2] (18:49 - 18:49)
Hi there.

[Speaker 3] (18:50 - 19:02)
Hi, this is our apartment chair of the finance committee. Um thank you for all this explanation. I just had a question, if you could just talk about um how if if one cost centre is under-running,

[Speaker 3] (19:03 - 19:03)
What

[Speaker 1] (19:03 - 19:03)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 3] (19:03 - 19:06)
is the process to spend those dollars in another cost center?

[Speaker 3] (19:06 - 19:12)
Is there that kind of decision that go back to the school committee or can the school just do it on their own? Can you talk through that please?

[Speaker 1] (19:12 - 19:12)
Sure.

[Speaker 1] (19:13 - 19:24)
So if the cost center that has been established and agreed to by the school committee with the administration transfers between cost centers that were established by go to the school committee have to come back to the full school committee.

[Speaker 1] (19:28 - 19:29)
And votes on money,

[Speaker 1] (19:29 - 19:32)
as I'm sure everyone who's in this meeting is aware,

[Speaker 1] (19:32 - 19:34)
are required to be done in public session.

[Speaker 3] (19:34 - 19:35)
So, sorry,

[Speaker 3] (19:35 - 19:40)
so does that imply that within the cost center transfers are fine without approval,

[Speaker 3] (19:40 - 19:41)
it's just outside of the cost center?

[Speaker 1] (19:42 - 19:42)
Correct.

[Speaker 1] (19:43 - 19:46)
Within cost center approval is under the purview of the administration,

[Speaker 1] (19:46 - 19:51)
and in some cases that is then subsidiary depending on how your cost centers are set up.

[Speaker 1] (19:51 - 19:54)
There's usually some discretion that's given both to department...

[Speaker 2] (19:57 - 19:58)
Okay, great. Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (19:58 - 19:59)
You're welcome.

[Speaker 1] (20:00 - 20:10)
So revolving funds, I think they often are a bit of a mystery, honestly, even to school committee members as they're coming in because it's a sort of other category of money.

[Speaker 1] (20:10 - 20:19)
The thing that I think is important to realize is that cost centers are, excuse me, that revolving funds are very, very strictly regulated as well.

[Speaker 1] (20:20 - 20:24)
There are different sections of mass law that actually specifically spell out.

[Speaker 1] (20:24 - 20:40)
each of the revolving funds that school districts in Massachusetts are allowed to have and in every case the restrictions on spending and the oversight that has to happen of the revolving funds is again spelled out within state law.

[Speaker 1] (20:41 - 20:42)
So I did actually include,

[Speaker 1] (20:42 - 20:52)
I know that you'll be getting this presentation, so I actually included the Department of Revenue has a spreadsheet that actually has all of them and I did include that in the presentation which you'll see in a second.

[Speaker 1] (20:52 - 20:52)
A second.

[Speaker 1] (20:53 - 20:58)
The Department of Revenue specifically says when it talks about revolving funds,

[Speaker 1] (20:59 - 21:15)
it separately accounts for specific revenues and earmarks them for expenditure by a board of office without appropriation. And so without appropriation means that it's not going back to the appropriating authority in any way at all for particular purposes to support the activity,

[Speaker 1] (21:15 - 21:17)
program or service that generated the revenue.

[Speaker 1] (21:17 - 21:20)
So we see this, for example, with vocational school districts.

[Speaker 1] (21:20 - 21:23)
They may have a restaurant.

[Speaker 1] (21:23 - 21:28)
People who go to the restaurant pay money if there are the revolving funds that are associated with the restaurant.

[Speaker 1] (21:28 - 21:32)
That fund can only be spent on supporting that restaurant.

[Speaker 1] (21:32 - 21:36)
The Wardrobe Officer, just to go back to the quote here,

[Speaker 1] (21:36 - 21:47)
with authority to spend from revolving fund can only incur liabilities and spend from the available unspent and unencumbered balance of actual collections. So this is based on essentially the money that they have.

[Speaker 1] (21:48 - 21:49)
And again,

[Speaker 1] (21:49 - 21:56)
it is devoted specifically to whatever it is the section of master law is that appropriates them.

[Speaker 1] (21:57 - 22:12)
In most cases they are very very specific in terms of whether we're talking about shops that happen within whether vocational or other school districts in some cases preschool has a revolving fund.

[Speaker 1] (22:12 - 22:23)
One that we hear a lot about is the school choice and I know that you have revolving fund because you have students who are choosing who are coming over to you from the haunt as well. Again,

[Speaker 1] (22:23 - 22:35)
very strictly regulated in terms of how they can be spent and they have to be spent without appropriation. That is the Department of Health is very clear in terms of the fact that they exist within this universe.

[Speaker 1] (22:36 - 22:38)
So I did include just over the next couple of pages,

[Speaker 1] (22:38 - 22:40)
at least you can just flip through them.

[Speaker 1] (22:40 - 22:47)
I'm not going to read them aloud to you, but this is the revolving fund for school department programs. There's just a straight off of the department of local service,

[Speaker 1] (22:47 - 22:49)
division of local services website.

[Speaker 1] (22:49 - 22:52)
I actually keep this up over my desk because I think it's useful.

[Speaker 1] (22:52 - 22:58)
One of the things that I get questions about sometimes are specifically who is it that actually reports on things?

[Speaker 1] (22:58 - 23:00)
What are the reports that have to be filed?

[Speaker 1] (23:01 - 23:04)
And of course, this is all being done within your finance office of your school.

[Speaker 1] (23:04 - 23:20)
department but I think I do think it's useful to keep in mind that this is something that is very very strictly laid out in law in terms of what has happened now one of the things that I make sure to talk to school committees about

[Speaker 1] (23:21 - 23:28)
And this particularly comes up with revenue like school choice or the kind of sort of tuition that you're getting from the Han,

[Speaker 1] (23:28 - 23:33)
is that these are these are highly volatile and these are annual funds.

[Speaker 1] (23:33 - 23:34)
So,

[Speaker 1] (23:34 - 23:36)
you know, when we talk about school choice or when you're talking,

[Speaker 1] (23:36 - 23:38)
for example, about the students who are coming to high school.

[Speaker 1] (23:39 - 23:43)
You have no control from one year to the next as to how many students are coming,

[Speaker 1] (23:43 - 23:46)
and that is entirely where that revenue comes from.

[Speaker 1] (23:46 - 23:52)
So if all of the students who are, you know, coming out of middle school in the Hans choose to go to private school,

[Speaker 1] (23:52 - 23:54)
you will have no revenue.

[Speaker 1] (23:54 - 23:56)
There will be no tuition coming in.

[Speaker 1] (23:57 - 24:00)
If you have, you know, it's the same thing with school choice,

[Speaker 1] (24:00 - 24:01)
any of those kinds of things,

[Speaker 1] (24:01 - 24:03)
and this is true really of any of these, right?

[Speaker 1] (24:03 - 24:06)
If everybody decides not to go to the restaurant vocational school,

[Speaker 1] (24:06 - 24:07)
they're not getting any.

[Speaker 1] (24:07 - 24:20)
any income so it's really crucial for school committees as the authority that oversees all of the budgeting to really think of these as being funds that are one time that

[Speaker 3] (24:20 - 24:21)
Tracy,

[Speaker 1] (24:21 - 24:21)
they Tracy, yes

[Speaker 3] (24:21 - 24:23)
can I just interrupt you? We have a question.

[Speaker 4] (24:23 - 24:24)
Sorry.

[Speaker 1] (24:24 - 24:24)
of course

[Speaker 4] (24:24 - 24:25)
We also have a question. Where are you helping me?

[Speaker 4] (24:26 - 24:27)
Thank you.

[Speaker 4] (24:27 - 24:31)
I just want to understand clarity since you brought up the Nahant account.

[Speaker 4] (24:32 - 24:33)
Is the Nahant account...

[Speaker 4] (24:33 - 24:38)
revolving account a non-resident tuition account or is it a school choice account okay

[Speaker 1] (24:39 - 24:43)
So school choice is a specific account within the revolving account universe.

[Speaker 1] (24:44 - 24:46)
You have not necessarily set up as a tuition account,

[Speaker 1] (24:46 - 24:47)
but it is a revolving fund.

[Speaker 4] (24:47 - 24:57)
so when when I look at the list that you provided then I should be looking under non-resident student tuition for the sort of the regulations of that account right

[Speaker 1] (24:58 - 25:02)
I would need to double check and actually see how it had actually been set up and I don't actually have that information.

[Speaker 5] (25:02 - 25:03)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (25:03 - 25:07)
I would say so, but that is that is my speculating rather than my knowing that for sure.

[Speaker 3] (25:08 - 25:08)
Okay, Nick.

[Speaker 5] (25:08 - 25:10)
I, I, it is.

[Speaker 5] (25:10 - 25:12)
it was set up as seventy one

[Speaker 6] (25:12 - 25:12)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (25:12 - 25:14)
seventy one app. So it is

[Speaker 4] (25:14 - 25:14)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (25:14 - 25:18)
exactly what you just described. It's non-resident and reimbursements for it foster care from the state.

[Speaker 6] (25:18 - 25:29)
can't be sorry, it's it's can't be school choice because we take a vote every year whether or not we're gonna allow a school choice and and generally we we don't. So we don't use that we don't use that um

[Speaker 6] (25:30 - 25:31)
um revolving funds.

[Speaker 4] (25:31 - 25:37)
Okay, great. I just wanna make sure because there are some differences between the two as you look across. So I wanna make sure we're looking at the right line.

[Speaker 4] (25:37 - 25:37)
line for it.

[Speaker 5] (25:37 - 25:37)
Great.

[Speaker 4] (25:37 - 25:38)
Yeah,

[Speaker 1] (25:38 - 25:38)
Yes.

[Speaker 4] (25:38 - 25:38)
thank you.

[Speaker 1] (25:38 - 25:39)
Yes.

[Speaker 1] (25:39 - 25:41)
And as, as the, um,

[Speaker 1] (25:41 - 25:46)
the implication is school choice also has a whole bunch of other regulations that, um,

[Speaker 1] (25:46 - 25:48)
determine that as well, which wouldn't be true of your tuition agreement.

[Speaker 1] (25:49 - 25:49)
Um,

[Speaker 1] (25:50 - 25:52)
in really in all of these cases,

[Speaker 1] (25:52 - 25:54)
I mean, this is even true of things like athletic revolving funds.

[Speaker 1] (25:54 - 25:55)
Um,

[Speaker 1] (25:55 - 25:56)
they're very,

[Speaker 1] (25:56 - 25:59)
it's very important to remember that what you're talking about is a one-time fund,

[Speaker 1] (25:59 - 25:59)
um,

[Speaker 1] (26:00 - 26:03)
that could be something different next year. It might be something,

[Speaker 1] (26:03 - 26:03)
um,

[Speaker 1] (26:03 - 26:31)
that they have high delinquencies if you track them over time and when school districts think about this and I've run into this in other parts of the state that are particularly heavily dependent on some of these kinds of funds as part of sort of a core portion of their revenue they're having some difficult conversations about how they manage them because they need to make sure that they're being thoughtful about the fact that this isn't something that they can depend on.

[Speaker 1] (26:31 - 26:34)
And not they need to be imagined in that fashion.

[Speaker 1] (26:35 - 26:36)
Next slide.

[Speaker 6] (26:36 - 26:38)
I just have a quick question.

[Speaker 6] (26:38 - 26:39)
I have a quick question.

[Speaker 1] (26:39 - 26:40)
Sorry.

[Speaker 6] (26:40 - 26:42)
Don't we have a contract with Nahan?

[Speaker 6] (26:42 - 26:51)
Are we, is it that volatile? Because my understanding is we have a contract whether or not they send X amount of students or not.

[Speaker 7] (26:51 - 26:52)
That's true. Yeah, that's true.

[Speaker 6] (26:52 - 26:53)
So we're not.

[Speaker 7] (26:55 - 26:59)
I think that, you know, we're starting negotiations in two weeks,

[Speaker 5] (26:59 - 26:59)
Yes.

[Speaker 7] (26:59 - 27:01)
um and we're certainly looking to expand on the

[Speaker 7] (27:02 - 27:04)
rates that come to some comes as long as God

[Speaker 3] (27:04 - 27:05)
Yeah.

[Speaker 6] (27:05 - 27:05)
But as of right

[Speaker 7] (27:05 - 27:05)
as

[Speaker 6] (27:05 - 27:05)
now,

[Speaker 7] (27:05 - 27:06)
of right now, yes.

[Speaker 6] (27:06 - 27:06)
thank you.

[Speaker 3] (27:06 - 27:11)
And that's one of the reasons that we do the contract the way we did is so we could have cost certainty.

[Speaker 3] (27:12 - 27:15)
So we would know where it was because,

[Speaker 3] (27:15 - 27:15)
again,

[Speaker 3] (27:15 - 27:22)
the volatility with a contract like that just could cause some challenges for the finance committee especially.

[Speaker 3] (27:22 - 27:28)
So we've always gone with a contract with a fixed amount. You remember when we negotiated bringing.

[Speaker 3] (27:30 - 27:31)
additional students for one year over.

[Speaker 3] (27:32 - 27:34)
That was student-based,

[Speaker 3] (27:34 - 27:44)
but even that was one year, and we had talked about with the number that we were looking for, and that's how we ended up with that number, just so we could cover plus.

[Speaker 6] (27:45 - 27:45)
Yep.

[Speaker 5] (27:45 - 27:48)
Right. So today it's a fixed number that goes up by some percentage,

[Speaker 5] (27:48 - 27:51)
I think. Right. So it doesn't matter how many kids they send if they go up or down.

[Speaker 3] (27:51 - 27:52)
That is correct.

[Speaker 5] (27:52 - 27:52)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (27:54 - 27:55)
And when you're...

[Speaker 8] (27:55 - 28:09)
When you're doing that formula, is is your goal normally to cover whatever the expenses are per student? So, for example, if it's twenty thousand dollars to educate a student, they share the same burden.

[Speaker 7] (28:09 - 28:19)
I think we actually get once you factor in transportation and things like that's a little less so it's like nineteen thousand something per there's ninety four kids coming from the hot, but so the goal is to be in the ballpark, yeah. But.

[Speaker 7] (28:20 - 28:21)
It doesn't always cover everybody.

[Speaker 8] (28:23 - 28:23)
So

[Speaker 3] (28:23 - 28:27)
Yeah, this that's especially true just because transportation has just gone

[Speaker 4] (28:27 - 28:27)
Oh,

[Speaker 3] (28:27 - 28:27)
through,

[Speaker 4] (28:27 - 28:27)
I just

[Speaker 3] (28:27 - 28:28)
and no one

[Speaker 7] (28:28 - 28:28)
is a could factor.

[Speaker 3] (28:28 - 28:28)
have,

[Speaker 3] (28:28 - 28:28)
they

[Speaker 7] (28:28 - 28:29)
I'm not sure I would.

[Speaker 8] (28:29 - 28:34)
think the big question that I always get, are Swanscott taxpayers subsidizing Nahant students or

[Speaker 3] (28:34 - 28:37)
are not subsidizing Nahant students.

[Speaker 3] (28:38 - 28:40)
I think we've answered that question numerous times.

[Speaker 3] (28:40 - 28:44)
When we go and negotiate with them, we make.

[Speaker 3] (28:44 - 28:50)
very sure that Nahat is bringing a positive or flat cash flow.

[Speaker 8] (28:50 - 28:50)
Good.

[Speaker 5] (28:52 - 28:55)
Well, I just I want to be clear about that because I

[Speaker 8] (28:55 - 28:57)
You just said something different.

[Speaker 5] (28:57 - 29:04)
Right. The superintendent just said something different. I can understand potentially why that may not necessarily be true in every single circumstance.

[Speaker 5] (29:05 - 29:09)
So in w I don't know if this is necessarily the moment I think we have a dedicated section

[Speaker 3] (29:09 - 29:09)
Yeah, we can

[Speaker 5] (29:09 - 29:29)
of the agenda about that, but uh you know it's uh you know, I'd rather know the fact that sometimes it's uh benefit, sometimes it's not. I'd rather make sure that we're all kind of clear about that. Or if we know the way the contract structure is it's always cost plus, that's a different thing. But let's just make sure that we're 'cause that definitely sounded slightly different. So

[Speaker 8] (29:29 - 29:29)
It

[Speaker 5] (29:29 - 29:29)
we

[Speaker 8] (29:29 - 29:29)
was.

[Speaker 5] (29:29 - 29:30)
can come back to it. Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (29:31 - 29:35)
We'll make sure that we'll go back and make sure that you have the exact answer one way or another.

[Speaker 5] (29:35 - 29:36)
Yeah, okay.

[Speaker 6] (29:37 - 29:49)
I think, I think what happens sometimes too is if the non if if we're benefiting from fewer students coming from non but we're getting the same amount of money then then the student for pupil is going up right.

[Speaker 1] (29:49 - 29:49)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (29:49 - 29:49)
right?

[Speaker 2] (29:49 - 29:54)
And in years where we have extra students coming from Nahant, it goes down.

[Speaker 1] (29:54 - 29:54)
Exactly.

[Speaker 2] (29:54 - 30:01)
And in the end, we're treating it as a level playing field.

[Speaker 2] (30:01 - 30:10)
It just speaks to the benefit of the contract we negotiated because before this contract was negotiated, it was a per pupil.

[Speaker 2] (30:11 - 30:38)
And and citizens of Swamp Scott were paying more for their students than than Nahant was and mostly it was because of that volatility too and and we rectified that with this contract and now we are facing now we need to do it again and it's a little more challenging because Nahant knows knows what we're doing and knows where it's at you know what I'm saying so so it's just something where we need to continue to work on to have that balance.

[Speaker 2] (30:39 - 30:39)
It's...

[Speaker 3] (30:42 - 30:43)
Thank you.

[Speaker 3] (30:43 - 30:46)
And while we're on the revolving, before we go to circuit breaker,

[Speaker 3] (30:46 - 30:48)
is that the only revolving account?

[Speaker 2] (30:49 - 30:49)
No.

[Speaker 3] (30:49 - 30:49)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (30:49 - 30:49)
No.

[Speaker 3] (30:50 - 30:50)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (30:50 - 30:52)
No. We have athletic,

[Speaker 2] (30:52 - 30:53)
we have preschool,

[Speaker 2] (30:53 - 30:54)
we have facilities,

[Speaker 2] (30:54 - 30:55)
I mean like the rentals.

[Speaker 3] (30:55 - 30:56)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (30:56 - 31:02)
Okay. Some of the other ones in the MOUs, those are not revolving accounts. Those are reserve funds or there are other things, right?

[Speaker 4] (31:07 - 31:07)
Please continue.

[Speaker 4] (31:08 - 31:09)
Certainly.

[Speaker 4] (31:10 - 31:11)
So Circuit Breaker is,

[Speaker 4] (31:11 - 31:12)
so if you think of

[Speaker 4] (31:13 - 31:19)
I would call these all special revenue funds. So there's special revenue funds, revolving funds are under special revenue funds.

[Speaker 4] (31:19 - 31:22)
Circuit breaker is another thing that's under special revenue funds.

[Speaker 4] (31:23 - 31:39)
And this is one where the key word here is about reimbursement. You're being reimbursed for something the district has already fronted. So the district provides services and Alicia is going to talk at greater length about the requirements around the provision of special education services.

[Speaker 4] (31:39 - 31:41)
This is from the district,

[Speaker 4] (31:41 - 31:43)
both at the federal and the state level.

[Speaker 4] (31:44 - 31:54)
But then what happens is that the district then is tracking this expenses on a per student basis and based on the amounts of expenditure per student,

[Speaker 4] (31:54 - 32:03)
there are then reimbursements that come back to the district ancillary to that on that expenditure already being incurred.

[Speaker 4] (32:03 - 32:10)
Something that I think is crucial in terms of this because of the way the reimbursement cycle works is that the best practice and this is something that

[Speaker 4] (32:11 - 32:18)
that is not uncommonly discussed amongst school business administrators is that you use the funds in the subsequent year,

[Speaker 4] (32:18 - 32:21)
you don't use them in the funds in the year in which the reimbursement is occurring,

[Speaker 4] (32:21 - 32:29)
in part because this is subject to appropriation, which I know is popular probably with everybody in this room in terms of terminology,

[Speaker 4] (32:29 - 32:38)
while it is something that is very strongly advocated for not only by MASC but also by the Massachusetts School Association and pretty much everyone.

[Speaker 4] (32:38 - 32:41)
It is not something that is always fully funded.

[Speaker 4] (32:43 - 32:44)
As you may be aware,

[Speaker 4] (32:44 - 32:54)
a proportion of the tuition of out-of-district students for that fall under the circuit breaker is now being reimbursed due to the Student Opportunity Act.

[Speaker 4] (32:54 - 32:55)
But again,

[Speaker 4] (32:55 - 33:00)
levels in terms of reimbursement do vary.

[Speaker 4] (33:00 - 33:09)
And part of this is about because every district essentially is applying for these reimbursements, the expenditures that every district is making.

[Speaker 4] (33:09 - 33:36)
are then drawing down funds and because you know the district only the state only has as much information as they do because as Alicia will talk a greater length about this is really about addressing student need how far those funds go and how much they actually are have ability to reimburse various community year this is one that we sometimes see a supplemental budget will actually add

[Speaker 4] (33:36 - 33:50)
add funds to you but again it's one of those where making sure that you're using the funds in the subsequent year is really considered best practice among those who are in school finance and is that my last slide I think Alicia thank

[Speaker 5] (33:50 - 33:52)
It is. I'm going to jump in

[Speaker 4] (33:52 - 33:52)
you

[Speaker 5] (33:52 - 33:52)
now.

[Speaker 5] (33:52 - 33:53)
So I.

[Speaker 4] (33:55 - 34:06)
What we do when we talk to our school committees when we're talking about circuit breakers, we also like to give them a little bit of background on how you get to the point where you have services that you're providing to your students.

[Speaker 4] (34:06 - 34:08)
So just for a little bit of a primer,

[Speaker 4] (34:09 - 34:16)
we're going to start with one of our key elements of special education rights and protocols is the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

[Speaker 4] (34:16 - 34:17)
That's FERPA.

[Speaker 4] (34:17 - 34:22)
So what FERPA does is it guarantees that students and their families are entitled to

[Speaker 5] (34:22 - 34:32)
entitled to privacy and special education students in particular are entitled sorry entitled to confidentiality regarding their personally identifiable data,

[Speaker 5] (34:32 - 34:32)
information,

[Speaker 5] (34:33 - 34:33)
records collected,

[Speaker 5] (34:34 - 34:34)
maintained,

[Speaker 5] (34:34 - 34:42)
pursuant to part B of IDEA, which is the federal law that goes with our Massachusetts laws.

[Speaker 5] (34:42 - 34:49)
And what this usually works out to for school committee members is when you have discussions about budget,

[Speaker 5] (34:49 - 34:56)
we encourage our members to be very careful about how they discuss the budget around circuit breaker and special education funds,

[Speaker 5] (34:56 - 34:57)
et cetera,

[Speaker 5] (34:57 - 35:02)
because you can tiptoe very close to the line of violating a student's privacy.

[Speaker 5] (35:02 - 35:10)
If you're getting into nitty gritty discussions about why are there X amount of paras in this one grade in this one building.

[Speaker 5] (35:10 - 35:16)
I live in a town too and it very rapidly becomes very identifiable for those kids.

[Speaker 5] (35:17 - 35:20)
The next thing we talk about is the IEP.

[Speaker 5] (35:21 - 35:48)
The IEP is the individualized education individual education plan excuse me it is individualized for eligible students and the way this is developed is there's a long process at the beginning by which parents guardians or the staff at the school can identify a student that they think might need more support and what they do is they convene a team there are all sorts of evaluations that the student would go through based on the difficulties that they're having

[Speaker 5] (35:48 - 35:51)
But then the team meets together and the team includes a classroom teacher,

[Speaker 5] (35:52 - 35:53)
a special education teacher,

[Speaker 5] (35:53 - 35:55)
the parent or guardian,

[Speaker 5] (35:55 - 35:56)
a counselor,

[Speaker 5] (35:57 - 35:58)
a school psychologist,

[Speaker 5] (35:58 - 36:01)
and school psychologists are actually very important in this process.

[Speaker 5] (36:01 - 36:07)
They can very much help acclimate the student to their IEP and to the process itself.

[Speaker 5] (36:08 - 36:14)
And a very important part of the IEP is that parent permission is required prior to implementing the IEP.

[Speaker 5] (36:15 - 36:18)
This is, and I'm going to mention this later on another slide,

[Speaker 5] (36:18 - 36:25)
the IEP is very often misunderstood as what is the district offering this student.

[Speaker 5] (36:25 - 36:27)
It's not the district that's making that decision.

[Speaker 5] (36:27 - 36:30)
It's not the parent that's making that decision.

[Speaker 5] (36:30 - 36:37)
It's the team. And the law requires that if the team comes to the table and decides upon services for a student,

[Speaker 5] (36:37 - 36:39)
be they in district, out of district,

[Speaker 5] (36:39 - 36:42)
if it's a 504 or an IEP or if it's a health.

[Speaker 5] (36:42 - 36:43)
health plan,

[Speaker 5] (36:43 - 36:45)
whatever the team decides by law,

[Speaker 5] (36:46 - 36:49)
the district must provide regardless of cost.

[Speaker 5] (36:50 - 36:53)
And they must provide it in what we call the least restrictive environment.

[Speaker 5] (36:54 - 36:55)
That's LRE.

[Speaker 5] (36:55 - 36:57)
You'll see Massachusetts and education,

[Speaker 5] (36:57 - 37:00)
we love acronyms. It's acronyms all over the place here.

[Speaker 5] (37:00 - 37:03)
So the LRE is the least restrictive environment.

[Speaker 5] (37:03 - 37:10)
The idea here being that removal from the general education environment only happens if you can't address the students'

[Speaker 5] (37:10 - 37:16)
needs in the classroom and that classrooms designated for partially or substantially separate programs

[Speaker 5] (37:16 - 37:19)
must not be significantly removed from the rest of the school.

[Speaker 5] (37:19 - 37:23)
Your students who have IEPs, 504s, health plans,

[Speaker 5] (37:23 - 37:25)
things like that, they should be part of the school community.

[Speaker 5] (37:25 - 37:34)
We do often see sometimes some extra generated costs around this when we're talking about spaces, especially for medically fragile students,

[Speaker 5] (37:34 - 37:34)
etc.

[Speaker 5] (37:35 - 37:39)
The least restrictive environment is the standard that the team must use.

[Speaker 5] (37:40 - 37:41)
And then overall,

[Speaker 5] (37:42 - 37:52)
The team and the determination made by the team requires that every student enrolled in your district is eligible for

[Speaker 5] (37:53 - 37:57)
A free and appropriate public education, FAPE. We are in Massachusetts,

[Speaker 5] (37:58 - 38:04)
the only state constitution that had public education in our constitution from the very start.

[Speaker 5] (38:04 - 38:07)
Connecticut likes to remind us that they added it later,

[Speaker 5] (38:08 - 38:08)
but we had it first.

[Speaker 5] (38:09 - 38:12)
So the team determines the services.

[Speaker 5] (38:12 - 38:15)
And those services must be provided at no cost.

[Speaker 5] (38:15 - 38:20)
The idea behind the services is that you want your students, all of your students,

[Speaker 5] (38:21 - 38:29)
to be learning the material covered by MCAS, even though it's not the requirement it previously was.

[Speaker 5] (38:29 - 38:32)
The material covered by it is still the requirement.

[Speaker 5] (38:32 - 38:38)
And then the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. And that the students must be making progress commensurate with their peers.

[Speaker 5] (38:39 - 38:47)
which is a little bit of a vague term but again that's part of the team process and the evaluation process to determine what actually is necessary for that particular student.

[Speaker 5] (38:49 - 38:50)
Throughout all of this,

[Speaker 5] (38:50 - 38:56)
there are procedural safeguards that the students and their families,

[Speaker 5] (38:56 - 38:57)
their parents,

[Speaker 5] (38:57 - 38:59)
their guardians have available to them.

[Speaker 5] (38:59 - 39:02)
They preserve their student and their family rights.

[Speaker 5] (39:02 - 39:06)
They assure the provision of timely information. You'll often hear people say,

[Speaker 5] (39:06 - 39:07)
well,

[Speaker 5] (39:07 - 39:13)
we had a request and we responded to it within 10 days and within 45 days there was an evaluation.

[Speaker 5] (39:14 - 39:20)
The other thing to be very aware of when we're talking about special education is parents can disagree and recommend alternatives.

[Speaker 5] (39:20 - 39:23)
The district doesn't always have to accept the alternatives,

[Speaker 5] (39:23 - 39:31)
but there is a resolution session that can happen through Bessie, which is the Bureau of Special Education Appeals,

[Speaker 5] (39:31 - 39:39)
and they can determine through mediation what the student will receive, and that is a binding agreement.

[Speaker 5] (39:41 - 39:43)
So those are the end of our slides.

[Speaker 5] (39:43 - 39:44)
I'm going to stop.

[Speaker 1] (39:43 - 39:45)
I'm going to stop sharing here for a second.

[Speaker 1] (39:48 - 39:49)
Here we go.

[Speaker 1] (39:50 - 39:54)
So I suppose we'll turn it back to you to see if anyone has any additional questions.

[Speaker 2] (39:55 - 39:57)
Why don't we start with the finance committee.

[Speaker 2] (39:57 - 39:58)
You guys have any questions?

[Speaker 3] (40:14 - 40:14)
I'm pushing it.

[Speaker 4] (40:15 - 40:15)
You don't need to

[Speaker 1] (40:15 - 40:15)
Don't

[Speaker 4] (40:15 - 40:15)
pull the list.

[Speaker 1] (40:15 - 40:16)
open don't

[Speaker 3] (40:16 - 40:28)
Don't pushing it. Okay, not pushing it. Uh w w like just roughly, w you know like percentage-wise what percentage of our high school students fall under one of those four or five acron or one or more of those four or five acronyms?

[Speaker 3] (40:29 - 40:31)
I'm not asking for an exact number.

[Speaker 2] (40:33 - 40:35)
Jason I don't know it off the top of my head.

[Speaker 4] (40:35 - 40:35)
So

[Speaker 3] (40:36 - 40:37)
So w what per

[Speaker 3] (40:38 - 40:43)
percent of our high school students have a um I_E_P_

[Speaker 5] (40:43 - 40:44)
Oh,

[Speaker 3] (40:44 - 40:45)
or fall under the

[Speaker 5] (40:45 - 40:45)
it's a little over

[Speaker 3] (40:45 - 40:45)
you know

[Speaker 5] (40:45 - 40:46)
a little over twenty percent.

[Speaker 3] (40:46 - 40:48)
L_R_E_ or uh all this stuff.

[Speaker 5] (40:48 - 40:50)
So I_E_P_ is a little bit over twenty percent. Probably like

[Speaker 3] (40:50 - 40:50)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (40:50 - 40:50)
twenty

[Speaker 3] (40:50 - 40:50)
But

[Speaker 5] (40:50 - 40:51)
we went up post

[Speaker 3] (40:51 - 40:51)
okay.

[Speaker 5] (40:51 - 40:52)
-COVID.

[Speaker 3] (40:52 - 40:55)
Okay. But what about F_A_P_P_E_ I'm just asking

[Speaker 5] (40:55 - 40:58)
I think it's appro the appropriate status for everybody. That's a hundred percent

[Speaker 3] (40:58 - 41:02)
Okay, alright. So twenty percent roughly fall under some sort of special education

[Speaker 5] (41:02 - 41:02)
Yes.

[Speaker 3] (41:02 - 41:04)
or whatever you want to call it. Okay, thanks.

[Speaker 1] (41:05 - 41:08)
And that's pretty on par with the majority of the state there.

[Speaker 1] (41:08 - 41:23)
I can tell you that I'm on a vocational technical regional high school school committee and our percentage is much higher. We have 53 percent who have IEPs or 504s, but it is hovering in the realm of 20 percent. It is increasing year over year,

[Speaker 1] (41:23 - 41:29)
though, and we do see some cities and towns who are getting closer to 30 percent as the years go on.

[Speaker 5] (41:30 - 41:37)
I would just say we're trying to actively which the goal is to get it to hover around twenty percent. Below twenty per cent it climbs with the COVID obviously

[Speaker 6] (41:37 - 41:37)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (41:37 - 41:39)
and we're trying to get back down. We're working towards that goal.

[Speaker 3] (41:39 - 41:40)
Oh, thank you.

[Speaker 5] (41:40 - 41:40)
Yep.

[Speaker 6] (41:40 - 41:43)
B once you're on an I_E_P_ do you ever get off or is that a follow you because

[Speaker 2] (41:43 - 41:44)
Yes.

[Speaker 6] (41:44 - 41:46)
you Yep. can is it evaluated annually or something or

[Speaker 5] (41:46 - 41:51)
Yep. And then so usually there's a yearly review and then every three years you can yep.

[Speaker 2] (41:51 - 41:51)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (41:51 - 41:52)
So it's tricky because

[Speaker 5] (41:54 - 41:56)
you know a student might be successful.

[Speaker 5] (41:57 - 42:10)
with those sort of parameters in place, right? And then it's sort of a risk to come off of it. So that's why getting people off the I_P_ is really tricky. Even though the kid might be able to fly and and they're doing great, um I think sometimes people are reluctant to,

[Speaker 6] (42:10 - 42:11)
Yeah,

[Speaker 5] (42:11 - 42:12)
understandably so.

[Speaker 6] (42:12 - 42:12)
yeah.

[Speaker 5] (42:12 - 42:12)
It's it's

[Speaker 2] (42:13 - 42:21)
Right, and then just as a reminder, um school districts are required to um they're responsible from age three to age twenty two.

[Speaker 7] (42:24 - 42:37)
I think it's important to I mean I've had I've had um three kids on IEPs just just of well five of four and two IEPs and um and one of my students I wanted to keep on an IEP just for the reason you said

[Speaker 5] (42:37 - 42:37)
Okay.

[Speaker 7] (42:37 - 42:49)
because because but it was a T it was a team decision and um I wasn't allowed he he didn't stay on the IEP because in the end of the day it's it's the team decision to put put someone on IEP and take someone off an IEP so

[Speaker 7] (42:50 - 43:10)
I mean, I think I think Mrs. Raymond does an amazing job of looking out for our financial bottom line and really and really she does a great job of working with the parents and the people that are evaluating to really get a clear picture of a kid and what they need and what they don't need.

[Speaker 6] (43:10 - 43:10)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 7] (43:10 - 43:14)
And I think that that's really important. And then I think that.

[Speaker 7] (43:16 - 43:19)
What we're doing with tiered support,

[Speaker 7] (43:19 - 43:23)
multi-tiered support for kids is what Mr.

[Speaker 7] (43:23 - 43:34)
Kalishman was speaking of, how we're trying to get kids COVID-related issues and some other kids off IEPs and off the special services by the multi-tiered supports.

[Speaker 7] (43:35 - 43:38)
And I think that that's part of the expense,

[Speaker 7] (43:38 - 43:44)
but we're weighing like being proactive and working this way because it's...

[Speaker 7] (43:44 - 44:03)
it's it in the end it's a lot cheaper than an IEP so I just think I think like all that that that's important like kids have to be on IEPs kids come off of IEPs all the time you know they come off even in elementary school like my kids went on and off in elementary school and and I just think that's an important point so

[Speaker 2] (44:03 - 44:07)
Absolutely. And then one thing that I'll say too is that the number that Mr.

[Speaker 2] (44:07 - 44:09)
Couchman just said, that's a snapshot in time.

[Speaker 2] (44:10 - 44:16)
So that that could be today and tomorrow that number can go to 22 percent.

[Speaker 2] (44:17 - 44:38)
So it's it's a fluctuating number that we have to make sure that we have enough money allocated for those students like sometimes the students that on the either end the three the three to 22 those students are easier to from financial point of view deal with because you know they're going to carry on.

[Speaker 2] (44:39 - 44:44)
But you could have one, two, whatever students move into district.

[Speaker 2] (44:45 - 44:49)
At age three, and they could be on full support to age 22.

[Speaker 5] (44:49 - 44:52)
I was just going to say, and again, I'm not trying to blame everything on COVID still,

[Speaker 5] (44:52 - 45:04)
but, you know, I think our middle school is, has the highest percentage of students on IEP. I think it's, I think we're hovering around 22, 23%. I mean, those are kids that were kind of in the thick of it. So when they were, they were little. So again,

[Speaker 5] (45:05 - 45:13)
like Ms. Wright said that the multi-tiered systems approach support, if you're interested in my presentation tomorrow night, we can talk about why we're investing in MPSS as well.

[Speaker 5] (45:13 - 45:13)
Well

[Speaker 2] (45:13 - 45:15)
Okay. Uh Tara?

[Speaker 8] (45:16 - 45:32)
Yeah, I I guess I was just wondering how you allocate like the average cost of each I_E_P_ Like I'm j I'm imagining that there's a huge range right from very little services to heavy heavy services. So how do you attribute the cost and kind of what is the range and maybe what's the average?

[Speaker 5] (45:34 - 45:35)
Well, I would

[Speaker 5] (45:36 - 45:50)
Say that when Miss Raymond gives her state of student affairs her sort of update on student affairs that she would probably be better to talk about that. But like you said in not a district placement could be three hundred thousand dollars and somebody with a little bit of support for reading might be, you

[Speaker 8] (45:50 - 45:51)
Almost

[Speaker 5] (45:51 - 45:51)
know.

[Speaker 8] (45:51 - 45:51)
nothing.

[Speaker 5] (45:51 - 45:55)
Almost nothing. Yeah, so it really I would have to have her here to answer that question.

[Speaker 8] (45:55 - 45:55)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (45:55 - 45:56)
But it is a wide range, yes.

[Speaker 2] (45:59 - 46:02)
Any other questions from the Finance Committee?

[Speaker 2] (46:06 - 46:08)
Don't be shy. Really, this is your shot.

[Speaker 2] (46:11 - 46:13)
Okay. Select board.

[Speaker 8] (46:19 - 46:20)
I asked mine already,

[Speaker 8] (46:20 - 46:29)
but can you explain a little bit how the special education costs work with the Nahant contract?

[Speaker 8] (46:30 - 46:32)
Is that something we can talk about here or no?

[Speaker 7] (46:34 - 46:41)
I think like you mean, are we paying for special ed s costs from the Han students and we're not, right, right, Mr Kalishman?

[Speaker 5] (46:41 - 46:54)
So we are like a so we are slightly positive. Again, when I was talking about the number earlier, so we were both right essentially, like we're slightly positive when you factor in their per pupil, it's a little bit less because they pay for the bus, but overall we're slightly positive.

[Speaker 5] (46:54 - 46:58)
But with a rising cost of course we're starting to negotiate again. Um

[Speaker 5] (47:00 - 47:03)
But once they hit seventh grade, those students are our students. So

[Speaker 8] (47:05 - 47:06)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (47:07 - 47:08)
Yeah, I mean we're paid when

[Speaker 7] (47:08 - 47:08)
We don't develop

[Speaker 5] (47:08 - 47:08)
no.

[Speaker 7] (47:08 - 47:11)
it. We're not paying for out of district special ed from the hunt.

[Speaker 7] (47:11 - 47:11)
No.

[Speaker 5] (47:12 - 47:13)
No, but I'm saying but once

[Speaker 7] (47:13 - 47:13)
Okay,

[Speaker 5] (47:13 - 47:14)
they're within our

[Speaker 2] (47:14 - 47:15)
So the end.

[Speaker 5] (47:15 - 47:16)
school system, though, if we needed uh

[Speaker 7] (47:16 - 47:17)
Yeah, yeah.

[Speaker 2] (47:17 - 47:17)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (47:17 - 47:17)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (47:17 - 47:18)
Yes, of course.

[Speaker 5] (47:18 - 47:18)
Yes,

[Speaker 7] (47:18 - 47:18)
Yeah,

[Speaker 5] (47:18 - 47:18)
okay,

[Speaker 7] (47:18 - 47:18)
yeah, yeah.

[Speaker 5] (47:18 - 47:19)
you talk about out of district.

[Speaker 2] (47:19 - 47:19)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (47:19 - 47:20)
Yeah, yeah.

[Speaker 2] (47:20 - 47:20)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (47:20 - 47:22)
For now we we are not.

[Speaker 9] (47:22 - 47:22)
Wait,

[Speaker 7] (47:22 - 47:23)
And

[Speaker 9] (47:23 - 47:26)
just so just just so just so you're clear. Anything that's out of district,

[Speaker 9] (47:27 - 47:41)
for la ha because I'm pretty sure the contract says they take care of it but once a student is our student and they're in the seventh grade and say a number of them have to be on an IEP it picks up the costs of that IEP.

[Speaker 5] (47:41 - 47:48)
I would have to talk to I would have to look into it because I do remember some times where there's been students who were not appropriately placed or not

[Speaker 8] (47:48 - 47:49)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (47:50 - 47:58)
They didn't come over with an IEP, but then we realised pretty quickly. And I do believe that Nahant helped with uh but I'd have to again check with Ms Raymond.

[Speaker 9] (47:58 - 47:59)
Okay, because this is a b that's

[Speaker 8] (47:59 - 47:59)
Well this

[Speaker 9] (47:59 - 47:59)
extraordinary.

[Speaker 8] (47:59 - 48:08)
is where my question was going, which is like um the the cost of contract is great to have stability and to understand a baseline that we're gonna get every year.

[Speaker 5] (48:08 - 48:08)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 8] (48:08 - 48:18)
But that is the volatility of that is the fluctuation of special education. And if, you know, they come over without IEPs, and then we determine they have to be on

[Speaker 6] (48:18 - 48:18)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (48:18 - 48:19)
IEPs,

[Speaker 8] (48:18 - 48:18)
in

[Speaker 3] (48:18 - 48:18)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (48:18 - 48:23)
IEPs that's not covered in the cost of contract, unless there's some clause that does that.

[Speaker 8] (48:23 - 48:28)
And also if they I mean what would we're not involved in the IEP process until seventh grade.

[Speaker 5] (48:28 - 48:28)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (48:28 - 48:30)
So it

[Speaker 5] (48:30 - 48:35)
So I would just say that most of the time, the vets as principal of the middle school for 13 years, it

[Speaker 5] (48:35 - 48:36)
the

[Speaker 9] (48:36 - 48:36)
Oh

[Speaker 5] (48:36 - 48:43)
it wasn't like a new hire that we had to have because somebody came over an IEP. It was more like you have to be in this class, you have to get this service that we already

[Speaker 9] (48:43 - 48:43)
that we already have. have.

[Speaker 5] (48:43 - 48:52)
There have been a few times where we'd need to get a extra tutor, like a one-to-one, something like that, that I would have to ask Miss Raymond. I can't remember exactly how we paid for it.

[Speaker 8] (48:52 - 48:52)
Okay.

[Speaker 6] (48:52 - 48:53)
And that

[Speaker 9] (48:53 - 49:00)
But that's that's an important clarification. So Mary Ellen, you just said, you know, if someone's going out of district for you know, to send a child out of district is

[Speaker 7] (49:00 - 49:01)
It's in the contract.

[Speaker 9] (49:01 - 49:01)
On track.

[Speaker 9] (49:01 - 49:07)
Not a small feat, right? So there are a lot of things that can lead up to that that would necessitate services

[Speaker 5] (49:07 - 49:08)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 9] (49:08 - 49:10)
or different levels of an IEP, right,

[Speaker 9] (49:10 - 49:16)
that are costly that are not sending someone out of district, right? So it's two really different things. Out of district, Nihon is paying.

[Speaker 9] (49:17 - 49:23)
If Yes. they're in district and they need services, varying degrees of that, that swamps God's dime once they get here.

[Speaker 7] (49:23 - 49:24)
Yeah, but I think to Mr.

[Speaker 7] (49:24 - 49:27)
Kalishman's point, we have services set up. So

[Speaker 3] (49:27 - 49:27)
Yep.

[Speaker 7] (49:27 - 49:29)
so you put one more kid

[Speaker 7] (49:29 - 49:31)
It means it's not like everyone's going in the same Exactly. class at the same

[Speaker 9] (49:31 - 49:31)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (49:31 - 49:32)
grade. So you're

[Speaker 9] (49:32 - 49:32)
Maybe they

[Speaker 7] (49:32 - 49:32)
so you're

[Speaker 9] (49:32 - 49:33)
need a one point

[Speaker 7] (49:33 - 49:39)
so you're putting kids in spaces that they're already are, but there are instances where someone might come here with a completely different

[Speaker 2] (49:41 - 49:41)
Profile,

[Speaker 1] (49:41 - 49:41)
it would be like a special

[Speaker 2] (49:41 - 49:42)
yeah.

[Speaker 1] (49:42 - 49:55)
classroom or or a special uh one-to-one or something like that I mean that's that's that's where the expense comes but but I think if the majority of kids like we this Raymond knows who's coming and who's on IEPs I mean we

[Speaker 2] (49:55 - 49:55)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (49:55 - 49:58)
communicate with Nahan it's not a surprise in seventh grade is definitely not

[Speaker 2] (49:58 - 49:59)
I

[Speaker 1] (49:59 - 49:59)
a surprise

[Speaker 2] (49:59 - 50:00)
mean there have been plenty of times too that

[Speaker 2] (50:00 - 50:04)
that we've had students come early, because we can provide better services

[Speaker 3] (50:04 - 50:04)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (50:04 - 50:06)
and we have more systems in place. So you have you have

[Speaker 3] (50:06 - 50:06)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (50:06 - 50:08)
to have them to have a fourth grader

[Speaker 3] (50:08 - 50:08)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (50:08 - 50:09)
or a fifth grader

[Speaker 4] (50:09 - 50:09)
Okay.

[Speaker 3] (50:09 - 50:09)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (50:09 - 50:10)
come in, so

[Speaker 4] (50:11 - 50:15)
But I think if if you were to say well we already have a classroom, we already have um

[Speaker 4] (50:16 - 50:18)
extra teachers or I don't know what you call an

[Speaker 5] (50:18 - 50:18)
Aids

[Speaker 4] (50:18 - 50:19)
extra teacher in a classroom.

[Speaker 5] (50:19 - 50:20)
or paraprof or ESPs.

[Speaker 4] (50:20 - 50:40)
E_S_P_ and that they can already benefit from the E_S_P_ that's that's actually I think in all fairness to the Swampscott taxpayer, that that percentage of whatever that E_S_P_ costs should be on the haunt not just totally I don't think it's just a purely sunk cost. I think it should be a shared cost between Swampscott and the haunt.

[Speaker 1] (50:40 - 50:42)
But it but it is.

[Speaker 1] (50:42 - 50:46)
It is because it's all rolled in the per pupil expenditure,

[Speaker 1] (50:46 - 50:51)
right? We have an average per pupil expenditure. We don't break out.

[Speaker 1] (50:52 - 50:55)
We don't charge special ed kids more.

[Speaker 1] (50:55 - 50:56)
Like

[Speaker 5] (50:56 - 50:56)
Right.

[Speaker 1] (50:56 - 51:05)
everyone has the per pupil expenditure, if we're using $20,000 for it, that pays for the services kids need.

[Speaker 1] (51:07 - 51:07)
right

[Speaker 2] (51:07 - 51:07)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (51:07 - 51:33)
like period at a discussion like like kids that need more services we don't count as more expensive or we don't differentiate them we take all the money and we average it and we meet the needs of all the kids I think like I think I get what you're saying like no one should pay for for an aid or an ESP and it doesn't make any sense because

[Speaker 1] (51:34 - 51:42)
You know, we are not making Swumscot families pay for services above and beyond.

[Speaker 1] (51:44 - 51:53)
Like there are kids that need a one-to-one basis versus three kids with one ASP. They might need a single one.

[Speaker 1] (51:53 - 52:01)
Should we charge them more because that ASP isn't being shared with three people and just with one person? It's just, it's getting into the weeds

[Speaker 2] (52:01 - 52:01)
Yeah,

[Speaker 1] (52:01 - 52:01)
of,

[Speaker 2] (52:01 - 52:02)
it gets a little dicey.

[Speaker 1] (52:02 - 52:02)
I just

[Speaker 5] (52:02 - 52:03)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (52:03 - 52:10)
think there's no way to, there's no way to amortize it fairly or there's no way to amortize it.

[Speaker 1] (52:11 - 52:14)
It just doesn't make any sense. The ESP

[Speaker 4] (52:14 - 52:16)
I think we then open ourselves up to, you know,

[Speaker 1] (52:16 - 52:16)
the

[Speaker 4] (52:16 - 52:23)
if we have kids in this just district who need a one-on-one, are we then gonna charge people extra? I mean are we are we gonna get into that?

[Speaker 1] (52:23 - 52:23)
No, because

[Speaker 4] (52:23 - 52:23)
Well, if we we need

[Speaker 1] (52:23 - 52:23)
if you

[Speaker 4] (52:23 - 52:23)
to

[Speaker 1] (52:23 - 52:24)
can't

[Speaker 4] (52:24 - 52:24)
get

[Speaker 1] (52:24 - 52:24)
legally

[Speaker 4] (52:24 - 52:24)
if we need to

[Speaker 1] (52:24 - 52:24)
get an into extra that.

[Speaker 4] (52:24 - 52:38)
one-on-one we're gonna do that through our budget, through our taxes and through our appropriation. So, swampscot tax payers do pay for additional whatever the additional needs are. That's that's the point here. We d we do pay.

[Speaker 4] (52:39 - 52:39)
But

[Speaker 5] (52:39 - 52:39)
Because

[Speaker 4] (52:39 - 52:39)
cumulatively,

[Speaker 5] (52:39 - 52:40)
because of the cost because

[Speaker 4] (52:40 - 52:40)
we pay for all.

[Speaker 5] (52:40 - 52:41)
because the cost We of

[Speaker 4] (52:41 - 52:41)
are not charging

[Speaker 5] (52:41 - 52:42)
the cost

[Speaker 4] (52:42 - 52:42)
you,

[Speaker 5] (52:42 - 52:42)
of

[Speaker 4] (52:42 - 52:42)
depending

[Speaker 5] (52:42 - 52:43)
a

[Speaker 4] (52:43 - 52:43)
on your disability.

[Speaker 5] (52:43 - 52:45)
cost of educating a student goes up.

[Speaker 4] (52:46 - 52:46)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (52:46 - 52:48)
Not the cost of educating that student. The cost

[Speaker 4] (52:48 - 52:48)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (52:48 - 52:50)
of educating all students goes up based on that

[Speaker 4] (52:50 - 52:50)
Cumulatively.

[Speaker 5] (52:50 - 52:51)
base

[Speaker 2] (52:51 - 52:51)
on Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (52:51 - 52:52)
need.

[Speaker 4] (52:52 - 52:52)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (52:52 - 52:53)
Right?

[Speaker 4] (52:53 - 52:53)
Move on.

[Speaker 5] (52:55 - 52:56)
Is that not right?

[Speaker 6] (52:57 - 53:03)
Yeah, I mean, we're getting just painfully close to t an area that I'm just uncomfortable talking about.

[Speaker 6] (53:05 - 53:09)
Um you know where it we can try to answer the question maybe directly,

[Speaker 6] (53:10 - 53:28)
but we're just getting to a point that I'm growing uncomfortable about talking one set of students versus another set of students. The answer to the question is the states very clear on we have one number. We, you know, the we are appropriated X_ dollars.

[Speaker 6] (53:29 - 53:38)
And every student represents X dollar or Y dollar. And whether that student is on an IEP,

[Speaker 6] (53:38 - 53:47)
whether that student is the star of the football team and doesn't need anything, as far as student services go, doesn't matter. They have a dollar value.

[Speaker 2] (53:47 - 53:55)
I would say just to clarify, Miss Raymond just actually messaged me saying that uh we do charge in the hunt over and above the one to one. So if it is some if they do have a one to one that's coming over, we would charge in the hunt.

[Speaker 5] (53:56 - 53:56)
There you go.

[Speaker 5] (53:56 - 53:56)
There you go.

[Speaker 2] (53:56 - 54:00)
But, again, if it was a co-talk class that we already have a uh

[Speaker 4] (54:00 - 54:01)
Already absorbed in that class,

[Speaker 2] (54:01 - 54:01)
that's already

[Speaker 4] (54:01 - 54:01)
right?

[Speaker 2] (54:01 - 54:01)
absorbed.

[Speaker 4] (54:01 - 54:02)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (54:02 - 54:03)
in the cost per people.

[Speaker 7] (54:03 - 54:11)
And just a reminder for everyone, FERPA. This is one of the reasons why trying not to single out those families and students.

[Speaker 4] (54:11 - 54:11)
Exactly,

[Speaker 2] (54:11 - 54:11)
Exactly, yeah.

[Speaker 4] (54:11 - 54:12)
right.

[Speaker 6] (54:15 - 54:18)
But a good conversation. I mean it's a good discussion. It is it it's

[Speaker 5] (54:19 - 54:19)
It's good clarifying.

[Speaker 6] (54:19 - 54:24)
it yeah, it is really great clarifying questions, because it gets really grey really quickly.

[Speaker 6] (54:24 - 54:26)
So um any other questions?

[Speaker 5] (54:26 - 54:27)
Nope.

[Speaker 6] (54:28 - 54:32)
Uh anyone else? Jason, Nick, any other questions?

[Speaker 6] (54:34 - 54:34)
Okay.

[Speaker 7] (54:34 - 54:37)
I just have a quick question. So just to clarify,

[Speaker 7] (54:37 - 54:42)
anything from the Haunt that's out of district, they pay a hundred percent and anything in district is just in the

[Speaker 7] (54:44 - 54:44)
brand budget.

[Speaker 5] (54:44 - 54:45)
Her people come.

[Speaker 2] (54:45 - 54:47)
Not necessarily, not if it come uh one to one.

[Speaker 4] (54:47 - 54:48)
You suffer to what's greater than a one

[Speaker 2] (54:48 - 54:49)
Or

[Speaker 4] (54:49 - 54:49)
to one.

[Speaker 2] (54:49 - 54:49)
it'd be a little bit

[Speaker 7] (54:49 - 54:50)
A one-to-one ad.

[Speaker 2] (54:50 - 54:50)
yeah.

[Speaker 4] (54:50 - 54:51)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (54:51 - 54:56)
I got that. But if they just needed to be in the special education classroom with a coach or a teacher, they would reabsorb that.

[Speaker 7] (54:56 - 54:59)
Yeah. I mean I imagine there's a hundred shades between one-on-one aid and

[Speaker 2] (54:59 - 54:59)
Yep.

[Speaker 7] (54:59 - 55:05)
not much. So where do you draw the line and how much is, you know. So I think that's where we're trying to clarify

[Speaker 4] (55:05 - 55:05)
That's a variable.

[Speaker 7] (55:05 - 55:05)
a little bit.

[Speaker 6] (55:06 - 55:07)
That's the right that's the variable in the budget.

[Speaker 6] (55:08 - 55:14)
That's what we don't know day in to day out what will happen.

[Speaker 6] (55:14 - 55:15)
That's the challenge.

[Speaker 6] (55:16 - 55:22)
With no other questions, I do want to thank Alicia and Tracy and don't know if you have any final comments.

[Speaker 1] (55:25 - 55:26)
No, I don't.

[Speaker 8] (55:27 - 55:29)
If you guys have any additional questions,

[Speaker 8] (55:29 - 55:30)
you know where to find us,

[Speaker 8] (55:31 - 55:33)
and we sent you these slides technically.

[Speaker 8] (55:33 - 55:35)
Technically I'm your field director,

[Speaker 8] (55:36 - 55:41)
but there are four field directors and you can talk to any of us. There are people in the office you can talk to too.

[Speaker 8] (55:41 - 55:48)
We do tend to tap Tracy in when we talk about financial things because she does have that Maslow certification and she is,

[Speaker 8] (55:48 - 55:49)
I think,

[Speaker 8] (55:50 - 55:54)
far better at this than any of the other field directors. So if you need any more assistance just

[Speaker 8] (55:54 - 55:55)
Let's just please let us know.

[Speaker 6] (55:55 - 55:56)
Great. Thank you both very much.

[Speaker 5] (55:56 - 55:57)
Thank you.

[Speaker 6] (55:57 - 55:59)
What else? What else say to... Thank you,

[Speaker 8] (55:59 - 55:59)
Thank you.

[Speaker 6] (55:59 - 56:00)
Tracy.

[Speaker 6] (56:00 - 56:02)
What else say if you guys have any questions,

[Speaker 6] (56:02 - 56:10)
feel free to forward them to me. I will forward them to MASC with you copied on that so you can see that.

[Speaker 6] (56:11 - 56:13)
We're happy to get any questions answered,

[Speaker 6] (56:13 - 56:15)
you know, as best as we possibly can.

[Speaker 6] (56:16 - 56:18)
That's the whole goal of this environment.

[Speaker 6] (56:19 - 56:19)
Thank you.

[Speaker 8] (56:21 - 56:21)
Thank you.

[Speaker 8] (56:22 - 56:28)
All right, we will move on to a discussion on the current MOUs between the school district and the town.

[Speaker 8] (56:28 - 56:30)
I think when we, Eric,

[Speaker 8] (56:30 - 56:31)
Glenn,

[Speaker 8] (56:31 - 56:34)
and I discussed this in tri-chairs, what...

[Speaker 5] (56:35 - 57:03)
When I think back of the last couple of years, sometimes the existence of the M_O_U_ and the understanding of the M_O_U_ during budget season can get a little muddled and it we don't always have the same understanding or the understanding is re-iterated and then turns out it's not interpreted the same way. So I thought it would be good to set up baseline understanding for us all, where we can, you know, go over each M_O_U_ understand as best as we can 'cause not the parties who created the M_O_U_s are not here.

[Speaker 5] (57:04 - 57:15)
Um although we're still bound by them. So if we can understand what the base line understanding is and how they uh we operate within them that'll sort of maybe take that out of some of the issues during the budget season.

[Speaker 9] (57:15 - 57:32)
Yeah, I mean I th just felt like it was a good idea for everybody to hear them and to talk through them and make sure that the whatever the reason it was that that previous town administrator and that previous superintendent or whatever came to an agreement, it still makes sense today and we should keep doing it, 'cause a lot of them don't have expira expiration dates, they just kind of go until we change them.

[Speaker 9] (57:33 - 57:33)
So,

[Speaker 6] (57:33 - 57:39)
Right. I mean, I as we talked, uh could not agree more. I mean, I know when we were looking at some of this, we're really,

[Speaker 6] (57:39 - 57:48)
he actually have that. I think it's a great idea. And I think this is something that definitely should be done once a year just to make sure that if we don't need something, let's let's put the money elsewhere.

[Speaker 5] (57:49 - 57:49)
Yep.

[Speaker 6] (57:49 - 57:49)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (57:50 - 57:56)
And also there are some annual requirements under some of these MOUs that I don't know if are necessarily being

[Speaker 5] (57:57 - 58:06)
So the words sort of not following all of them. So if that if they should be amended and that should come out or if we should just follow what they say, we should just have that conversation.

[Speaker 9] (58:07 - 58:13)
So do we feel that we've found them all or do we or we probably can't be 100% confident but there's some in our package here.

[Speaker 9] (58:14 - 58:19)
I I mean, I don't know of any others, but I'm just curious, Nick, did you your confidence level that we that we have

[Speaker 7] (58:19 - 58:19)
I have

[Speaker 9] (58:19 - 58:19)
them, is it

[Speaker 7] (58:19 - 58:20)
a high confidence level,

[Speaker 9] (58:20 - 58:21)
okay.

[Speaker 7] (58:21 - 58:23)
but if there's anything that someone else has identified,

[Speaker 9] (58:23 - 58:24)
Yep, yep.

[Speaker 7] (58:24 - 58:30)
please share it. This was based on the conversations Patrick, Jason and Cheryl and myself had.

[Speaker 9] (58:30 - 58:30)
Okay, yep.

[Speaker 9] (58:31 - 58:36)
Many of uh, you know Cheryl is in a different role, Patrick is in a different role, Jason and I Jason also in a different role, I wasn't here.

[Speaker 9] (58:37 - 58:39)
Um so We got it to cut they're right. it.

[Speaker 9] (58:39 - 58:41)
No, but if there's documents that i time on the

[Speaker 4] (58:41 - 58:41)
Needs.

[Speaker 9] (58:41 - 58:44)
select board, time Yeah. on FinCom, obviously we're

[Speaker 9] (58:44 - 58:46)
more than happy to talk about any of them and I think

[Speaker 9] (58:47 - 58:50)
they're really helpful for Jason and I there's

[Speaker 9] (58:50 - 59:03)
Looking at the fiscal policy one is the one that we need to look at regularly, I think, and that's either a negotiated or historically informed number, I think, at the end of the day how we get there, but um it's certainly useful to look at them year to year and to to understand

[Speaker 9] (59:04 - 59:08)
how to move forward. So if they're I think a good starting point, this is what we identified.

[Speaker 9] (59:08 - 59:18)
If anyone in the room has anything that was not included in this list, um you know, we'd love to be pointed towards it so we can look in different places and lift up different rocks to try to find it.

[Speaker 6] (59:18 - 59:20)
Yeah, I agree with Nick too. Um

[Speaker 4] (59:20 - 59:20)
Yeah.

[Speaker 6] (59:20 - 59:32)
I I think we found them all, but I would not either all be surprised if there's something that we find later that is older that just may exist and we just don't know.

[Speaker 9] (59:32 - 59:34)
And if it does exist in

[Speaker 1] (59:38 - 59:38)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (59:38 - 59:42)
Yes, but it could inform future discussions and planning for how we move forward.

[Speaker 3] (59:45 - 59:52)
Okay, so um the first M_O_U_ in our packet is uh the employment agreement for Max Cas Max Casper.

[Speaker 4] (59:56 - 59:57)
I don't

[Speaker 2] (59:57 - 1:00:00)
Is there anything in this one other than they there's a split of the cost or is that

[Speaker 4] (1:00:00 - 1:00:00)
No.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:00 - 1:00:00)
I

[Speaker 3] (1:00:00 - 1:00:00)
I think

[Speaker 2] (1:00:00 - 1:00:01)
think is it

[Speaker 3] (1:00:01 - 1:00:01)
that was it That was included

[Speaker 4] (1:00:01 - 1:00:02)
was

[Speaker 3] (1:00:02 - 1:00:02)
for

[Speaker 4] (1:00:02 - 1:00:02)
the reason

[Speaker 3] (1:00:02 - 1:00:02)
us.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:02 - 1:00:04)
we included it because it is something Is split.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:04 - 1:00:05)
it called I don't hear the split. I just see the

[Speaker 4] (1:00:05 - 1:00:06)
Yeah, I don't see that either.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:06 - 1:00:08)
So I didn't see it in here.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:08 - 1:00:08)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:09 - 1:00:10)
I just

[Speaker 6] (1:00:10 - 1:00:10)
The split

[Speaker 5] (1:00:10 - 1:00:10)
the 60

[Speaker 6] (1:00:10 - 1:00:11)
for the actual

[Speaker 5] (1:00:11 - 1:00:11)
percent.

[Speaker 6] (1:00:11 - 1:00:11)
contract?

[Speaker 2] (1:00:11 - 1:00:13)
For No, split? like how much you're supposed to be split 50

[Speaker 5] (1:00:13 - 1:00:13)
Oh.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:13 - 1:00:14)
-50 or whatever it is.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:14 - 1:00:15)
Uh it's

[Speaker 3] (1:00:15 - 1:00:16)
It's not delineated

[Speaker 5] (1:00:16 - 1:00:16)
I didn't

[Speaker 3] (1:00:16 - 1:00:17)
in the contract.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:17 - 1:00:17)
see

[Speaker 6] (1:00:17 - 1:00:17)
It's somewhere

[Speaker 5] (1:00:17 - 1:00:17)
it there.

[Speaker 6] (1:00:17 - 1:00:17)
else.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:17 - 1:00:18)
I don't think that.

[Speaker 3] (1:00:18 - 1:00:19)
Yeah, no it's here. We

[Speaker 6] (1:00:19 - 1:00:19)
It's

[Speaker 3] (1:00:19 - 1:00:20)
have it.

[Speaker 6] (1:00:20 - 1:00:20)
sentence

[Speaker 5] (1:00:20 - 1:00:21)
The contract

[Speaker 2] (1:00:21 - 1:00:21)
two.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:21 - 1:00:22)
is employment contract. What is it?

[Speaker 3] (1:00:23 - 1:00:24)
Maybe

[Speaker 5] (1:00:24 - 1:00:25)
It is somewhere else though, I Patrick think.

[Speaker 3] (1:00:25 - 1:00:26)
can speak to the split.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:26 - 1:00:28)
Is it is this 50-50? Is that what we're doing?

[Speaker 5] (1:00:28 - 1:00:29)
No,

[Speaker 7] (1:00:29 - 1:00:29)
Yeah,

[Speaker 5] (1:00:29 - 1:00:29)
it I

[Speaker 7] (1:00:29 - 1:00:29)
no, that's

[Speaker 2] (1:00:29 - 1:00:29)
60

[Speaker 7] (1:00:29 - 1:00:30)
64,

[Speaker 5] (1:00:30 - 1:00:30)
I thought it

[Speaker 7] (1:00:30 - 1:00:30)
yeah.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:30 - 1:00:30)
was 64.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:30 - 1:00:31)
60-40? Okay.

[Speaker 3] (1:00:31 - 1:00:31)
Let's do 60-40.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:31 - 1:00:32)
I think

[Speaker 3] (1:00:32 - 1:00:32)
It

[Speaker 2] (1:00:32 - 1:00:32)
Patrick?

[Speaker 5] (1:00:32 - 1:00:33)
is six sorry.

[Speaker 3] (1:00:33 - 1:00:33)
60-40.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:33 - 1:00:33)
It is

[Speaker 7] (1:00:33 - 1:00:34)
I can't I don't know.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:34 - 1:00:34)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:00:34 - 1:00:35)
It's 60-40.

[Speaker 7] (1:00:35 - 1:00:35)
60-40.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:35 - 1:00:36)
60-40.

[Speaker 7] (1:00:36 - 1:00:36)
I suppose that's that.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:36 - 1:00:37)
Yep.

[Speaker 2] (1:00:37 - 1:00:37)
But where

[Speaker 3] (1:00:37 - 1:00:37)
Who

[Speaker 2] (1:00:37 - 1:00:37)
is that?

[Speaker 3] (1:00:37 - 1:00:37)
is that?

[Speaker 5] (1:00:37 - 1:00:39)
It is somewhere else because I It's can see.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:39 - 1:00:39)
in the

[Speaker 2] (1:00:39 - 1:00:39)
I was gonna say.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:39 - 1:00:40)
No, it's here somewhere.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:40 - 1:00:40)
Wait, It's

[Speaker 5] (1:00:40 - 1:00:41)
we just didn't find it.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:41 - 1:00:41)
in the um

[Speaker 7] (1:00:41 - 1:00:42)
You read it.

[Speaker 7] (1:00:42 - 1:00:42)
So it's

[Speaker 4] (1:00:42 - 1:00:43)
It's in

[Speaker 7] (1:00:43 - 1:00:43)
in the

[Speaker 4] (1:00:43 - 1:00:43)
the Reu

[Speaker 7] (1:00:43 - 1:00:43)
that.

[Speaker 4] (1:00:43 - 1:00:44)
the toine from 2018.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:44 - 1:00:45)
Yes, that's it.

[Speaker 1] (1:00:45 - 1:00:49)
So that's an interesting question. What's the where is the 60-40 in

[Speaker 5] (1:00:49 - 1:00:49)
Where is it written?

[Speaker 1] (1:00:49 - 1:00:50)
what's the breakdown?

[Speaker 3] (1:00:52 - 1:00:52)
Fiscal,

[Speaker 5] (1:00:52 - 1:00:52)
Eric just

[Speaker 3] (1:00:52 - 1:00:53)
that

[Speaker 5] (1:00:53 - 1:00:56)
said it's the M_O_U_ from 2018, the fiscal policy one, I think.

[Speaker 5] (1:00:58 - 1:01:01)
Fiscal agreement? Yeah, right here. Facility's director,

[Speaker 5] (1:01:01 - 1:01:02)
sixty percent of salary.

[Speaker 2] (1:01:03 - 1:01:03)
Great.

[Speaker 5] (1:01:04 - 1:01:05)
So it is outlined there.

[Speaker 2] (1:01:05 - 1:01:05)
Great.

[Speaker 3] (1:01:10 - 1:01:17)
Okay, um going before we get to that one, uh the next one in our packet is the um Clerk

[Speaker 3] (1:01:18 - 1:01:28)
M_O_U_ the recs usage of that building. This is the most recent M_O_U_ that we've signed. So hopefully everybody has knowledge of it.

[Speaker 2] (1:01:28 - 1:01:28)
I think they

[Speaker 1] (1:01:28 - 1:01:29)
do. So you know

[Speaker 10] (1:01:29 - 1:01:29)
-

[Speaker 3] (1:01:29 - 1:01:29)
Yes, please.

[Speaker 1] (1:01:29 - 1:01:45)
so most of the most of these M_O_U_s were executed by the town administrator and the superintendent. This is a little different. Is there a is there a reason and rationale as to why the the chair of the select board and the chair of the school committee executed these instead of the town administrator?

[Speaker 2] (1:01:44 - 1:01:45)
I

[Speaker 1] (1:01:45 - 1:01:45)
I'm a wouldn't superintendent.

[Speaker 2] (1:01:45 - 1:02:00)
say the first reason that would come to mind, but this was well underway before I started is because it's related to property and sort of the disposition of property and the the use and sort of a lease that is not something that I can sign. It always the leases of property go through you all.

[Speaker 2] (1:02:00 - 1:02:02)
Other agreements I am able to sign.

[Speaker 2] (1:02:02 - 1:02:02)
As

[Speaker 1] (1:02:03 - 1:02:13)
Are you sure? Because I I d I was of the opinion or I I the belief that the charter actually specifies that the town administrator would execute these documents upon the approval of the select board.

[Speaker 2] (1:02:13 - 1:02:13)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:02:13 - 1:02:14)
So maybe

[Speaker 2] (1:02:14 - 1:02:14)
I will

[Speaker 1] (1:02:14 - 1:02:14)
maybe

[Speaker 2] (1:02:14 - 1:02:14)
check.

[Speaker 1] (1:02:14 - 1:02:16)
it's just nuance, but

[Speaker 2] (1:02:16 - 1:02:16)
Yep,

[Speaker 1] (1:02:16 - 1:02:16)
that that

[Speaker 2] (1:02:16 - 1:02:16)
I'll absolutely

[Speaker 1] (1:02:16 - 1:02:17)
was just

[Speaker 2] (1:02:17 - 1:02:17)
check.

[Speaker 1] (1:02:17 - 1:02:23)
one thing that stood out that stood out to me. I mean I mean we voted for this in public session. That that was just something that looked

[Speaker 2] (1:02:23 - 1:02:28)
And the the reason I'm saying it is conversations around Hawthorne and whether or not there would be any

[Speaker 2] (1:02:28 - 1:02:33)
Extension, when we still were unsure whether or not for the three weeks that I was here, when we didn't know if Anthony was staying,

[Speaker 2] (1:02:34 - 1:02:45)
um that was a c the conversation I had with K.P. was it would ultimately come before you all because it was disposition of property and that's not something that had devolved to me in the charter. But let me clarify that and I'm happy to tell you on the eleventh

[Speaker 1] (1:02:46 - 1:02:46)
Thank you.

[Speaker 2] (1:02:46 - 1:02:49)
where my mistake or clarification is.

[Speaker 1] (1:02:49 - 1:02:52)
And to that point, and I'm only guessing,

[Speaker 1] (1:02:52 - 1:02:53)
is that

[Speaker 1] (1:02:54 - 1:03:07)
This the chair signed the agreement because the school building is owned by the by the school district and not the superintendent that the school district lies with the chair.

[Speaker 1] (1:03:07 - 1:03:14)
I'm I'm guessing I don't know if that if it needs to be changed we'll change it you know next year when we do it.

[Speaker 2] (1:03:16 - 1:03:20)
So just just kind of logistically I'm just trying to think how we're gonna do this. So it's the

[Speaker 2] (1:03:21 - 1:03:35)
Sounds like what we're saying is most of the cost of the uh operation of that building will continue to be borne by the town, because the town's rec department is benefiting from it. I think that's the logic. But then it says the district will maintain existing building systems. It's

[Speaker 5] (1:03:35 - 1:03:35)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (1:03:35 - 1:03:37)
a nice little sentence, but I don't know how we

[Speaker 3] (1:03:37 - 1:03:37)
Does

[Speaker 2] (1:03:37 - 1:03:38)
Yes,

[Speaker 3] (1:03:38 - 1:03:38)
it

[Speaker 2] (1:03:38 - 1:03:58)
I mean somehow that your team, Nick will know if there's some kind of maintenance cost going on to charge that to the school or how do we execute Well, on that Max has both sides of that. Yeah, so Max would know, yeah. Right, but I think the general idea, if I remember the discussions the first few weeks was a major system was unlikely but possible and that was not something that could be borne by REC.

[Speaker 2] (1:03:58 - 1:03:58)
Yep.

[Speaker 2] (1:03:59 - 1:04:03)
Um but in Max's opinion at the time we didn't have an immediate need and there was not

[Speaker 2] (1:04:04 - 1:04:08)
You know, things were not near the end of the useful life in a way that we were in danger of doing that in a one year agreement.

[Speaker 1] (1:04:10 - 1:04:14)
Right. Um, you know, Eric, I think this is is when we when we all go to renew this

[Speaker 5] (1:04:14 - 1:04:15)
Mm.

[Speaker 1] (1:04:15 - 1:04:18)
next year, I think we should probably have us a deeper conversation about,

[Speaker 1] (1:04:18 - 1:04:19)
you

[Speaker 5] (1:04:19 - 1:04:19)
Definitely.

[Speaker 1] (1:04:19 - 1:04:20)
know, who's gonna cover what,

[Speaker 2] (1:04:20 - 1:04:21)
Yeah, exactly,

[Speaker 1] (1:04:21 - 1:04:21)
and

[Speaker 2] (1:04:21 - 1:04:21)
it's kind of

[Speaker 1] (1:04:21 - 1:04:21)
like

[Speaker 2] (1:04:21 - 1:04:22)
a little bit

[Speaker 1] (1:04:22 - 1:04:22)
like what

[Speaker 2] (1:04:22 - 1:04:22)
vague and

[Speaker 1] (1:04:22 - 1:04:24)
what happens, God forbid, if

[Speaker 1] (1:04:24 - 1:04:40)
a boiler explodes and and all of us 'cause it's as we talked at our tri-chair, one budget, there's only so much money to go around, what happens. And you know, we don't want any surprises on anyone's side. So I think when we go to do this next year,

[Speaker 1] (1:04:40 - 1:04:42)
we'll have to make it much more

[Speaker 5] (1:04:43 - 1:04:44)
Road.

[Speaker 1] (1:04:44 - 1:04:44)
broad and

[Speaker 5] (1:04:44 - 1:04:46)
Or definitive.

[Speaker 1] (1:04:46 - 1:04:51)
definitive on on who pays for what just so you know, as you guys

[Speaker 1] (1:04:51 - 1:05:02)
plan the budget, you know, that's that contingency may have to be built in on bu on all sides, right. And no one's looking at a million dollar boiler bill that we don't know how to deal with.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:02 - 1:05:15)
And I also think this was kind of a prove it M_O_U_ so that if it didn't work we were whether it was because there was a major system failure or there isn't demand, we rec would not be continuing it and there wouldn't be further discussion.

[Speaker 5] (1:05:15 - 1:05:16)
It was a trial.

[Speaker 5] (1:05:16 - 1:05:16)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:17 - 1:05:17)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (1:05:18 - 1:05:23)
At what point will there be a decision made by the schools as to whether or not we wanna keep Clark?

[Speaker 1] (1:05:24 - 1:05:26)
You can't really answer that question, I'm really unsure.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:31 - 1:05:31)
Sorry.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:33 - 1:05:36)
I think a lot of that will be determined with, you determine with what happens with the middle school.

[Speaker 5] (1:05:37 - 1:05:37)
Okay.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:37 - 1:05:41)
I mean, so hopefully in the next few months we know where everybody lies on that.

[Speaker 2] (1:05:42 - 1:05:44)
And I think that will really be the driving force.

[Speaker 1] (1:05:45 - 1:05:48)
Yeah, I completely agree with that wholeheartedly.

[Speaker 3] (1:05:51 - 1:05:54)
Okay. Any additional questions on this one?

[Speaker 3] (1:05:55 - 1:05:59)
Moving on to the utility reserve usage agreement.

[Speaker 2] (1:06:03 - 1:06:06)
I believe this one's expired.

[Speaker 2] (1:06:06 - 1:06:07)
It was an FY25.

[Speaker 2] (1:06:07 - 1:06:10)
Make sure that the support was there necessary in a new building.

[Speaker 2] (1:06:11 - 1:06:14)
It's so it is no longer operative unless I'm missing something,

[Speaker 2] (1:06:15 - 1:06:15)
okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:06:19 - 1:06:19)
Hi.

[Speaker 3] (1:06:19 - 1:06:21)
Does this go, this go committee agree?

[Speaker 2] (1:06:21 - 1:06:22)
I agree.

[Speaker 1] (1:06:22 - 1:06:22)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (1:06:23 - 1:06:38)
So I have a I have a serious question about this. I'd like to know when we when we are is this the time we're going to discuss this M_O_U_ because I think that um the school is in violation of this M_O_U_ I don't know if this is the arena you want to have this discussion or

[Speaker 5] (1:06:38 - 1:07:02)
how you want to go about doing this. But my my issue here is in the twenty five budget the schools had a line item for one hundred and seventy five thousand dollars for the utility at the elementary school. When I read this agreement it says to use those funds to offset that amount.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:03 - 1:07:06)
That is not what happened here.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:08 - 1:07:22)
the full amount, short I think sixteen thousand or twenty thousand, was used for the utility. So I think there's a serious problem with this M_O_U_ and it appears to me that the schools are in violation of this M_O_U_

[Speaker 5] (1:07:24 - 1:07:24)
So

[Speaker 1] (1:07:28 - 1:07:29)
Thank you for your comment.

[Speaker 1] (1:07:29 - 1:07:34)
Oops sorry. Thank you for your comment. Just send me an email and we'll try to get you an answer on that one.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:36 - 1:07:40)
Well, actually my my question is to the select board and to the finance committee.

[Speaker 5] (1:07:41 - 1:07:43)
Am I the only person in this room

[Speaker 5] (1:07:44 - 1:07:52)
that feels that this M_O_U_ is very clear? The word, to me, offset means to offset

[Speaker 5] (1:07:53 - 1:07:56)
not to fund the entire utility budget.

[Speaker 2] (1:07:57 - 1:08:01)
Yeah, my p my recollection of the discussions when this was put in place was

[Speaker 2] (1:08:02 - 1:08:03)
We thought the costs were going to be X.

[Speaker 2] (1:08:04 - 1:08:29)
Well, the historical costs were X some number of to run the utilities of the previous buildings. The worry that, I think that there was some debate whether it was utilities and maintenance when it was first discussed. I think it might have morphed from, you know, certain certain costs of running the building, not just utilities, but the way it was written was utilities. But yes, I agree that we th I'm just making up numbers a bit here, that the plan was to have a two hundred thousand dollar budget for utilities in the school budget and

[Speaker 2] (1:08:30 - 1:08:45)
Maybe that was 175, and then 200 thousand of, you know, reserve, that in case it ended up being 375 there'd be covered, not if they, you know, that not everything was covered by this money. But I'm generally in agreement with what you're saying, Muriel.

[Speaker 2] (1:08:45 - 1:08:47)
Can you uh

[Speaker 2] (1:08:48 - 1:08:54)
Is that the is the FY25 the year in which there ended up being nothing put in the budget?

[Speaker 5] (1:08:55 - 1:08:55)
No.

[Speaker 2] (1:08:55 - 1:08:57)
School, that's of for 26.

[Speaker 5] (1:08:57 - 1:09:01)
That's FY 26. And FY 25 is a line item, 175.

[Speaker 2] (1:09:02 - 1:09:03)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (1:09:03 - 1:09:04)
Schools presented a budget,

[Speaker 5] (1:09:04 - 1:09:05)
175,

[Speaker 5] (1:09:05 - 1:09:07)
for electricity.

[Speaker 5] (1:09:09 - 1:09:15)
It's on page 65 of their school budget presentation.

[Speaker 5] (1:09:16 - 1:09:16)
175.

[Speaker 5] (1:09:17 - 1:09:19)
And out of that 175...

[Speaker 8] (1:09:20 - 1:09:28)
Some of the funding was going to come out of their extended day. So if you go back to page 65 in the school committee line item budget, they were very clear they were going to use 175.

[Speaker 2] (1:09:30 - 1:09:30)
And that

[Speaker 3] (1:09:30 - 1:09:30)
That

[Speaker 2] (1:09:30 - 1:09:31)
was the the final budget.

[Speaker 3] (1:09:31 - 1:09:31)
they used.

[Speaker 2] (1:09:31 - 1:09:33)
That's yeah. So good, sorry.

[Speaker 1] (1:09:33 - 1:09:36)
What was the actual number that they used? They used

[Speaker 1] (1:09:38 - 1:09:46)
the entire amount, they used the one seventy five. They used the one seventy five from

[Speaker 3] (1:09:47 - 1:09:47)
From the reserve.

[Speaker 1] (1:09:47 - 1:09:48)
from the reserve.

[Speaker 4] (1:09:48 - 1:09:49)
That's two hundred and reserve.

[Speaker 1] (1:09:49 - 1:09:51)
Two hundred from the reserve, let me see if I have that.

[Speaker 5] (1:09:53 - 1:09:53)
Say name.

[Speaker 1] (1:09:53 - 1:09:56)
I don't think I have the final I don't have that sheet but

[Speaker 2] (1:09:57 - 1:10:04)
Help us understand so where where's the end so they used the money out of the reserve and not out of the budget.

[Speaker 2] (1:10:05 - 1:10:06)
What is the what's the concern?

[Speaker 1] (1:10:06 - 1:10:13)
So, here's the the agreement was that we put two hundred thousand dollars to offset the bills, right? That's

[Speaker 2] (1:10:13 - 1:10:13)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (1:10:13 - 1:10:20)
what it says here. They budgeted one seventy five. Their year-to-date spending was one ninety six.

[Speaker 1] (1:10:21 - 1:10:25)
Which means the offset would have been twenty one thousand.

[Speaker 6] (1:10:25 - 1:10:26)
Mm-hmm. Okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:10:26 - 1:10:31)
So the fund should have a hundred seventy nine thousand dollars in it.

[Speaker 1] (1:10:33 - 1:10:39)
The reserve fund should have one seven nine and it does not.

[Speaker 6] (1:10:40 - 1:10:42)
Patrick, do you know the balance of the reserve fund?

[Speaker 1] (1:10:44 - 1:10:45)
Where is it?

[Speaker 1] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
I'm

[Speaker 7] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
Oh,

[Speaker 1] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
who

[Speaker 7] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
that's

[Speaker 1] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
knows what

[Speaker 7] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
pretty

[Speaker 1] (1:10:48 - 1:10:48)
he's mouth.

[Speaker 7] (1:10:48 - 1:10:49)
loud.

[Speaker 2] (1:10:49 - 1:10:50)
So would that would be bad. That would be

[Speaker 8] (1:10:50 - 1:10:51)
So where's the 179?

[Speaker 7] (1:10:54 - 1:10:54)
That one.

[Speaker 1] (1:10:54 - 1:10:56)
Maybe that's a question we have to send to the school committee.

[Speaker 2] (1:10:57 - 1:10:57)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:10:58 - 1:10:59)
Where's the 179?

[Speaker 7] (1:10:59 - 1:10:59)
Yeah, but maybe

[Speaker 9] (1:10:59 - 1:11:03)
So to the, yeah, so to the chair, the the did those were those were those funds?

[Speaker 11] (1:11:03 - 1:11:06)
Yeah, I'll I'll happy to get you the answer.

[Speaker 9] (1:11:06 - 1:11:06)
Okay.

[Speaker 11] (1:11:06 - 1:11:09)
One way or another. If the answer is what the answer is then

[Speaker 11] (1:11:10 - 1:11:18)
we can put this year's discussion behind us, if it's if it's whatever it is, I guess we wanna claw back the one seventy nine.

[Speaker 11] (1:11:19 - 1:11:22)
We'll claw it back and cut whatever we have to cut. If the answer is

[Speaker 1] (1:11:22 - 1:11:24)
I I don't think you have to cut anything, I think it's right in your p there

[Speaker 11] (1:11:24 - 1:11:25)
this is

[Speaker 1] (1:11:25 - 1:11:25)
in the hunt revolving

[Speaker 11] (1:11:25 - 1:11:26)
excuse me.

[Speaker 1] (1:11:26 - 1:11:26)
account.

[Speaker 11] (1:11:26 - 1:11:28)
In I didn't interrupt you, please don't

[Speaker 1] (1:11:28 - 1:11:28)
You're

[Speaker 11] (1:11:28 - 1:11:28)
interrupt

[Speaker 1] (1:11:28 - 1:11:28)
right. I'm

[Speaker 11] (1:11:28 - 1:11:28)
me.

[Speaker 1] (1:11:28 - 1:11:29)
I'm really sorry about that.

[Speaker 6] (1:11:29 - 1:11:29)
In

[Speaker 11] (1:11:29 - 1:11:32)
I bet you're sorry about that. Um Suzanne?

[Speaker 11] (1:11:34 - 1:11:35)
We will get you the answer and

[Speaker 11] (1:11:36 - 1:11:40)
Whatever this will be, it'll be as transparent and we'll

[Speaker 1] (1:11:40 - 1:11:40)
Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (1:11:40 - 1:11:42)
we need to go back to whatever year is let us know.

[Speaker 2] (1:11:43 - 1:11:44)
So oh.

[Speaker 1] (1:11:44 - 1:11:50)
I'm just wondering, like have we not ever discussed this in the year or so year and a half since it occur like

[Speaker 12] (1:11:50 - 1:11:50)
Many

[Speaker 1] (1:11:50 - 1:11:51)
like

[Speaker 12] (1:11:51 - 1:11:51)
times.

[Speaker 8] (1:11:51 - 1:11:51)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:11:51 - 1:11:51)
before?

[Speaker 2] (1:11:51 - 1:11:51)
Mm.

[Speaker 1] (1:11:51 - 1:11:51)
I

[Speaker 2] (1:11:51 - 1:11:52)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:11:52 - 1:11:54)
feel like it has and have we not found We were given

[Speaker 12] (1:11:54 - 1:11:54)
some

[Speaker 1] (1:11:54 - 1:11:55)
we

[Speaker 12] (1:11:55 - 1:11:55)
sort of

[Speaker 1] (1:11:55 - 1:12:02)
were given misinformation we were sent misinformation and I'm I'm continue to try to give accurate information I mean the information is right here.

[Speaker 1] (1:12:03 - 1:12:05)
So what happens is at the end of the year,

[Speaker 1] (1:12:06 - 1:12:10)
budgets close at the end of the year, so you wait until at the end of June.

[Speaker 1] (1:12:11 - 1:12:19)
So on the beginning of July, you go into July, you reconcile. On September 11th, when the schools release their information from the year end,

[Speaker 1] (1:12:20 - 1:12:28)
and you look at the end of year numbers, it's very clear that there is an issue. So you're saying from September of 2025.

[Speaker 1] (1:12:29 - 1:12:34)
Correct. September 20, 25 is when information was finalised at the school committee meeting.

[Speaker 11] (1:12:34 - 1:12:34)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (1:12:34 - 1:12:34)
So

[Speaker 13] (1:12:34 - 1:12:39)
So nothing was ever discussed from that point to now to clarify? I fi I find that hard

[Speaker 8] (1:12:39 - 1:12:42)
I think it's been discussed, I just don't think we've gotten conclusive

[Speaker 13] (1:12:42 - 1:12:42)
I mean actually

[Speaker 8] (1:12:42 - 1:12:42)
to the bottom

[Speaker 13] (1:12:42 - 1:12:42)
it's a

[Speaker 8] (1:12:42 - 1:12:42)
of

[Speaker 13] (1:12:42 - 1:12:42)
concurrent

[Speaker 8] (1:12:42 - 1:12:43)
it, right?

[Speaker 13] (1:12:43 - 1:12:43)
answer.

[Speaker 1] (1:12:43 - 1:12:43)
You got it.

[Speaker 14] (1:12:43 - 1:12:53)
I mean, I thought in the twenty at the twenty five meeting um when Miss Stella presented um her budget um summary or budget

[Speaker 14] (1:12:54 - 1:13:01)
I don't know what that's called. It's like a budget update. She goes like a memo four times a year. And she said we used all but

[Speaker 14] (1:13:01 - 1:13:16)
four thousand and change of that of that reserve money. So I think that I think that to your point Glen, I think asking Ms Stella to just give a breakdown of of what that money was used for or something is is fair.

[Speaker 11] (1:13:16 - 1:13:16)
Yep.

[Speaker 14] (1:13:16 - 1:13:17)
I mean

[Speaker 11] (1:13:17 - 1:13:17)
It's a fair

[Speaker 14] (1:13:17 - 1:13:20)
it's you should definitely should definitely find out for sure.

[Speaker 11] (1:13:20 - 1:13:20)
Yeah.

[Speaker 6] (1:13:21 - 1:13:24)
And then according to that presentation she was saying you think there's

[Speaker 6] (1:13:25 - 1:13:26)
Four thousand dollars in the reserve.

[Speaker 14] (1:13:26 - 1:13:32)
Yeah, I mean she says town meeting appropriated 200,000 for free cash for utilities at the Swanscott Elementary.

[Speaker 14] (1:13:32 - 1:13:42)
We used all but four thousand and seventeen dollars for our agreement with the town. We kept the money unspent so that it would fall back to free cash.

[Speaker 1] (1:13:43 - 1:13:52)
Right, just to be really clear, I just want to be super clear. I feel that the schools are in violation of this MOU, and which always worries me with these MOUs.

[Speaker 1] (1:13:53 - 1:13:53)
So,

[Speaker 1] (1:13:53 - 1:13:54)
right.

[Speaker 9] (1:13:54 - 1:13:54)
But again,

[Speaker 9] (1:13:55 - 1:13:56)
before we jump to conclusions,

[Speaker 9] (1:13:57 - 1:14:00)
I just want to get the information from Ms. Stella before we're making these

[Speaker 1] (1:14:00 - 1:14:00)
Sure.

[Speaker 9] (1:14:00 - 1:14:08)
accusations against the school committee or anyone else. Let's just get the information and then we can have a discussion.

[Speaker 1] (1:14:08 - 1:14:09)
Sure. Everything I am presenting here,

[Speaker 1] (1:14:09 - 1:14:14)
just so you know, everything I am presenting here and I presented before is just what is public information,

[Speaker 1] (1:14:14 - 1:14:17)
what is right in front of you to offset.

[Speaker 6] (1:14:18 - 1:14:23)
Yeah, and it sounds like it sounds like the four thousand is maybe the one ninety six.

[Speaker 14] (1:14:25 - 1:14:26)
I have I have no

[Speaker 6] (1:14:26 - 1:14:26)
Plus

[Speaker 14] (1:14:26 - 1:14:26)
I have

[Speaker 6] (1:14:26 - 1:14:26)
four

[Speaker 14] (1:14:26 - 1:14:26)
I

[Speaker 6] (1:14:26 - 1:14:27)
is the two hundred.

[Speaker 14] (1:14:27 - 1:14:27)
don't

[Speaker 6] (1:14:27 - 1:14:28)
So Glenn,

[Speaker 14] (1:14:28 - 1:14:28)
I can't

[Speaker 6] (1:14:28 - 1:14:29)
if the

[Speaker 14] (1:14:29 - 1:14:29)
even I

[Speaker 6] (1:14:29 - 1:14:29)
question then

[Speaker 14] (1:14:29 - 1:14:29)
can't

[Speaker 6] (1:14:29 - 1:14:42)
I think is was the one seventy five in the line item spent and it I just don't want the question to only be about the two hundred K reserve like it should also be addressed with the one seventy five at line item for utilities.

[Speaker 2] (1:14:43 - 1:14:44)
Right, we need to know the total amount

[Speaker 6] (1:14:44 - 1:14:45)
Exactly.

[Speaker 2] (1:14:45 - 1:14:45)
spent,

[Speaker 2] (1:14:45 - 1:14:45)
yes, versus

[Speaker 1] (1:14:45 - 1:14:46)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (1:14:46 - 1:14:47)
the one seventy five plus the two hundred.

[Speaker 11] (1:14:48 - 1:14:51)
Okay, so w w whatever question is sent to me,

[Speaker 1] (1:14:51 - 1:14:51)
Okay.

[Speaker 11] (1:14:51 - 1:14:59)
I will get you the specific answer of that. I would ask you be incredibly specific on your asking. That's what I ask for you.

[Speaker 8] (1:14:59 - 1:15:04)
I think it I think it needs it to be not just about the spend, but did 175 remain in the budget like somewhere else or whatever,

[Speaker 11] (1:15:04 - 1:15:04)
Yeah, absolutely.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:04 - 1:15:05)
for that answer.

[Speaker 11] (1:15:05 - 1:15:06)
Yep.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:06 - 1:15:07)
But one of the one of the things that's said earlier,

[Speaker 8] (1:15:09 - 1:15:13)
Are we in agreement that this is no longer, this is done, expired because

[Speaker 13] (1:15:13 - 1:15:14)
Right, that's a good point.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:14 - 1:15:15)
I just want to get that clear because

[Speaker 6] (1:15:15 - 1:15:15)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:15 - 1:15:19)
the original plan for this I think was we're going to need this until we get the solar panels

[Speaker 6] (1:15:19 - 1:15:19)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:19 - 1:15:25)
in place and then until that happens we so early we just kind of quickly said this is expired, we're done.

[Speaker 2] (1:15:25 - 1:15:26)
Exactly, because there's

[Speaker 1] (1:15:26 - 1:15:26)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (1:15:26 - 1:15:28)
zero budgeted this year,

[Speaker 1] (1:15:28 - 1:15:28)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (1:15:28 - 1:15:30)
and that was an issue in itself,

[Speaker 2] (1:15:31 - 1:15:35)
and I thought we're – is that FY26 we're in right now, right?

[Speaker 2] (1:15:35 - 1:15:36)
There were –

[Speaker 6] (1:15:37 - 1:15:38)
How are we paying utilities this year?

[Speaker 2] (1:15:38 - 1:15:40)
It's $200,000 this year. We we

[Speaker 8] (1:15:40 - 1:15:40)
We

[Speaker 2] (1:15:40 - 1:15:40)
had to

[Speaker 8] (1:15:40 - 1:15:41)
did another $200,000.

[Speaker 2] (1:15:41 - 1:15:42)
put no they didn't we didn't under this agreement,

[Speaker 8] (1:15:42 - 1:15:42)
Yeah,

[Speaker 2] (1:15:42 - 1:15:42)
right?

[Speaker 8] (1:15:42 - 1:15:44)
well, it's the second year we've had it.

[Speaker 2] (1:15:44 - 1:15:45)
So it's not expired.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:46 - 1:15:46)
Not not

[Speaker 2] (1:15:46 - 1:15:47)
We

[Speaker 8] (1:15:47 - 1:15:47)
written.

[Speaker 2] (1:15:47 - 1:15:47)
don't have

[Speaker 8] (1:15:47 - 1:15:47)
They

[Speaker 2] (1:15:47 - 1:15:47)
that.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:47 - 1:15:50)
could well heading into the current year We haven't we haven't decided the you know, the f

[Speaker 2] (1:15:50 - 1:15:50)
Right

[Speaker 8] (1:15:50 - 1:15:51)
-127

[Speaker 2] (1:15:51 - 1:15:51)
now, or

[Speaker 8] (1:15:51 - 1:15:51)
budget from

[Speaker 2] (1:15:51 - 1:15:52)
we sit

[Speaker 8] (1:15:52 - 1:15:52)
right here. now. It's not expired.

[Speaker 8] (1:15:53 - 1:15:53)
I agreed

[Speaker 2] (1:15:53 - 1:15:53)
Yeah

[Speaker 8] (1:15:54 - 1:15:58)
So this goes to the point that I was making at the beginning that it says FY 25

[Speaker 14] (1:15:59 - 1:16:00)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (1:16:00 - 1:16:05)
We would I think without Jason and I going forward reporting to chairs full committees However,

[Speaker 8] (1:16:05 - 1:16:06)
y'all want to do it

[Speaker 2] (1:16:06 - 1:16:13)
On what we're doing, I would read this, and I think anyone that is not sitting in this room would read this and say that it was done in F Y twenty like it it's a

[Speaker 14] (1:16:13 - 1:16:13)
Right,

[Speaker 6] (1:16:13 - 1:16:14)
single great, year it doesn't

[Speaker 2] (1:16:14 - 1:16:14)
agreement.

[Speaker 6] (1:16:14 - 1:16:15)
say it rolls over

[Speaker 8] (1:16:15 - 1:16:15)
No,

[Speaker 6] (1:16:15 - 1:16:15)
to the but next

[Speaker 8] (1:16:15 - 1:16:15)
it does

[Speaker 6] (1:16:15 - 1:16:16)
year.

[Speaker 8] (1:16:16 - 1:16:25)
say it says future recommendations for appropriations to the school operating budget will be determined each fiscal year by mutual agreement between the town administrator and the superintendent if necessary.

[Speaker 1] (1:16:25 - 1:16:25)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (1:16:25 - 1:16:28)
So it's it has a sentence that says this can keep going if you guys agree.

[Speaker 6] (1:16:28 - 1:16:28)
So

[Speaker 9] (1:16:28 - 1:16:28)
Okay.

[Speaker 6] (1:16:28 - 1:16:33)
for twenty six, the mutual agreement we all need to understand was what?

[Speaker 8] (1:16:35 - 1:16:39)
I think we already agreed and town meeting approved that we put another two hundred thousand into this fund.

[Speaker 1] (1:16:39 - 1:16:39)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (1:16:39 - 1:16:41)
But there should be another

[Speaker 1] (1:16:41 - 1:16:41)
But

[Speaker 2] (1:16:41 - 1:16:41)
addition.

[Speaker 1] (1:16:41 - 1:16:42)
is one of these that

[Speaker 8] (1:16:42 - 1:16:42)
Should be documented,

[Speaker 1] (1:16:42 - 1:16:43)
indicate that?

[Speaker 8] (1:16:43 - 1:16:43)
yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:16:43 - 1:16:43)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (1:16:43 - 1:16:44)
Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (1:16:44 - 1:16:50)
Right. I mean, one of the things that we were, one of the things that we were guided on is, you know, these,

[Speaker 11] (1:16:50 - 1:16:51)
these agreements,

[Speaker 11] (1:16:51 - 1:16:56)
and this is a perfect example, need to be done yearly.

[Speaker 6] (1:16:57 - 1:16:57)
Right.

[Speaker 11] (1:16:57 - 1:17:10)
You know, especially we're talking appropriation one way or another, one fund or another. And, you know, technically and legally it's at the end of the fiscal year this agreement goes away.

[Speaker 11] (1:17:10 - 1:17:16)
So another agreement has to go in its place or else it's null and void. Now

[Speaker 11] (1:17:16 - 1:17:24)
There I'm assuming somewhere there is this version dated May of 2025.

[Speaker 14] (1:17:24 - 1:17:25)
There is not.

[Speaker 11] (1:17:25 - 1:17:28)
I sure as I sure as hope there is.

[Speaker 14] (1:17:28 - 1:17:28)
There is not.

[Speaker 9] (1:17:28 - 1:17:28)
Okay.

[Speaker 11] (1:17:28 - 1:17:29)
And so

[Speaker 14] (1:17:29 - 1:17:29)
Julie has

[Speaker 11] (1:17:29 - 1:17:30)
if there I've

[Speaker 14] (1:17:30 - 1:17:31)
produced that. So I

[Speaker 11] (1:17:31 - 1:17:32)
never seen it. So I I've

[Speaker 14] (1:17:32 - 1:17:36)
never seen it. I've not heard about it. So I would lean towards the side of there is not.

[Speaker 11] (1:17:36 - 1:17:44)
I will I will also say as gingerly as possible is some of the agreements of prior.

[Speaker 11] (1:17:47 - 1:17:48)
administration,

[Speaker 11] (1:17:49 - 1:18:00)
there were several MOUs that were done that I definitely would not do today because it is, to Ms. Fletcher's point,

[Speaker 11] (1:18:00 - 1:18:08)
it convolutes what an actual, what the real budget is and whether the budget is a million dollars or a million one,

[Speaker 11] (1:18:08 - 1:18:14)
I feel we should be transparent with the community that

[Speaker 11] (1:18:14 - 1:18:16)
It should be a million one instead of a million.

[Speaker 13] (1:18:16 - 1:18:17)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 11] (1:18:17 - 1:18:21)
So these type of MOUs to me sh really shouldn't exist.

[Speaker 11] (1:18:21 - 1:18:32)
If if the school district I'm throwing it, I have no idea. School district needs two hundred thousand dollars for li for electricity should be in the budget, should be funded by the town.

[Speaker 11] (1:18:32 - 1:18:35)
But then the town then town meeting knows.

[Speaker 2] (1:18:36 - 1:18:36)
Right.

[Speaker 11] (1:18:36 - 1:18:39)
I i it's not hidden behind something like this.

[Speaker 11] (1:18:39 - 1:18:45)
And there's a couple like these that I just feel in prior administrations, the money was hidden.

[Speaker 11] (1:18:45 - 1:18:48)
And this is something I'd like to get away from if at all possible.

[Speaker 1] (1:18:48 - 1:18:53)
How is the money hidden if the money was in, we had to vote to appropriate $200,000.

[Speaker 1] (1:18:53 - 1:19:03)
Town meeting knew that there was an appropriation, town meeting knew that there was a memorandum of understanding that there would be assistance in the event you went over the 175.

[Speaker 1] (1:19:03 - 1:19:06)
So I think the transparency is absolutely there.

[Speaker 13] (1:19:06 - 1:19:11)
I think the point is that it's the average resident layperson that's not really.

[Speaker 13] (1:19:11 - 1:19:13)
really in this as we all are.

[Speaker 13] (1:19:13 - 1:19:23)
You know, you're having to go through and figure out where there's an M_O_U_ and add that figure into the bottom line budget. I think to your point, Glen, you're just trying to say overall let's just have one number.

[Speaker 14] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
Twelve

[Speaker 1] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
my I

[Speaker 13] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
One budget.

[Speaker 1] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
mean

[Speaker 14] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
million.

[Speaker 1] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
it's

[Speaker 2] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
Well, I

[Speaker 3] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
But

[Speaker 2] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
I think

[Speaker 3] (1:19:24 - 1:19:24)
mean

[Speaker 1] (1:19:24 - 1:19:26)
I'd like to I'd like to hear what the Finance Committee thinks.

[Speaker 2] (1:19:26 - 1:19:30)
I think it I think in general we do that. I think this was an exception because of the new school.

[Speaker 4] (1:19:30 - 1:19:30)
The one time

[Speaker 2] (1:19:30 - 1:19:34)
And I think that I think that um I I think that

[Speaker 2] (1:19:35 - 1:20:02)
This $200,000 could still be in the town budget if we if our electricity expenses were less than you know 175,000 which is what we budgeted for I mean this this would still be there and we spent it because it was there to offset the additional costs but and and going forward I think I think I don't know what happens to the next year's MOU if this is even if we I mean obviously a different value has to be

[Speaker 2] (1:20:03 - 1:20:04)
um

[Speaker 1] (1:20:04 - 1:20:04)
Send.

[Speaker 2] (1:20:04 - 1:20:23)
assigned to this, and I think that we can't do it without um Max because, you know, we have the new solar panels on. I don't know I don't know how long they've been working for. I don't know if they've been calibrated or or whatever. It's just that was that was part of the plan is like to get it up and running. So I think that I I mean

[Speaker 2] (1:20:25 - 1:20:26)
I j I

[Speaker 5] (1:20:26 - 1:20:26)
Yeah,

[Speaker 2] (1:20:26 - 1:20:26)
think there's

[Speaker 5] (1:20:26 - 1:20:51)
I but I I have to I have to agree with Suzanne because the I think generally Glenn we do try to do exactly what you are saying and then there are these one time situations where to add it to the budget and then to subtract it is almost more painful because it becomes a situation that for the lay person who is not involved is like well why is why are we taking a hundred thousand dollars away from the schools.

[Speaker 5] (1:20:51 - 1:21:03)
And even though you can explain that it's utility-based, it's always going to be a teacher or a class, you know, like something student-facing that feels like it's going to be lost, but it was never there long-term

[Speaker 2] (1:21:03 - 1:21:03)
I mean,

[Speaker 5] (1:21:03 - 1:21:03)
in

[Speaker 2] (1:21:03 - 1:21:03)
that's

[Speaker 5] (1:21:03 - 1:21:04)
general.

[Speaker 2] (1:21:04 - 1:21:05)
that's exactly why we did this in the

[Speaker 5] (1:21:05 - 1:21:05)
Yeah,

[Speaker 2] (1:21:05 - 1:21:05)
budget.

[Speaker 6] (1:21:05 - 1:21:05)
It is.

[Speaker 5] (1:21:05 - 1:21:06)
of course.

[Speaker 2] (1:21:06 - 1:21:07)
So right right.

[Speaker 1] (1:21:07 - 1:21:17)
But I think it was a great idea. It w you know, if we look at the number of these though, there's not just one, right, there are many. So maybe it's now becoming the norm for us to do an M_O_U_ whereas it should be us

[Speaker 1] (1:21:17 - 1:21:21)
us maybe with a better budgeting practice, right, so that it's already included in there.

[Speaker 7] (1:21:21 - 1:21:23)
Right, that's kind of what that's kind of what I'm driving at.

[Speaker 1] (1:21:23 - 1:21:23)
Where we're going.

[Speaker 7] (1:21:23 - 1:21:26)
I mean yeah, there's always gonna have to be these for

[Speaker 1] (1:21:26 - 1:21:26)
Occasional

[Speaker 7] (1:21:26 - 1:21:26)
these

[Speaker 1] (1:21:26 - 1:21:27)
one-offs, I know.

[Speaker 7] (1:21:27 - 1:21:40)
these one-offs, but the the more we can put in the budget I think the better. And again, just to circle back, we'll get you the answer because I want to know the answer. I think we want to know the answer. And then deal with whatever that answer is. That's it.

[Speaker 8] (1:21:41 - 1:21:41)
Yep.

[Speaker 5] (1:21:43 - 1:21:43)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (1:21:45 - 1:21:51)
to the September seventeenth, twenty twenty uh two thousand eighteen agreement between the

[Speaker 1] (1:21:51 - 1:21:51)
I

[Speaker 5] (1:21:51 - 1:21:51)
schools

[Speaker 1] (1:21:51 - 1:21:52)
was eighteen.

[Speaker 5] (1:21:52 - 1:21:56)
and the town. This one covers

[Speaker 9] (1:21:56 - 1:21:58)
I am, I had a I'm sorry Katie.

[Speaker 5] (1:21:58 - 1:21:58)
Yes please. That's

[Speaker 9] (1:21:58 - 1:22:01)
I really don't wanna ask this question, but

[Speaker 5] (1:22:01 - 1:22:02)
We're going back.

[Speaker 9] (1:22:03 - 1:22:04)
well I don't feel like we

[Speaker 9] (1:22:05 - 1:22:15)
Maybe maybe this isn't the forum, but I don't I don't feel like we just settled anything there. I mean yeah, yes we need to ask question, that's fine, on that. But about the go forward approach here,

[Speaker 5] (1:22:15 - 1:22:15)
Okay.

[Speaker 9] (1:22:15 - 1:22:19)
we just all said a bunch of different things and said okay let's move along. But I don't know

[Speaker 1] (1:22:19 - 1:22:20)
That wasn't

[Speaker 9] (1:22:20 - 1:22:21)
the direction that we just gave.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:21 - 1:22:21)
That's fair.

[Speaker 9] (1:22:21 - 1:22:23)
Are we gonna have an M_O_U_ next year or

[Speaker 1] (1:22:23 - 1:22:23)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (1:22:23 - 1:22:23)
not?

[Speaker 5] (1:22:24 - 1:22:24)
So at least

[Speaker 9] (1:22:24 - 1:22:26)
I mean isn't this wouldn't this be a good place to kind

[Speaker 2] (1:22:26 - 1:22:26)
Or

[Speaker 9] (1:22:26 - 1:22:26)
of to call

[Speaker 2] (1:22:26 - 1:22:28)
we need one currently, but do we have

[Speaker 5] (1:22:28 - 1:22:28)
Sure,

[Speaker 2] (1:22:28 - 1:22:28)
one?

[Speaker 9] (1:22:28 - 1:22:28)
it.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:28 - 1:22:28)
so let's

[Speaker 9] (1:22:28 - 1:22:29)
Clearly we need one currently

[Speaker 5] (1:22:29 - 1:22:29)
let's

[Speaker 9] (1:22:29 - 1:22:30)
because

[Speaker 5] (1:22:30 - 1:22:30)
kind

[Speaker 9] (1:22:30 - 1:22:31)
you don't have anything in your budget for it.

[Speaker 9] (1:22:31 - 1:22:32)
for it. So we need one for

[Speaker 5] (1:22:32 - 1:22:32)
Let's

[Speaker 9] (1:22:32 - 1:22:32)
this year.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:32 - 1:22:35)
talk about fiscal year 2026, because as Eric said,

[Speaker 9] (1:22:35 - 1:22:36)
I'm talking about 27.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:36 - 1:22:38)
I know, I'm going to start there

[Speaker 1] (1:22:38 - 1:22:38)
Let's

[Speaker 5] (1:22:38 - 1:22:38)
and then I'm

[Speaker 1] (1:22:38 - 1:22:38)
start

[Speaker 5] (1:22:38 - 1:22:38)
going to

[Speaker 1] (1:22:38 - 1:22:38)
26.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:38 - 1:22:39)
go to the next.

[Speaker 9] (1:22:39 - 1:22:39)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:22:39 - 1:22:40)
Oh, okay.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:41 - 1:22:50)
So for 2026, the understanding is we've already allocated the $200,000, although the MOU is talking about it as an offset.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:50 - 1:22:58)
It sounds like perhaps there is no line item in the budget, so it is not being used as an offset.

[Speaker 5] (1:22:58 - 1:23:02)
So then that has to be a discussion of whether that follows the MOU.

[Speaker 9] (1:23:04 - 1:23:06)
But there's much choice at this point. I mean

[Speaker 1] (1:23:06 - 1:23:07)
Right, I guess

[Speaker 9] (1:23:07 - 1:23:07)
Or even

[Speaker 1] (1:23:07 - 1:23:07)
it

[Speaker 9] (1:23:07 - 1:23:07)
we

[Speaker 2] (1:23:07 - 1:23:07)
But

[Speaker 1] (1:23:07 - 1:23:07)
probably

[Speaker 9] (1:23:07 - 1:23:07)
already is.

[Speaker 1] (1:23:07 - 1:23:08)
it doesn't right, so

[Speaker 9] (1:23:08 - 1:23:09)
We've voted the $200,000 already

[Speaker 1] (1:23:09 - 1:23:10)
Yeah,

[Speaker 9] (1:23:10 - 1:23:11)
in order to dedicate it this way. There it

[Speaker 2] (1:23:11 - 1:23:11)
Okay.

[Speaker 7] (1:23:11 - 1:23:11)
Right,

[Speaker 9] (1:23:11 - 1:23:11)
is.

[Speaker 1] (1:23:12 - 1:23:12)
Mm?

[Speaker 7] (1:23:12 - 1:23:24)
and to your point for for FY 27 I think it's there's a valid discussion that needs to be had. Um I think we'll have more information after we see our budget tomorrow.

[Speaker 7] (1:23:25 - 1:23:31)
And it's presented in public, I invite you guys to listen in. And you know, when we

[Speaker 7] (1:23:32 - 1:23:35)
approve or do whatever we're going to do with the budget on February 5th,

[Speaker 7] (1:23:36 - 1:23:45)
then that starts the clock, we eventually go to Finance Committee, so we can definitely have those conversations about what do we do for FY27.

[Speaker 7] (1:23:46 - 1:23:54)
I think we'll have more clarity going forward. To your point, if we need to come back and have this kind of discussion about that FY27,

[Speaker 7] (1:23:54 - 1:23:55)
I think we do that.

[Speaker 7] (1:23:56 - 1:23:56)
Right?

[Speaker 7] (1:23:56 - 1:24:00)
I think we have that discussion. But tonight we're not going to solve that issue because

[Speaker 7] (1:24:01 - 1:24:08)
It's December 21st, and we haven't even seen or discussed our budget for next year until tomorrow.

[Speaker 9] (1:24:08 - 1:24:16)
I get that, but I I'm actually I think I'm on your side, Glenn, in the sense of like there's utility costs for the school.

[Speaker 9] (1:24:16 - 1:24:21)
If the solar panels are gonna be operating for most of FY twenty seven.

[Speaker 7] (1:24:21 - 1:24:21)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (1:24:21 - 1:24:24)
We're not gonna know definitively what that's gonna do.

[Speaker 9] (1:24:25 - 1:24:30)
So one argument could be that's a good reason to keep having this type of M_O_U_

[Speaker 9] (1:24:31 - 1:24:35)
Or you can say you can make our best estimate like you do with everything else. Relatively speaking,

[Speaker 9] (1:24:36 - 1:24:38)
this isn't that big of a cost in the overall school budget.

[Speaker 9] (1:24:39 - 1:24:48)
So I'm not really sure why we single this thing out more than any other thing to have a, you know, a reserve account for it. I know there's an argument back and forth,

[Speaker 9] (1:24:48 - 1:24:55)
but I would think with Max being able to predict within a reasonable amount,

[Speaker 9] (1:24:55 - 1:24:58)
just put it in the budget.

[Speaker 9] (1:24:59 - 1:25:01)
like why do we need another one of these?

[Speaker 9] (1:25:01 - 1:25:03)
Clearly it's causing a lot of confusion.

[Speaker 1] (1:25:04 - 1:25:05)
Oh, really? I agree.

[Speaker 9] (1:25:05 - 1:25:10)
Um, it's a pittance compared to teacher salaries or whatever

[Speaker 1] (1:25:10 - 1:25:10)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (1:25:10 - 1:25:14)
else, right, that may fluctuate as well for various reasons. So

[Speaker 7] (1:25:15 - 1:25:18)
Well, you know what we can do is we can have Max, Jason,

[Speaker 7] (1:25:18 - 1:25:20)
let's have Max come to

[Speaker 7] (1:25:20 - 1:25:46)
Repeat your meeting, you know, after maybe after the f you know could be on the fifth, what or wherever. Now let's let's talk about this, and have him give all of us his reasonable assumption of what's gonna happen in F_Y_ twenty seven. So we all know. And to your point, right, if we need to have this or X_ dollars in a reserve of or reserve account for another year, we do that. But Max will have that understanding. We certainly don't. No one in this room does.

[Speaker 5] (1:25:49 - 1:26:00)
So, um sorry to belabor the point, but then could we just agree if that conversation is gonna occur that for fiscal year twenty seven that it would just be used as a backstop for utility and not to fund the entire line.

[Speaker 7] (1:26:02 - 1:26:02)
I I would

[Speaker 1] (1:26:02 - 1:26:14)
Why don't we have a conversation why don't we have the conversation with Max and find out what the needs are, because we might be able to get pretty close in there, and then people can make a decision as to whether or not to continue to do this or to just put it in the line item.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:14 - 1:26:15)
I see Katie's

[Speaker 2] (1:26:15 - 1:26:15)
No,

[Speaker 9] (1:26:15 - 1:26:15)
asking,

[Speaker 2] (1:26:15 - 1:26:16)
but I'm

[Speaker 9] (1:26:16 - 1:26:17)
are you preliminary, before that, like

[Speaker 2] (1:26:17 - 1:26:17)
Yeah,

[Speaker 9] (1:26:17 - 1:26:17)
there's

[Speaker 2] (1:26:17 - 1:26:18)
I'm

[Speaker 9] (1:26:18 - 1:26:18)
gonna

[Speaker 2] (1:26:18 - 1:26:18)
save.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:18 - 1:26:19)
be money in the budget for utilities,

[Speaker 2] (1:26:19 - 1:26:20)
Yes, that's

[Speaker 9] (1:26:20 - 1:26:20)
right?

[Speaker 2] (1:26:20 - 1:26:21)
that's sort of

[Speaker 9] (1:26:21 - 1:26:21)
Period,

[Speaker 2] (1:26:21 - 1:26:21)
what I'm asking. That's

[Speaker 9] (1:26:21 - 1:26:22)
right?

[Speaker 2] (1:26:22 - 1:26:22)
what I'm asking.

[Speaker 11] (1:26:22 - 1:26:22)
Alright.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:22 - 1:26:23)
As a baseline.

[Speaker 7] (1:26:23 - 1:26:24)
Yeah, I don't want to

[Speaker 1] (1:26:24 - 1:26:24)
I

[Speaker 7] (1:26:24 - 1:26:24)
speak.

[Speaker 1] (1:26:24 - 1:26:25)
would hope so.

[Speaker 7] (1:26:25 - 1:26:28)
I don't want to speak for Cheryl, but I I would as Ms. Fletcher said, I would hope so.

[Speaker 2] (1:26:28 - 1:26:29)
Okay, great.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:30 - 1:26:40)
And I think just to put a pen, like Max does have an idea of what it should generate, and now we have a year and a half of data. So it should be a much better estimate than we would have had.

[Speaker 1] (1:26:41 - 1:26:41)
A couple years ago.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:41 - 1:26:42)
Prior to the building opening.

[Speaker 2] (1:26:42 - 1:26:42)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:42 - 1:26:47)
So yeah, I'm agreeing with everyone but I think Max has a lot more information that would be really useful to dial it in.

[Speaker 9] (1:26:48 - 1:26:48)
Great.

[Speaker 5] (1:26:49 - 1:26:51)
Okay, great. So

[Speaker 5] (1:26:52 - 1:27:02)
we agree that this exists for 2026, we agree that for 2027 this will be a conversation between Max and the superintendent and the town administrator to come back to both

[Speaker 9] (1:27:02 - 1:27:03)
Yeah, right.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:03 - 1:27:07)
for all three boards to understand wha what it needs to look like for 27.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:07 - 1:27:11)
It is not an assumption that it exists like this for 2027 right now.

[Speaker 7] (1:27:11 - 1:27:12)
She was completely ignored.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:13 - 1:27:13)
Excellent.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:14 - 1:27:15)
Thank you, Doug, for pointing

[Speaker 7] (1:27:15 - 1:27:15)
I need a bonus.

[Speaker 9] (1:27:15 - 1:27:16)
Thank you.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:16 - 1:27:16)
a point on that.

[Speaker 9] (1:27:16 - 1:27:17)
Ex-chair.

[Speaker 9] (1:27:17 - 1:27:17)
Twenty five.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:18 - 1:27:22)
Okay, so now we'll move on to September 2018's agreements.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:23 - 1:27:26)
This one's a little bit more cumbersome.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:27 - 1:27:27)
And

[Speaker 1] (1:27:27 - 1:27:27)
And

[Speaker 5] (1:27:27 - 1:27:27)
we've

[Speaker 1] (1:27:27 - 1:27:27)
we make

[Speaker 5] (1:27:27 - 1:27:28)
already

[Speaker 1] (1:27:28 - 1:27:28)
it

[Speaker 5] (1:27:28 - 1:27:28)
taken

[Speaker 1] (1:27:28 - 1:27:28)
old.

[Speaker 5] (1:27:28 - 1:27:29)
a little bit old.

[Speaker 9] (1:27:29 - 1:27:29)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (1:27:31 - 1:27:31)
Okay.

[Speaker 9] (1:27:31 - 1:27:43)
Now we have the second. So this is related to reporting and I sort of touched on something that I would love to introduce or socialize as an idea going forward, which is from a budgeting standpoint in this year, though of course was sort of.

[Speaker 9] (1:27:44 - 1:28:12)
slowly leaving the barn as I came, but to have an idea of like the way we should look at budgeting is total revenue, shared expense subtracted from that, and then either a historic or negotiated balance between town and school operations. And so that way that informs every future dollar and every I I just this is not what it not what it's specifically getting at, this is just talking about how we report expenses. But I would love to take the outline of this and be working with the school committee through Jason and through, you all of you as well to

[Speaker 9] (1:28:12 - 1:28:26)
To come up with something or F_ light twenty seven will be difficult but certainly to inform this is how we would like to move forward, that it's just a very straight baseline to limit the discussions, uh you know shared services will be something we all discuss and agree on.

[Speaker 9] (1:28:27 - 1:28:45)
and then can look at year to year certainly to tweak. But to really just formalize a process where we all have a really good idea of where future dollars go, but also, you know, what we can anticipate for spending and as shared services increase or decrease, that also would, you know, give us a real idea of what might be available to us to spend.

[Speaker 9] (1:28:45 - 1:28:50)
Healthcare obviously is one to me that is troubling just 'cause I've no idea how high it will be.

[Speaker 9] (1:28:51 - 1:28:54)
And so making sure that we all agree on what those shared services are.

[Speaker 9] (1:28:54 - 1:29:11)
which this starts to do, this gives us that outline. Um I just wanted before we get too deep into this, I wanted to introduce and socialise that as an idea that I would love for us to work on and come back to you all with a framework. It's hard for twenty seven to be completely frank. But it will really help us going forward to to give everyone guardrails.

[Speaker 9] (1:29:12 - 1:29:12)
I

[Speaker 1] (1:29:12 - 1:29:12)
That's

[Speaker 9] (1:29:12 - 1:29:19)
I'm sorry Nick, I'm not really sure what that means. Uh So is that how is that specifically different than what it is right now? This is

[Speaker 1] (1:29:19 - 1:29:26)
This is about reporting to DESI, and so I just want to have a broader discussion is what I wanted to introduce as an idea,

[Speaker 1] (1:29:26 - 1:29:32)
and I waited for this as the example to bring this into the discussion to say we have total revenue,

[Speaker 1] (1:29:32 - 1:29:34)
we have shared expense,

[Speaker 1] (1:29:34 - 1:29:40)
and then whether it's a negotiated or we base on historic numbers of what that's split in town and school operations is.

[Speaker 1] (1:29:41 - 1:29:51)
So this this is very specific to what Desi is looking for every year. It may be different when we all look at what is important to Swampscott or how we want to prioritise spending. So

[Speaker 1] (1:29:52 - 1:30:02)
I just wanted to use this opportunity to socialise it. I'm sorry to take us off this 2018 agreement, but this is something that just outlines exactly what the assistant town accountant and town accountant are supposed to be working with the

[Speaker 3] (1:30:02 - 1:30:03)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (1:30:03 - 1:30:12)
business administration folks on, whereas the the idea that I wanted to share was something that I would love to either hear feedback or let everyone think about and hear feedback in the future. So

[Speaker 4] (1:30:12 - 1:30:13)
So Nick.

[Speaker 3] (1:30:13 - 1:30:18)
I think it's a i you i you bring up a great point because I think that this is exactly the type of

[Speaker 3] (1:30:17 - 1:30:33)
type of thing that you and Jason together can figure out, that really isn't something that all of us need to debate because it's pretty basic in terms of it in in is any of this actually being followed Yeah. now? Is this the is this actually in

[Speaker 1] (1:30:33 - 1:30:33)
I

[Speaker 3] (1:30:33 - 1:30:33)
place?

[Speaker 1] (1:30:33 - 1:30:34)
wanna see Pat.

[Speaker 3] (1:30:34 - 1:30:36)
Out of curiosity.

[Speaker 5] (1:30:36 - 1:30:40)
Yeah um I have had a hand in the reporting in the past for this.

[Speaker 3] (1:30:40 - 1:30:40)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (1:30:40 - 1:30:42)
Um so this is being followed.

[Speaker 3] (1:30:42 - 1:30:43)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (1:30:43 - 1:30:46)
Um obviously it's out of date, it hasn't been Yeah. revised since 2018.

[Speaker 3] (1:30:47 - 1:30:47)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (1:30:47 - 1:30:57)
So the reporting has been consistent under this policy each year for um the school's purposes of reporting to DESE, we prepare the information and review it with the school business manager.

[Speaker 3] (1:30:58 - 1:30:58)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (1:30:58 - 1:31:03)
Um but it like Nick said, this is an opportunity where this could be definitely revisited.

[Speaker 3] (1:31:03 - 1:31:03)
It's

[Speaker 6] (1:31:03 - 1:31:04)
it I think

[Speaker 2] (1:31:04 - 1:31:04)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:31:04 - 1:31:12)
it makes perfect sense that at that level, that the two of you would be working on um controlling this data. Sorry, I

[Speaker 6] (1:31:12 - 1:31:21)
I think uh Amy, before she left, was working with Mistella on something similar, and I think Martha Seybert also had experience in sort of the revenue sharing.

[Speaker 6] (1:31:21 - 1:31:38)
um set up and I think in looking around at other towns I think a lot of other towns do it you know where they look at you know common expenses, uh deduct those, see what, you know, the additional revenue is and then get allocated between town and school, I think.

[Speaker 3] (1:31:38 - 1:31:38)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 6] (1:31:38 - 1:31:46)
I think in Lexington it's like seventy six percent to the schools, twenty four percent to the to the town of additional revenues. Um

[Speaker 6] (1:31:47 - 1:31:48)
And yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:31:49 - 1:31:55)
Yeah, I think we did a study with the call-in centre, I wanna say it was in 2018, that this is probably part of the result of that.

[Speaker 5] (1:31:55 - 1:31:55)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:31:55 - 1:32:06)
Um the to see, you know, where there might be efficiencies between school and town and overlap. Um so it's a pretty common practice and I think most towns and school districts, but it's definitely something that

[Speaker 1] (1:32:06 - 1:32:06)
Mm.

[Speaker 3] (1:32:06 - 1:32:06)
the two of you

[Speaker 1] (1:32:06 - 1:32:12)
I would also anticipate the fiscal management review that will be done in the spring would give us additional

[Speaker 3] (1:32:12 - 1:32:12)
More in ideas, detail,

[Speaker 1] (1:32:12 - 1:32:12)
whether it's

[Speaker 3] (1:32:12 - 1:32:13)
yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:32:13 - 1:32:14)
resurfacing things that have done.

[Speaker 1] (1:32:14 - 1:32:21)
done and done in the past. Um and I didn't speak to percentages specifically because I really do think that's a subject both for

[Speaker 3] (1:32:21 - 1:32:21)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:32:21 - 1:32:23)
historical review but feedback from

[Speaker 3] (1:32:23 - 1:32:23)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:32:23 - 1:32:29)
the elected leaders that guide Jason and I from a policy level. Um so

[Speaker 7] (1:32:30 - 1:32:42)
I practically speaking, is it you take the budget, you take shared expenses out and then you divide or you take the shared expenses along in as part of the budget and then you divide the whole?

[Speaker 7] (1:32:43 - 1:32:50)
But and say you're responsible for your percentage of health care, you're responsible for these or do you subtract them out first and then divide what's left?

[Speaker 1] (1:32:50 - 1:32:52)
You could do either,

[Speaker 3] (1:32:52 - 1:32:52)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (1:32:52 - 1:32:55)
the way that I think makes sense, and do you have a comment?

[Speaker 3] (1:32:56 - 1:33:08)
No, I was just saying I think Patrick Patrick could help us understand what historically you've actually done. Because this says your your your this is about the Desi reporting.

[Speaker 7] (1:33:08 - 1:33:10)
No, I'm sorry I'm asking about

[Speaker 6] (1:33:10 - 1:33:10)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (1:33:11 - 1:33:12)
What Nick's

[Speaker 1] (1:33:12 - 1:33:12)
I had

[Speaker 7] (1:33:12 - 1:33:12)
getting to,

[Speaker 7] (1:33:13 - 1:33:28)
which is what our thought bubble is right now, which is how do we maybe wanna do this going forward. And I was asking how is it done? Is it done one way over the other? Is it preferred based on, you know, the municipalities that Eric maybe you have some knowledge of how do they do it. I'm just curious.

[Speaker 1] (1:33:28 - 1:33:32)
People do both. The one I've seen the most is there's the total income,

[Speaker 1] (1:33:32 - 1:33:37)
total revenue, the shared expenses is just subtracted from that and what's left is what is divided.

[Speaker 7] (1:33:37 - 1:33:38)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:33:38 - 1:33:49)
Following a historic trend or a negotiated number, depending on however it wants to move forward. Um so you know it would be like seventy five million, twenty five is out and then you split the last fifty however.

[Speaker 3] (1:33:49 - 1:33:49)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 7] (1:33:50 - 1:33:50)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:33:50 - 1:33:50)
Uh

[Speaker 6] (1:33:50 - 1:33:50)
Yes.

[Speaker 1] (1:33:50 - 1:33:58)
i there's there's obviously also sometimes opportunities for, you know, whether it's service sharing if with something like H_ R_

[Speaker 3] (1:33:58 - 1:33:58)
It's more

[Speaker 1] (1:33:58 - 1:33:58)
or something

[Speaker 3] (1:33:58 - 1:33:58)
to match,

[Speaker 1] (1:33:58 - 1:33:59)
like I_T_

[Speaker 3] (1:33:59 - 1:33:59)
right.

[Speaker 1] (1:33:59 - 1:33:59)
or

[Speaker 3] (1:33:59 - 1:34:00)
Right.

[Speaker 1] (1:34:00 - 1:34:01)
That things

[Speaker 5] (1:34:01 - 1:34:01)
I

[Speaker 1] (1:34:01 - 1:34:12)
could shift back and forth between a shared expense and not, but when we're looking at the really it's, you know, it's healthcare, it's op-ed, you know, it's the things that everyone thinks of that are big expenses shared shared broadly. I'm sorry, go ahead.

[Speaker 6] (1:34:12 - 1:34:20)
And, you know, and some towns, you know, have, you know, different approaches on building the budget and you look at it round and, you know.

[Speaker 6] (1:34:21 - 1:34:41)
W how will they then for instance they have multiple joint meetings over like the whole year, and it's they're it's not a tri chair but it's quin quin tuple chair 'cause it's two towns and two bor four boards and one uh collective school committee. And you know they get together and they meet and discuss the budget and so does you know in other towns.

[Speaker 6] (1:34:41 - 1:34:47)
Um and then some towns do what Nick said, sort of an allocation process and then other towns I think like

[Speaker 6] (1:34:48 - 1:34:51)
Uh Arlington does like a percentage increase,

[Speaker 3] (1:34:51 - 1:34:51)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 6] (1:34:51 - 1:35:09)
an agreed upon percentage increase to the school budget that's sort of one percentage for general education, one percentage for special education, and then um a factor for school enrollment plus an additional amount depending on what their strategic plan is going for and then that becomes obviously one number, not the sort of split out sort of

[Speaker 3] (1:35:09 - 1:35:09)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (1:35:09 - 1:35:12)
this is what you're getting for special education, you get one number but sort of how they

[Speaker 3] (1:35:13 - 1:35:14)
What the formula is.

[Speaker 6] (1:35:14 - 1:35:15)
sets sort of the growth. So

[Speaker 3] (1:35:15 - 1:35:15)
That's interesting.

[Speaker 6] (1:35:15 - 1:35:16)
like

[Speaker 6] (1:35:16 - 1:35:20)
I think it would be interesting to look around and see what are others doing,

[Speaker 3] (1:35:20 - 1:35:20)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 6] (1:35:20 - 1:35:35)
and what's working and how um you know not necessarily that what they're doing is better than what we're doing, but you know we can we can try something and maybe that leads to better result and, you know, and especially when we have tight budgets and

[Speaker 3] (1:35:35 - 1:35:35)
Yep.

[Speaker 6] (1:35:36 - 1:35:43)
um tight budgets require difficult conversations and decisions. So we have to all be on this on board and, you know, work together.

[Speaker 3] (1:35:44 - 1:36:07)
That's a great point because I mean every town and city in the state is facing the same right, similar situation. So why reinvent the wheel. Maybe there is a town that is doing that has a formula of some sort that um is one that would help us here, right. But maybe that's something Patrick and Cheryl can kind of flesh out or at least get some comps to understand to help you two um when you, you know, try to talk about it.

[Speaker 1] (1:36:09 - 1:36:09)
So

[Speaker 2] (1:36:11 - 1:36:12)
Back to back to the actual

[Speaker 8] (1:36:12 - 1:36:12)
Yeah, sorry.

[Speaker 3] (1:36:12 - 1:36:12)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (1:36:12 - 1:36:26)
you okay and that's a great topic I I but I'm just are we this is seven eight years old now are we I know Patrick's saying we're pretty much living up to it but should we should we commit to rewriting one for this year if we're going to continue to do it?

[Speaker 1] (1:36:26 - 1:36:27)
Happy to do it.

[Speaker 2] (1:36:27 - 1:36:27)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:36:27 - 1:36:28)
Nick did, yeah, right?

[Speaker 6] (1:36:28 - 1:36:30)
I think that makes sense, Eric. I mean, it's.

[Speaker 6] (1:36:30 - 1:36:44)
A lot has changed in seven plus years. So I again, this is one of those things that needs to be refreshed every you know, this one's every couple years. And this will make sure you know to you know, Mr Schneider, you are a good point. Is there a way

[Speaker 6] (1:36:44 - 1:36:56)
that someone else is doing it that is just cleaner makes the best thing. So I think turning it over to Jason and Nick and team to come back and see if they come up with.

[Speaker 7] (1:36:58 - 1:37:03)
Yeah, and I do think we should be a little bit clearer about expirations on these.

[Speaker 7] (1:37:03 - 1:37:06)
I mean, I think if if we're thinking about revamping

[Speaker 3] (1:37:06 - 1:37:06)
If you could do

[Speaker 7] (1:37:06 - 1:37:27)
a budgetary breakdown in next for next year, then maybe this is a one year situation. But then if it goes if we do do that and then we have we don't need this or we need this in a different form, that maybe it lasts five years or something that makes sense from a financial standpoint so that we're not having to do all the things every year because it's not practical.

[Speaker 7] (1:37:27 - 1:37:30)
practicum, we won't do them to be fair and

[Speaker 3] (1:37:30 - 1:37:30)
Oh, okay.

[Speaker 7] (1:37:30 - 1:37:32)
so like let's try to set ourselves up for success.

[Speaker 7] (1:37:35 - 1:37:37)
Does anybody else have any specific questions or

[Speaker 6] (1:37:37 - 1:37:37)
comments It

[Speaker 7] (1:37:37 - 1:37:38)
on this?

[Speaker 6] (1:37:38 - 1:37:42)
it might be helpful with these M_O_ use if you get on like a start date, because

[Speaker 3] (1:37:42 - 1:37:42)
Yes.

[Speaker 6] (1:37:42 - 1:37:45)
as far as I can tell they're all different start dates. So that's

[Speaker 3] (1:37:45 - 1:37:45)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (1:37:45 - 1:37:47)
gonna be very confusing and time intensive.

[Speaker 7] (1:37:47 - 1:37:48)
We should just have a I'm Rolodex.

[Speaker 6] (1:37:48 - 1:37:49)
sure there's a reason why, but

[Speaker 6] (1:37:51 - 1:37:52)
Yeah, something to think about.

[Speaker 3] (1:37:52 - 1:37:54)
I'd like to task you two with that.

[Speaker 7] (1:37:55 - 1:37:56)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:37:56 - 1:38:00)
I mean, I think we could do a start and end end post them on

[Speaker 3] (1:38:00 - 1:38:00)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (1:38:00 - 1:38:00)
the website.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:00 - 1:38:01)
Great.

[Speaker 1] (1:38:01 - 1:38:01)
It's

[Speaker 3] (1:38:01 - 1:38:01)
That's

[Speaker 1] (1:38:01 - 1:38:01)
the easiest

[Speaker 3] (1:38:01 - 1:38:01)
good.

[Speaker 1] (1:38:01 - 1:38:03)
way to do it. So everyone

[Speaker 3] (1:38:03 - 1:38:03)
Yeah.

[Speaker 1] (1:38:03 - 1:38:09)
has access, it's not a question of where they are, who has them future Jason and Nick aren't calling each other asking where they're saved.

[Speaker 3] (1:38:09 - 1:38:10)
Do you know what this is?

[Speaker 7] (1:38:11 - 1:38:13)
That sounds very transparent, thank you.

[Speaker 3] (1:38:13 - 1:38:13)
That's a good idea.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:14 - 1:38:15)
Okay.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:17 - 1:38:18)
Everybody's good for this one?

[Speaker 3] (1:38:19 - 1:38:19)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:20 - 1:38:21)
Doug?

[Speaker 7] (1:38:21 - 1:38:22)
Do Absolutely. we cover all our bases?

[Speaker 2] (1:38:22 - 1:38:23)
I am thrilled.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:23 - 1:38:23)
Okay.

[Speaker 2] (1:38:23 - 1:38:24)
Great.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:24 - 1:38:33)
Um next one is the special education reserve fund. This is from March of twenty three, but was updated in September of twenty five.

[Speaker 7] (1:38:40 - 1:38:41)
Feelings.

[Speaker 6] (1:38:45 - 1:38:47)
Okay, so I'll start with this one. Um

[Speaker 9] (1:38:51 - 1:38:58)
This one's problematic. This this entire document is problematic. How we do this is problematic.

[Speaker 3] (1:38:59 - 1:39:00)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 9] (1:39:00 - 1:39:14)
I you know just as Suzanne mentioned earlier, you know personally I have um one adult son who profoundly disabled. We went through the district, he's twenty nine now. So I'm fairly confident I know a lot about special ed law.

[Speaker 1] (1:39:18 - 1:39:31)
But when we had our meeting with the MESC last week, we were taken to task about this particular transfer out.

[Speaker 1] (1:39:32 - 1:39:34)
There was some very unhappy people.

[Speaker 1] (1:39:34 - 1:39:35)
We met with them.

[Speaker 1] (1:39:36 - 1:39:40)
And in this little a little bit of the history and the genesis of all this,

[Speaker 1] (1:39:40 - 1:39:49)
this goes back to a prior town administrator. This is the one of things they talked about and we've talked about ad nauseum for many years is circuit breaker.

[Speaker 1] (1:39:50 - 1:39:52)
So we

[Speaker 1] (1:39:56 - 1:40:03)
don't up to four or five years ago as the two individuals stated

[Speaker 1] (1:40:04 - 1:40:26)
how it was supposed to work and under state law. We had funds come in for circuit breaker and we had funds remaining in circuit breaker for the following out, it cascaded through. Once that was taken away by the prior administrator and we had to set up this because again as you

[Speaker 1] (1:40:26 - 1:40:27)
We heard the law.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:28 - 1:40:33)
It's the responsibility of not only the school district of that town to fund special education dollars.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:34 - 1:40:37)
It's really clear there's no debating it.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:37 - 1:40:39)
It is what it is.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:39 - 1:40:40)
So in a perfect world,

[Speaker 1] (1:40:40 - 1:40:44)
we somehow figure out a way to give us a circuit breaker back.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:44 - 1:40:46)
And that makes a lot of ills go away.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:48 - 1:40:51)
But assuming that that probably can't happen this year.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:52 - 1:40:55)
The thing I think I'd like to focus on is the transfer out.

[Speaker 1] (1:40:57 - 1:41:01)
Because an just if you could read it here.

[Speaker 1] (1:41:02 - 1:41:17)
To request a payment from the special education reserve fund, the school department will provide details of current expenses compared to budgeted. Current circuit breaker balance and the invoice that invoices that require payment. So we'll start with the invoices that require payment.

[Speaker 1] (1:41:18 - 1:41:19)
That's the first little

[Speaker 1] (1:41:20 - 1:41:22)
I'd call it a yellow flag, that one up.

[Speaker 1] (1:41:23 - 1:41:34)
This payment request will be sent to the town administrator and the director of finance administration to be included in the next A_P_ warrant. I don't quite know what A_P_ means, but whatever that.

[Speaker 2] (1:41:34 - 1:41:35)
Yes.

[Speaker 1] (1:41:35 - 1:41:45)
The expenses will be charged directly to the reserve and the warrant will be approved like other warrants at the school committee and select board meetings or their designee. Appropriations may be re u um,

[Speaker 1] (1:41:45 - 1:41:48)
excuse me, appropriations require the majority vote of the school committee.

[Speaker 1] (1:41:49 - 1:42:01)
The challenge okay I'm sorry school committee and select board or their designee utilize this reserve fund before a request for a transfer can be completed.

[Speaker 1] (1:42:01 - 1:42:09)
The school department must provide documentation that the circuit breaker balances hit the funding floor of six hundred thousand dollars. This is what they were talking about earlier.

[Speaker 1] (1:42:13 - 1:42:15)
It's fairly easy.

[Speaker 1] (1:42:16 - 1:42:24)
If a st if a family moves into town you don't have to do that okay and this happens something

[Speaker 1] (1:42:26 - 1:42:43)
happens to a child in district they've been a gen ed student a general education student for however long they've been here and an incident happens and that student now goes from sorry costing twenty thousand dollars a year

[Speaker 1] (1:42:43 - 1:42:46)
It's costing five hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year.

[Speaker 1] (1:42:47 - 1:42:49)
Right now we have to come

[Speaker 1] (1:42:51 - 1:42:52)
and ask permission for those dollars.

[Speaker 1] (1:42:54 - 1:43:00)
And although there's no names attached to any of this, if someone's paying attention,

[Speaker 1] (1:43:00 - 1:43:03)
not that anyone ever does, but if someone is paying attention,

[Speaker 1] (1:43:04 - 1:43:07)
not too difficult to figure out who that family or student is.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:12 - 1:43:16)
I had certainly had an aha moment 'cause I I haven't thought of that little aspect of it.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:17 - 1:43:23)
So I don't know what to do about that other than we have this reserve fund. If we need it, we tap it.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:25 - 1:43:29)
End of story. I don't even know if that's legal to do. I don't know.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:29 - 1:43:36)
But to go through all of this, there are too many parties who know what's going on.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:37 - 1:43:38)
And our job in the school department,

[Speaker 1] (1:43:38 - 1:43:41)
as you heard what they said about across the state,

[Speaker 1] (1:43:42 - 1:43:45)
is to protect the privacy of the student and the family.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:46 - 1:43:49)
So I'm really uncomfortable with this.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:50 - 1:43:53)
And I think it's a discussion we should have, a general,

[Speaker 1] (1:43:53 - 1:43:54)
okay?

[Speaker 1] (1:43:54 - 1:43:56)
It has to be very general. I'm going to shut it down.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:56 - 1:43:58)
A general discussion.

[Speaker 1] (1:43:59 - 1:44:03)
Because it could happen to any one of us sitting in this room.

[Speaker 1] (1:44:04 - 1:44:10)
And would you want to know, and would you, how would you feel if other,

[Speaker 1] (1:44:10 - 1:44:25)
anyone other than the school department who has a fiduciary responsibility to keep that privacy, and now it's shared with other people, and you guys don't have that responsibility. You do that because we're great human beings, but you don't have to.

[Speaker 1] (1:44:27 - 1:44:30)
So I am uncomfortable with this.

[Speaker 1] (1:44:31 - 1:44:34)
I don't really know what to do about it.

[Speaker 1] (1:44:35 - 1:44:41)
And I'll open it up and you can tell me I'm being completely ridiculous and I don't know if I even disagree with you on that one.

[Speaker 1] (1:44:42 - 1:44:42)
But

[Speaker 3] (1:44:42 - 1:44:44)
Looks like Suzanne's got a got some

[Speaker 1] (1:44:44 - 1:44:44)
Good.

[Speaker 3] (1:44:44 - 1:44:44)
thoughts.

[Speaker 4] (1:44:44 - 1:45:08)
I I just this this whole thing came about because uh a few years back there was a deal made between a a select board member and a former school committee member and and about trying to balance our budget and and we agreed to there it was determined to pay down half use half of our circuit breaker and at the time it solved a lot of problems and but

[Speaker 4] (1:45:08 - 1:45:34)
mrs Raymond had huge reservations and she would agree that this isn't a great idea and she would much rather have the circuit breaker funded to its full amount and I think that that's what we should be talking about and I think that that discussion has to include mrs Raymond because she sort of understands how to build up the circuit breaker but but we do need to get the circuit she would much rather have the circuit breaker at the full amount than have this reserve fund because

[Speaker 4] (1:45:34 - 1:45:47)
because then it's under our control, we don't have to ask for the money and it's the way it I mean best practices have is to have your closed circuit breaker and and um we haven't had it and so we've had to sort of just

[Speaker 4] (1:45:48 - 1:46:04)
just to these sort of jerry-rigged these solutions, and I think that we just need to figure out how to w how to how to we can't ask you for money to put in a circuit breaker. It's not doesn't work like that, it's not allowed, right? So we have to start we have to start building up our circuit breaker by um

[Speaker 4] (1:46:05 - 1:46:10)
By having other money into our budget that I don't I don't know I don't know

[Speaker 5] (1:46:10 - 1:46:11)
I have a

[Speaker 4] (1:46:11 - 1:46:11)
To

[Speaker 5] (1:46:11 - 1:46:11)
question

[Speaker 4] (1:46:11 - 1:46:11)
be honest

[Speaker 5] (1:46:11 - 1:46:11)
about

[Speaker 4] (1:46:11 - 1:46:12)
with you. I don't know how it works,

[Speaker 5] (1:46:12 - 1:46:13)
Yeah,

[Speaker 4] (1:46:13 - 1:46:14)
but right

[Speaker 5] (1:46:14 - 1:46:33)
I mean on one of the earlier slides it says it's appropriated the circuit breaker is appropriated annually by the state legislature and it reimburses costs already incurred so the onus is on our district to tell the legislator legislature what we have incurred

[Speaker 5] (1:46:33 - 1:46:34)
So is it Mm is

[Speaker 4] (1:46:34 - 1:46:34)
-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (1:46:34 - 1:46:46)
it a record-keeping challenge that that the onus is on our district to kind of prove that we have to spend this money?

[Speaker 3] (1:46:46 - 1:46:46)
Isn't it that

[Speaker 4] (1:46:46 - 1:46:47)
No,

[Speaker 3] (1:46:47 - 1:46:47)
we're

[Speaker 4] (1:46:47 - 1:46:47)
we've already

[Speaker 3] (1:46:47 - 1:46:47)
not hearing

[Speaker 4] (1:46:47 - 1:46:47)
we've already

[Speaker 3] (1:46:47 - 1:46:47)
you.

[Speaker 4] (1:46:47 - 1:46:49)
we've already spent the money.

[Speaker 5] (1:46:49 - 1:46:49)
We've already spent

[Speaker 4] (1:46:49 - 1:46:49)
And

[Speaker 5] (1:46:49 - 1:46:50)
the money,

[Speaker 4] (1:46:50 - 1:46:50)
you have

[Speaker 5] (1:46:50 - 1:46:50)
so why

[Speaker 4] (1:46:50 - 1:46:50)
you

[Speaker 5] (1:46:50 - 1:46:50)
isn't

[Speaker 4] (1:46:50 - 1:46:51)
have

[Speaker 5] (1:46:51 - 1:46:51)
the legislature

[Speaker 4] (1:46:51 - 1:46:51)
you have

[Speaker 5] (1:46:51 - 1:46:52)
just reimbursing

[Speaker 4] (1:46:52 - 1:46:52)
you have to spend

[Speaker 5] (1:46:52 - 1:46:53)
us?

[Speaker 4] (1:46:53 - 1:46:56)
down you have to spend down your circuit breaker every year,

[Speaker 5] (1:46:56 - 1:46:56)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (1:46:56 - 1:46:56)
right?

[Speaker 4] (1:46:56 - 1:46:58)
And and we only have

[Speaker 4] (1:46:59 - 1:47:02)
600,000 or change in our circuit breaker instead of a million,

[Speaker 4] (1:47:02 - 1:47:04)
which is sort of what we are allowed to have,

[Speaker 4] (1:47:04 - 1:47:04)
right?

[Speaker 4] (1:47:05 - 1:47:05)
And so...

[Speaker 4] (1:47:07 - 1:47:09)
Sometimes we spend that whole amount and

[Speaker 5] (1:47:09 - 1:47:10)
This is

[Speaker 4] (1:47:10 - 1:47:10)
then

[Speaker 5] (1:47:10 - 1:47:10)
300.

[Speaker 4] (1:47:10 - 1:47:32)
that's what this that's what this reserve is for right for them to sort of replenish it or to pay for whatever but but if we had the whole amount and we only and we had to spend 800 if we spent 800,000 and we have that 200,000 left over we're allowed to prepay the next year's tuition so so we so we're allowed to already so we're allowed to already

[Speaker 4] (1:47:33 - 1:47:53)
make a dent in that in that budget for the next year right but right now we don't have that opportunity we only have 600,000 so if we spend that we don't have 400,000 dollars left to prepay tuition and that's what and that's what we need and I think that that would help a lot because because we would already have that certainty that we had 400,000 dollars worth of tuition already paid right

[Speaker 5] (1:47:53 - 1:47:59)
But what I don't understand is how we receive more from the legislature.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:00 - 1:48:00)
It's

[Speaker 3] (1:48:00 - 1:48:00)
But,

[Speaker 6] (1:48:00 - 1:48:00)
oh, it's

[Speaker 3] (1:48:00 - 1:48:00)
well,

[Speaker 6] (1:48:00 - 1:48:02)
a it's subject to appropriations

[Speaker 5] (1:48:02 - 1:48:02)
Yeah, it's

[Speaker 6] (1:48:02 - 1:48:04)
because they don't fully fund it.

[Speaker 3] (1:48:04 - 1:48:05)
Yeah, exactly. they don't fully, right.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:05 - 1:48:07)
I it's like so many other things that they

[Speaker 3] (1:48:07 - 1:48:07)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:07 - 1:48:09)
and so the seventy five percent

[Speaker 5] (1:48:09 - 1:48:09)
unfunded mandate.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:09 - 1:48:15)
the seventy five percent reimbursement that they offer is once we meet a threshold on spending on a particular student.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:15 - 1:48:18)
It's seventy five percent above that, it's not seventy five percent below that.

[Speaker 5] (1:48:18 - 1:48:19)
Okay.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:19 - 1:48:26)
So it's a sort of lagging reimb because it's reimbursement anyway. So we're getting it after it's been spent, we get it sort of for the

[Speaker 6] (1:48:26 - 1:48:31)
for the the future year not you know we've spent it and we'll have it for next year basically

[Speaker 5] (1:48:31 - 1:48:31)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (1:48:31 - 1:48:32)
if they fully fund it.

[Speaker 5] (1:48:32 - 1:48:33)
Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (1:48:33 - 1:48:35)
So if I can answer maybe a couple of questions.

[Speaker 1] (1:48:35 - 1:48:38)
It is, and we've said this a lot to this group,

[Speaker 1] (1:48:38 - 1:48:39)
it's complicated.

[Speaker 1] (1:48:42 - 1:48:42)
Ms.

[Speaker 1] (1:48:42 - 1:48:52)
Raymond knows this probably better than anybody, but I'm going to, this is, Cheryl yesterday sent me some information and my question was what do most districts do for circuit breaker?

[Speaker 1] (1:48:52 - 1:48:54)
Do they do like we do it?

[Speaker 1] (1:48:54 - 1:49:07)
which causes a challenge or do we do like we used to do it up to four or five years ago is we always have enough money a year before. And before we even get into this, the good part about having the money early and prepaying these bills,

[Speaker 1] (1:49:07 - 1:49:09)
we're not paying whatever that costs.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:12 - 1:49:13)
We're paying it early.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:13 - 1:49:15)
That saves us money.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:15 - 1:49:18)
But here is Cheryl's answer to my question.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:18 - 1:49:25)
In general, I would say most districts carry 80 to 100% of their balance on a going forward basis.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:26 - 1:49:27)
80 to 100%.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:30 - 1:49:40)
Personal from Cheryl, in Ipswich and Littleton where I worked, they both carried their full balance over. Then some questions. Below is the wording for the balance allowed to carry over.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:41 - 1:49:48)
Is there a timeline by which districts need to spend money received through circuit breaker reimbursement? The answer is yes.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:48 - 1:49:55)
Money received through quarterly reimbursement from year-end claiming cannot carry forward more than one fiscal year.

[Speaker 1] (1:49:56 - 1:50:09)
As an example FY23 reimbursements must be spent on circuit breaker eligible expenses in FY23 and or FY24 and cannot be carried into FY25.

[Speaker 1] (1:50:11 - 1:50:32)
Money received through extraordinary relief reimbursement must be spent on circuit breaker eligible expenses in the same fiscal year in which it was received. For example, extraordinary relief received by a district in May 2023 must be spent in the FY23 budget and cannot be carried to FY24.

[Speaker 1] (1:50:32 - 1:50:36)
The legislature is really clear why they set this up.

[Speaker 1] (1:50:37 - 1:50:49)
And a v a vast majority of districts of towns and cities do it the way we used to do it and did it for years and years and years and years and years.

[Speaker 1] (1:50:50 - 1:50:56)
And it has been a challenge since that has changed.

[Speaker 1] (1:50:57 - 1:50:59)
And now you know as

[Speaker 1] (1:51:00 - 1:51:25)
Suzanne said we're happy to have Martha you know make the again make the presentation but before that for right now this transfers out language needs to change because again I'll say if it was your kid your family your neighbor and something happened that you could that the majority of people can figure out

[Speaker 1] (1:51:27 - 1:51:28)
That is a problem.

[Speaker 2] (1:51:29 - 1:51:53)
I just want to make clear that I I'm certainly committed to supporting the funding and I would prefer that it not become so personal an issue because the principle of the thing is that we're supporting this funding and we don't need to be convinced that we need to support it because it could be personal to us like I'm committed to it so it doesn't need to be personal anymore okay

[Speaker 3] (1:51:54 - 1:51:56)
We are statutorily responsible

[Speaker 4] (1:51:56 - 1:51:56)
Right.

[Speaker 3] (1:51:56 - 1:51:57)
for the funding, so

[Speaker 5] (1:51:57 - 1:51:58)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (1:51:58 - 1:51:59)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:51:59 - 1:52:00)
w we're automatically committed.

[Speaker 2] (1:52:00 - 1:52:00)
But why

[Speaker 3] (1:52:00 - 1:52:00)
But I just

[Speaker 2] (1:52:00 - 1:52:00)
are we

[Speaker 3] (1:52:00 - 1:52:07)
uh I just want to add some some light. There there was no school committee member involved in in um

[Speaker 3] (1:52:07 - 1:52:14)
making a recommendation on how to how to deal with the twenty twenty four budget. We were at a very serious impasse

[Speaker 5] (1:52:14 - 1:52:14)
Did

[Speaker 3] (1:52:14 - 1:52:14)
with

[Speaker 5] (1:52:14 - 1:52:14)
you meet

[Speaker 3] (1:52:14 - 1:52:15)
the just tony

[Speaker 5] (1:52:15 - 1:52:15)
a select board member?

[Speaker 3] (1:52:16 - 1:52:16)
Excuse me?

[Speaker 5] (1:52:16 - 1:52:17)
Did you meet just a select board member?

[Speaker 3] (1:52:17 - 1:52:17)
It was just

[Speaker 4] (1:52:17 - 1:52:17)
Yes.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:17 - 1:52:18)
a select board member.

[Speaker 5] (1:52:18 - 1:52:19)
Yeah, okay.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:19 - 1:52:20)
And that was me.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:20 - 1:52:28)
So as a select board member, we were at a very serious impasse and I was asked by both the town administrator and the superintendent to get involved.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:28 - 1:52:37)
And I got involved and was able to bring them together and the superintendent and the town administrator and the director of finance and the school business.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:39 - 1:52:57)
director were all involved in putting together a budget that worked and part of the budget that would work would be to use the funding and to bring the circuit breaker fund down to a level that was an average level over the past eight years and I think that was like

[Speaker 6] (1:52:57 - 1:52:57)
Four

[Speaker 3] (1:52:57 - 1:52:57)
half of a million

[Speaker 6] (1:52:57 - 1:52:58)
fifty.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:58 - 1:52:58)
dollars.

[Speaker 6] (1:52:58 - 1:52:58)
Four fifty yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:52:58 - 1:53:00)
One of the other um

[Speaker 3] (1:53:01 - 1:53:16)
Stipulations with doing that was the schools would have to go back to filing for Medicaid reimbursement. The schools had stopped filing for Medicaid reimbursement over a period of four to five years with a loss of approximately $480,000.

[Speaker 3] (1:53:16 - 1:53:18)
So that was put into place.

[Speaker 3] (1:53:19 - 1:53:23)
Prior to that, the school committee and the finance committee for

[Speaker 3] (1:53:24 - 1:53:42)
Well, it might only be you, Eric, who is on the finance committee. One of the problems that was always faced with the school budget was in the event there was not enough money under special education and to make sure that there was some type of a balloon or a reserve account so that if that did hit the school budget,

[Speaker 3] (1:53:43 - 1:53:48)
the school budget wouldn't have to tap into its regular funds. It could jump into this special

[Speaker 3] (1:53:49 - 1:54:07)
reserve and that was another mechanism to help protect the school budget so that's that's the clarity on that other than other than the some of the protection of the identity of a student I don't know what the other challenges have been because right now

[Speaker 3] (1:54:07 - 1:54:11)
How much money is sitting in the special education reserve fund? Do you

[Speaker 7] (1:54:11 - 1:54:12)
I think it's about twenty

[Speaker 3] (1:54:12 - 1:54:12)
you don't

[Speaker 7] (1:54:12 - 1:54:12)
hundred

[Speaker 3] (1:54:12 - 1:54:12)
know

[Speaker 7] (1:54:12 - 1:54:12)
and seventy

[Speaker 3] (1:54:12 - 1:54:14)
and there's nobody here that can answer that. Huh?

[Speaker 7] (1:54:14 - 1:54:18)
I think it's fo I think it's for last my notes last I look at it's four hundred and seventy thousand.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:19 - 1:54:20)
Is Look. sitting in the right, special

[Speaker 7] (1:54:20 - 1:54:20)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:20 - 1:54:20)
okay.

[Speaker 7] (1:54:20 - 1:54:21)
Special education.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:21 - 1:54:21)
And then

[Speaker 1] (1:54:21 - 1:54:21)
That's good.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:21 - 1:54:22)
and the circuit breaker

[Speaker 7] (1:54:22 - 1:54:25)
Has six hundred in theory. That's what we're supposed to carry there.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:25 - 1:54:28)
No, well, that's no, that's the line. That's the line that

[Speaker 1] (1:54:28 - 1:54:29)
The minimum.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:29 - 1:54:32)
that's the minimum line, but right now the circuit breaker has

[Speaker 7] (1:54:32 - 1:54:33)
I don't know what Squarebreaker that is.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:33 - 1:54:38)
was funded, I think well, I think one one point two million, one million.

[Speaker 7] (1:54:39 - 1:54:41)
No but No, we we mean funded.

[Speaker 3] (1:54:41 - 1:54:43)
We don't fund it, the state,

[Speaker 7] (1:54:43 - 1:54:43)
Right. I

[Speaker 3] (1:54:43 - 1:54:44)
right,

[Speaker 7] (1:54:44 - 1:54:56)
I think that like the memo even says, the goal of when this was written, was to have one point two million, which was some average of what we used to carry in the circuit breaker Right. between s what we leave in circuit breaker, the circuit breaker minimum of six hundred

[Speaker 3] (1:54:56 - 1:54:56)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (1:54:56 - 1:55:01)
plus whatever is in special education, which is four seventy six, about one point one million

[Speaker 3] (1:55:01 - 1:55:01)
It's

[Speaker 7] (1:55:01 - 1:55:01)
we're pretty

[Speaker 3] (1:55:01 - 1:55:01)
recovery

[Speaker 7] (1:55:01 - 1:55:01)
close.

[Speaker 3] (1:55:01 - 1:55:01)
again.

[Speaker 8] (1:55:01 - 1:55:01)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (1:55:01 - 1:55:02)
So Right,

[Speaker 3] (1:55:02 - 1:55:02)
right.

[Speaker 7] (1:55:02 - 1:55:03)
so is

[Speaker 8] (1:55:03 - 1:55:03)
The problem

[Speaker 7] (1:55:03 - 1:55:04)
that

[Speaker 8] (1:55:04 - 1:55:08)
the problem is that for that extra money isn't available for the school to pay down the tuition.

[Speaker 8] (1:55:08 - 1:55:15)
I mean, it's it the money that's in the reserve doesn't work the same way as if all the money is in the circuit breaker.

[Speaker 8] (1:55:16 - 1:55:26)
I mean, I mean, at the end of the day, we pay the bills, but but the circuit breaker money allows us certainty without going to the town,

[Speaker 8] (1:55:26 - 1:55:32)
but it also helps us prepay tuition for for the next year,

[Speaker 8] (1:55:32 - 1:55:35)
which is which is a huge savings or which is.

[Speaker 8] (1:55:35 - 1:55:41)
helps us, I I don't I mean I feel like I keep saying this but um

[Speaker 9] (1:55:44 - 1:55:45)
So is what you're

[Speaker 1] (1:55:45 - 1:55:45)
I'd

[Speaker 9] (1:55:45 - 1:55:45)
doing

[Speaker 1] (1:55:45 - 1:55:45)
sorry

[Speaker 9] (1:55:45 - 1:55:46)
right?

[Speaker 1] (1:55:46 - 1:55:57)
I'll just I'll just add that 80 over 80% of the municipalities do it a different way than we do and I think it's a I think it's higher than 80 and get you the detail

[Speaker 1] (1:55:58 - 1:56:01)
But they must know something that we don't. And again,

[Speaker 1] (1:56:01 - 1:56:07)
we used to do it the same way that everyone else did it, the same way that is allowed by my master in law.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:07 - 1:56:10)
It's not like we're trying to do something that's not allowed.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:11 - 1:56:13)
The law is really clear.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:14 - 1:56:17)
It's black and white. It's been the same for a long time.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:17 - 1:56:21)
And what it's meant to do is to prevent this.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:21 - 1:56:22)
It's to prevent.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:23 - 1:56:27)
the transfer out where someone knows something about someone.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:28 - 1:56:31)
So in a perfect world we figure out a way

[Speaker 1] (1:56:32 - 1:56:42)
when to fund circuit breaker that the school department has the full circuit breaker to pay down whatever we need to pay down. It saves everybody money.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:42 - 1:56:45)
It saves everyone this.

[Speaker 1] (1:56:47 - 1:56:57)
And they must, that's just how it is. And if we choose not to do that, that's a, you know, that's a decision that the town is going to make. But for right now, today,

[Speaker 1] (1:56:57 - 1:57:02)
this discussion, we need to change the transfer out rule and

[Speaker 7] (1:57:02 - 1:57:02)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (1:57:02 - 1:57:03)
the language.

[Speaker 8] (1:57:03 - 1:57:03)
Right, there

[Speaker 7] (1:57:03 - 1:57:03)
Fine,

[Speaker 8] (1:57:03 - 1:57:03)
we go.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:03 - 1:57:08)
I mean, I'm gonna disagree with you and then I'm gonna agree with you.

[Speaker 1] (1:57:09 - 1:57:10)
You wouldn't be the first.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:11 - 1:57:13)
I really think the example,

[Speaker 7] (1:57:13 - 1:57:22)
you know, if the names are blacked out when someone's paying the bill and there's one person paying the bill, I really don't kind of get the major concern about that.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:23 - 1:57:26)
But it's not going to matter based on the second thing I'm going to say.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:27 - 1:57:29)
This feels like the MOU with utilities.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:29 - 1:57:33)
Like, I don't understand why we're overcomplicating this.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:33 - 1:57:42)
That's what it feels like we've done. And maybe there was a good history and we were at loggerheads and this was the only way they could get people around the table to come to a solution back in 2024.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:43 - 1:57:45)
But we're here in 2026.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:45 - 1:57:46)
One way or another,

[Speaker 7] (1:57:46 - 1:57:47)
we're going to put the money in.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:48 - 1:57:48)
Right?

[Speaker 7] (1:57:48 - 1:57:50)
Unless I'm missing something,

[Speaker 7] (1:57:50 - 1:57:51)
it's the same amount of money.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:52 - 1:57:52)
Not

[Speaker 1] (1:57:52 - 1:57:52)
No.

[Speaker 7] (1:57:52 - 1:57:53)
really. I mean if we

[Speaker 1] (1:57:53 - 1:57:53)
Why

[Speaker 7] (1:57:53 - 1:57:53)
if

[Speaker 1] (1:57:53 - 1:57:54)
is it if not?

[Speaker 7] (1:57:54 - 1:57:59)
we undid that this year we'd have a $600,000 in need in our operating budget to fund this.

[Speaker 1] (1:58:00 - 1:58:00)
But we're...

[Speaker 7] (1:58:01 - 1:58:10)
If we allowed the school to not not spend down to one point that down to 600 and keep 1.2 million I think that means that their budget is going to go up.

[Speaker 7] (1:58:11 - 1:58:12)
because I don't

[Speaker 1] (1:58:12 - 1:58:12)
So

[Speaker 7] (1:58:12 - 1:58:12)
know what we

[Speaker 1] (1:58:12 - 1:58:12)
is

[Speaker 7] (1:58:12 - 1:58:13)
do

[Speaker 1] (1:58:13 - 1:58:13)
it with a one

[Speaker 7] (1:58:13 - 1:58:13)
it.

[Speaker 1] (1:58:13 - 1:58:14)
-year time lag issue?

[Speaker 7] (1:58:14 - 1:58:14)
No,

[Speaker 7] (1:58:14 - 1:58:15)
isn't

[Speaker 8] (1:58:15 - 1:58:15)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (1:58:15 - 1:58:23)
it when Because we the can't F for the 450 that we put in is going to get drawn down too. So, well, nothing's been drawn down yet for us, so I don't think there's been any spending out of this

[Speaker 11] (1:58:23 - 1:58:23)
we

[Speaker 7] (1:58:23 - 1:58:27)
don't count since we put it in place. That was part of the logic too was that at

[Speaker 1] (1:58:27 - 1:58:30)
Okay, then take the 450 and use that to bring the circuit breaker up.

[Speaker 7] (1:58:30 - 1:58:33)
You have to ask Nick if we can just morph it over there, I don't know,

[Speaker 1] (1:58:33 - 1:58:35)
but One way or another it's going to drop somewhere,

[Speaker 1] (1:58:35 - 1:58:36)
it's 450,

[Speaker 8] (1:58:36 - 1:58:37)
Well, if we're not spending.

[Speaker 12] (1:58:38 - 1:58:38)
Sorry, Dave.

[Speaker 12] (1:58:39 - 1:58:44)
If we're not swiping the 450, then is it the balance? Like, is the balance wrong? Like are we care is

[Speaker 7] (1:58:44 - 1:58:50)
Now remember, this is a reserve, so we don't it wasn't to be spent immediately. It was when these guys have challenges that were unexpected,

[Speaker 7] (1:58:50 - 1:58:51)
the 450 is there. It wasn't like

[Speaker 12] (1:58:51 - 1:58:52)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (1:58:52 - 1:58:53)
it shouldn't be there.

[Speaker 1] (1:58:53 - 1:58:53)
So

[Speaker 12] (1:58:53 - 1:59:02)
Right, but I mean I guess the way I understand circuit breaker is you wanna prepay tuitions because there's a benefit and you're able to do that from circuit breaker but you're not able to do that from the reserve.

[Speaker 12] (1:59:03 - 1:59:04)
And so that gives you more flexibility.

[Speaker 2] (1:59:07 - 1:59:11)
I'm not sure why they couldn't prepay tuition with this reserve. It just says you gotta stick

[Speaker 1] (1:59:11 - 1:59:12)
We're not we we

[Speaker 3] (1:59:12 - 1:59:12)
got a lot.

[Speaker 4] (1:59:12 - 1:59:13)
can't take we can't

[Speaker 2] (1:59:13 - 1:59:14)
By state law, you mean?

[Speaker 4] (1:59:14 - 1:59:19)
take we can't put we can't put money we can't take that 400 and put it in circuit breaker it's not allowed

[Speaker 2] (1:59:19 - 1:59:24)
No, but couldn't you take a tuition bill and send that over to the AP warrant and have them have them pay the tuition bill, which

[Speaker 1] (1:59:24 - 1:59:24)
Be paid.

[Speaker 5] (1:59:24 - 1:59:25)
So,

[Speaker 6] (1:59:25 - 1:59:25)
Well,

[Speaker 2] (1:59:25 - 1:59:25)
has a

[Speaker 6] (1:59:25 - 1:59:25)
I,

[Speaker 2] (1:59:25 - 1:59:26)
prepaid. can I? Oh, why?

[Speaker 5] (1:59:26 - 1:59:29)
I think that let me just let's get let's just like get right to the heart of it.

[Speaker 5] (1:59:29 - 1:59:31)
Why can I? Why are we complicating

[Speaker 6] (1:59:31 - 1:59:31)
So I think

[Speaker 5] (1:59:31 - 1:59:31)
it?

[Speaker 6] (1:59:31 - 1:59:33)
just to level set,

[Speaker 6] (1:59:33 - 1:59:37)
there's a moral and legal obligation that we all agree to fund special ed,

[Speaker 2] (1:59:37 - 1:59:37)
Yeah.

[Speaker 6] (1:59:37 - 1:59:37)
period.

[Speaker 2] (1:59:37 - 1:59:38)
Yes, yes.

[Speaker 4] (1:59:38 - 1:59:38)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (1:59:38 - 1:59:38)
So

[Speaker 6] (1:59:38 - 1:59:42)
When we talk about reserve funds, the communities that do it are generally trying to reward

[Speaker 6] (1:59:43 - 1:59:55)
not spending all of the appropriated money by the school committee and by the school department. That money that is in the reserve fund is money that would have been turned back to free cash.

[Speaker 1] (1:59:55 - 1:59:55)
Right.

[Speaker 6] (1:59:55 - 2:00:03)
And so by not just doing prepay on any number of things and demonstrating the appropriated number while close was, you know, a little bit more than was needed.

[Speaker 6] (2:00:04 - 2:00:11)
That free cash, what would have closed out to free cash is going into the special ed reserve fund. So it's not just we're going to spend every dollar to spend every dollar.

[Speaker 6] (2:00:11 - 2:00:16)
That's the motivation behind many communities doing reserve funds like this.

[Speaker 4] (2:00:16 - 2:00:17)
Wait, just can you just

[Speaker 5] (2:00:17 - 2:00:17)
Yes,

[Speaker 4] (2:00:17 - 2:00:18)
just so it's a clarifying

[Speaker 5] (2:00:18 - 2:00:20)
so we'll get down and let's be very clear about

[Speaker 4] (2:00:20 - 2:00:20)
You're

[Speaker 5] (2:00:20 - 2:00:20)
that.

[Speaker 4] (2:00:20 - 2:00:23)
thinking that the schools would return $400,000 into

[Speaker 6] (2:00:23 - 2:00:24)
Over

[Speaker 4] (2:00:24 - 2:00:24)
free

[Speaker 6] (2:00:24 - 2:00:24)
time,

[Speaker 4] (2:00:24 - 2:00:24)
cash.

[Speaker 6] (2:00:24 - 2:00:27)
over time. So we did the transfer in,

[Speaker 6] (2:00:27 - 2:00:29)
when was that, November,

[Speaker 6] (2:00:29 - 2:00:30)
December?

[Speaker 2] (2:00:30 - 2:00:32)
The who? No, the

[Speaker 5] (2:00:32 - 2:00:32)
Well

[Speaker 2] (2:00:32 - 2:00:32)
the

[Speaker 5] (2:00:32 - 2:00:32)
tell

[Speaker 2] (2:00:32 - 2:00:32)
the

[Speaker 5] (2:00:32 - 2:00:32)
me

[Speaker 2] (2:00:32 - 2:00:33)
town

[Speaker 7] (2:00:33 - 2:00:33)
Yeah,

[Speaker 2] (2:00:33 - 2:00:33)
meeting.

[Speaker 4] (2:00:33 - 2:00:33)
Listen

[Speaker 5] (2:00:33 - 2:00:33)
town

[Speaker 7] (2:00:33 - 2:00:33)
but we

[Speaker 5] (2:00:33 - 2:00:33)
meeting

[Speaker 7] (2:00:33 - 2:00:42)
initially funded it with like $400,000 two years ago, and then we were gonna fund it again this May with another $400,000,

[Speaker 4] (2:00:42 - 2:00:42)
Because

[Speaker 7] (2:00:42 - 2:00:42)
I think.

[Speaker 4] (2:00:42 - 2:00:44)
they said they needed the money, but

[Speaker 7] (2:00:44 - 2:00:45)
But then they

[Speaker 5] (2:00:45 - 2:00:46)
Didn't.

[Speaker 7] (2:00:46 - 2:00:46)
didn't.

[Speaker 7] (2:00:46 - 2:00:55)
They didn't, but then it seems like now like what you need is you need to get your circuit breaker funding up to where it was.

[Speaker 7] (2:00:56 - 2:01:15)
And the way to do that seems to be that we funded this with leaving aside the extra money that came out at the end of the year and leaving aside the Medicare reimbursement, but there was an additional transfer of, initial transfer of 400 something thousand dollars from free cash into this reserve fund two or two and a half years ago.

[Speaker 7] (2:01:16 - 2:01:18)
If you could use that money to pay

[Speaker 7] (2:01:21 - 2:01:39)
circuit breaker eligible costs in this current year or next year depending on how we work out this agreement then that would allow you to not spend down the circuit breaker to 600 right and then for the following year then you would be able to carry a higher balance in your circuit breaker

[Speaker 7] (2:01:39 - 2:01:56)
fund and but you would still keep this reserve fund to catch any Medicare reimbursements or in the event that the school department comes in under budget again you could then you know you could use that for any extraordinary expenses that otherwise come in right is that what you're asking for

[Speaker 4] (2:01:56 - 2:01:59)
I think you make sense, but I think like Ms.

[Speaker 4] (2:01:59 - 2:02:05)
Stella needs to, I mean we've had this conversation before with her and there's a lot of rules about what you can't have.

[Speaker 4] (2:02:05 - 2:02:10)
What money can go in the circuit breaker? And I sort of get what you're saying, like pay a bill out of.

[Speaker 4] (2:02:11 - 2:02:29)
it's an appropriation or something and but I don't I don't have like honestly up no idea what that means so I mean what it means um legally or or fiscally or anything and I just think this I think it's I think I think we're thinking the same thing but I think that Miss Stella needs to just sort of have this

[Speaker 8] (2:02:29 - 2:02:29)
I

[Speaker 4] (2:02:29 - 2:02:30)
have

[Speaker 8] (2:02:30 - 2:02:30)
think

[Speaker 4] (2:02:30 - 2:02:30)
this

[Speaker 8] (2:02:30 - 2:02:30)
that

[Speaker 4] (2:02:30 - 2:02:31)
discussion with how

[Speaker 7] (2:02:31 - 2:02:32)
So then,

[Speaker 4] (2:02:32 - 2:02:33)
how it could work.

[Speaker 7] (2:02:33 - 2:02:35)
so we're not going to be able to solve this problem

[Speaker 4] (2:02:35 - 2:02:36)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (2:02:36 - 2:02:36)
today.

[Speaker 6] (2:02:36 - 2:02:37)
No,

[Speaker 4] (2:02:37 - 2:02:37)
No.

[Speaker 6] (2:02:37 - 2:02:37)
but

[Speaker 7] (2:02:37 - 2:02:37)
But

[Speaker 6] (2:02:37 - 2:02:37)
you

[Speaker 7] (2:02:37 - 2:02:38)
it's know what's really it's

[Speaker 4] (2:02:38 - 2:02:39)
I

[Speaker 7] (2:02:39 - 2:02:39)
really interesting.

[Speaker 4] (2:02:39 - 2:02:40)
think like

[Speaker 4] (2:02:39 - 2:02:49)
I think like the problem I think the problem of this MOU is not solvable today but I think it's solvable with with a discussion about how how how

[Speaker 1] (2:02:49 - 2:02:49)
Awareness.

[Speaker 4] (2:02:49 - 2:03:04)
how this can happen and but I think today the the biggest issue with this MOU is just how the school committee gets the money and I think that might be solvable like to make it I don't I don't even know what the answer is because

[Speaker 4] (2:03:05 - 2:03:11)
I think that this is very telling what we're going through right now.

[Speaker 4] (2:03:11 - 2:03:34)
all of the people sitting in this room cannot really understand or figure out the correct legal way to go about this. And it is lost on me as to why we don't have more faith in Cheryl Stella to do that, because she is the one that definitively knows that. Right, so it the very least we could have a recommendation from her as to how to proceed, because she has done it

[Speaker 2] (2:03:34 - 2:03:35)
Yes.

[Speaker 4] (2:03:35 - 2:03:37)
sh for many towns in school districts,

[Speaker 4] (2:03:37 - 2:03:38)
and she's doing it for ours.

[Speaker 4] (2:03:38 - 2:03:43)
Right. For all of us to be second guessing that because we're trying to find a solution,

[Speaker 4] (2:03:43 - 2:03:45)
she's really the key missing piece here.

[Speaker 4] (2:03:45 - 2:03:47)
Right. And I trust her emphatically.

[Speaker 1] (2:03:47 - 2:03:48)
100% Danielle.

[Speaker 4] (2:03:48 - 2:03:49)
So I would just.

[Speaker 9] (2:03:50 - 2:04:16)
respectfully get ask for a recommendation from her as to how she'd like to see this right because she is the one dealing with it on the day-to-day level and has more coupled with Martha Raymond who also has expertise in this area that quite frankly none of us do right I mean I I've been the HR administrator in Linfield right so I've seen circuit breaker I've submitted the reports and I have got reimbursed for and I can't tell you half of

[Speaker 9] (2:04:16 - 2:04:22)
of the answers that we have here tonight right seriously right so for all of us we have good intent

[Speaker 9] (2:04:23 - 2:04:37)
but she is the main person that I personally trust and would go by right so I don't know why we're not asking her for a recommendation maybe coupled with Patrick right because you guys live this stuff this is what you see day in and day out right

[Speaker 2] (2:04:37 - 2:04:37)
Where's Cheryl?

[Speaker 9] (2:04:37 - 2:04:40)
so I mean I think that that's

[Speaker 9] (2:04:41 - 2:04:46)
Kind of, you know, the missing piece here, right? Or Evan, I mean Liz's husband,

[Speaker 9] (2:04:46 - 2:04:54)
right? He has been through this also. He's a school business administrator. Like these are people that have expertise in this stuff, right? We're trying to recreate the wheel, but I mean.

[Speaker 9] (2:04:55 - 2:05:17)
I I have to say I have faith in what she's saying or what she'd recommend right I just hate to see us get so adversarial and gotcha and trying to get you know one side on the other you know being so mistrustful and I know that history says that that's how we've been but at some point we've got to drop down the swords and trust the people that are the experts it's the only way

[Speaker 1] (2:05:18 - 2:05:18)
Yeah,

[Speaker 5] (2:05:18 - 2:05:20)
I agree with you, Danielle.

[Speaker 5] (2:05:21 - 2:05:26)
I I'm not really sure why Cheryl's not here today. We're gonna have a financial summit about the school.

[Speaker 4] (2:05:26 - 2:05:26)
Stay.

[Speaker 2] (2:05:26 - 2:05:29)
We we're we're not gonna discuss that in this forum.

[Speaker 5] (2:05:29 - 2:05:32)
Alright, um so

[Speaker 5] (2:05:34 - 2:05:36)
I agree that's would be great to get there,

[Speaker 5] (2:05:38 - 2:05:46)
but what I'm what I don't quite understand the mechanics of, and it, you know, Erica may put you on the spot a little bit because you you

[Speaker 5] (2:05:46 - 2:05:59)
When I suggested, okay, we've got four hundred thousand, we can move it, maybe it's not that simple, maybe it's all not one year. Erica, I think you had a more kind of complicated but maybe more practical way of getting there. Um

[Speaker 5] (2:06:02 - 2:06:06)
is the town is some someone said is the town worried

[Speaker 5] (2:06:07 - 2:06:13)
that the schools are going to it's not like that money can be used for some other purpose, right?

[Speaker 5] (2:06:14 - 2:06:17)
Or can it? Money's in the special

[Speaker 1] (2:06:17 - 2:06:17)
Circuit breaker.

[Speaker 5] (2:06:17 - 2:06:18)
ed circuit breaker.

[Speaker 1] (2:06:18 - 2:06:18)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (2:06:18 - 2:06:19)
It can't be used for any other purpose,

[Speaker 4] (2:06:19 - 2:06:20)
No.

[Speaker 5] (2:06:20 - 2:06:20)
right?

[Speaker 11] (2:06:20 - 2:06:23)
Yeah, it is incredibly legally clear

[Speaker 5] (2:06:23 - 2:06:24)
Right, okay.

[Speaker 11] (2:06:24 - 2:06:24)
what we can do.

[Speaker 5] (2:06:24 - 2:06:25)
So

[Speaker 1] (2:06:25 - 2:06:26)
Okay, I think the only difference,

[Speaker 4] (2:06:26 - 2:06:26)
Special

[Speaker 1] (2:06:26 - 2:06:26)
I guess,

[Speaker 4] (2:06:26 - 2:06:27)
ed

[Speaker 1] (2:06:27 - 2:06:27)
is that

[Speaker 4] (2:06:27 - 2:06:27)
tuition,

[Speaker 1] (2:06:27 - 2:06:43)
in the reserve uh there's a difference between prepaid and non-prepaid. So whether it's SIFs sort of waiting for the balloon to pop, right, one year, and then the money gets drawn on, or it's used to constantly prepay future year's tuition. And whether it matters is

[Speaker 1] (2:06:44 - 2:06:46)
up for conversation, I guess.

[Speaker 2] (2:06:46 - 2:06:46)
Right.

[Speaker 1] (2:06:46 - 2:06:47)
I'm not sure it matters.

[Speaker 2] (2:06:47 - 2:06:48)
Right.

[Speaker 1] (2:06:48 - 2:06:50)
But that it matters to the school committee,

[Speaker 4] (2:06:50 - 2:06:50)
It seemed

[Speaker 1] (2:06:50 - 2:06:50)
so

[Speaker 4] (2:06:50 - 2:06:51)
like you were clear

[Speaker 2] (2:06:51 - 2:07:05)
So my like and I I don't you know, I d I w I will rely on Cheryl and Nick and others to who know this better than I do. But I back when uh d getting back to what Marianne was saying earlier, I think was on this topic, that we were stuck and we had we didn't have enough money to move forward with the budget.

[Speaker 9] (2:07:05 - 2:07:06)
Right. We

[Speaker 2] (2:07:06 - 2:07:10)
And we had that so to me if we say to the school, we need you to s

[Speaker 2] (2:07:10 - 2:07:18)
Speed to consider spending down your circuit breaker from 1.2 to want to six hundred thousand that was to save us money over in their overall budget.

[Speaker 9] (2:07:19 - 2:07:19)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:07:19 - 2:07:19)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (2:07:19 - 2:07:20)
It was like a one-time hit,

[Speaker 2] (2:07:20 - 2:07:20)
That's

[Speaker 5] (2:07:20 - 2:07:20)
right?

[Speaker 2] (2:07:20 - 2:07:22)
okay, but we took it and we did that.

[Speaker 9] (2:07:22 - 2:07:23)
It was to use the cash.

[Speaker 2] (2:07:23 - 2:07:24)
You right.

[Speaker 9] (2:07:24 - 2:07:24)
Okay.

[Speaker 2] (2:07:24 - 2:07:27)
But now and if we if we want Cash to now put that back to six hundred thousand

[Speaker 2] (2:07:28 - 2:07:51)
Then to me that goes the other way and you have an excess cost in your budget Maybe you can start with the 450 and you only have to deal with the difference that that if that can be You know moved over there shuffled over whatever with the term is then that could work But that's that's my con my concern is that we we created this reserve fund and for years as you were saying if we look at a history of the circuit breaker what we carried in there It has gone like this because

[Speaker 9] (2:07:51 - 2:07:51)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (2:07:51 - 2:07:54)
every year with the administration say we need to go down a little bit more, you know

[Speaker 2] (2:07:54 - 2:07:56)
And that was because we didn't have enough money.

[Speaker 4] (2:07:56 - 2:07:56)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:07:56 - 2:07:58)
So to my mind, if we're gonna go the other direction,

[Speaker 2] (2:07:58 - 2:08:01)
it's gonna cost us more money in the current year to build it back up.

[Speaker 4] (2:08:01 - 2:08:01)
Mm

[Speaker 5] (2:08:01 - 2:08:01)
Yes.

[Speaker 4] (2:08:01 - 2:08:01)
-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (2:08:01 - 2:08:01)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:08:01 - 2:08:02)
That that's all I'm p that's all I'm saying.

[Speaker 5] (2:08:02 - 2:08:03)
Cash flow.

[Speaker 2] (2:08:03 - 2:08:05)
And it's gonna be a tight budget as we know. So that's why

[Speaker 1] (2:08:05 - 2:08:05)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:08:05 - 2:08:05)
if

[Speaker 5] (2:08:05 - 2:08:05)
Okay.

[Speaker 2] (2:08:05 - 2:08:09)
it's not as easy to say, okay let's just go back to the one point two, there will be implications to that decision.

[Speaker 5] (2:08:09 - 2:08:09)
Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (2:08:09 - 2:08:13)
Right, I mean I Eric I I agree and you know it

[Speaker 11] (2:08:14 - 2:08:19)
it won't be solved in one year budget, right. I think we all agree with that. Um

[Speaker 11] (2:08:21 - 2:08:29)
I will say, even if we wanted to, we're talking about, you know, moving X dollars from A to B,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:29 - 2:08:30)
I think we should,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:31 - 2:08:33)
before we would even consider doing that,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:33 - 2:08:35)
we would, from a, again,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:35 - 2:08:36)
from where we are meeting,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:36 - 2:08:36)
right,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:36 - 2:08:42)
it's one bucket of money, we'd want to talk to Cheryl and Martha to gain an understanding,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:43 - 2:08:44)
is it the right thing to do?

[Speaker 11] (2:08:45 - 2:08:50)
And if it's the right thing to do, what are the ramifications of doing that? And to your point,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:50 - 2:08:53)
what bills can and cannot be paid?

[Speaker 11] (2:08:54 - 2:08:56)
And, you know, Martha and Cheryl,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:56 - 2:08:57)
especially Martha,

[Speaker 11] (2:08:57 - 2:08:59)
you know, she knows the legality of.

[Speaker 2] (2:09:08 - 2:09:08)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (2:09:08 - 2:09:10)
So, you know, maybe

[Speaker 1] (2:09:11 - 2:09:18)
in a couple weeks from now we have, you know, either at a finance committee meeting, at a school committee meeting, and they call in and we talk about this.

[Speaker 1] (2:09:18 - 2:09:20)
Because, you know, again, as we talked about,

[Speaker 1] (2:09:20 - 2:09:22)
there's one bucket of money.

[Speaker 1] (2:09:22 - 2:09:31)
and let's treat it as one bucket of money and let's get answers to questions that as you know as you said and you know we just I don't have that expertise that

[Speaker 3] (2:09:31 - 2:09:31)
Oh, great.

[Speaker 1] (2:09:31 - 2:09:34)
we we're knock on wood we're lucky that we do.

[Speaker 4] (2:09:36 - 2:09:50)
So, Glenn, I think that that's a good idea on the go forward. I think the request originally was you were uncomfortable with this MOU, but we want to meet you where you're at, and we just need a little bit more data to understand that, and you're committed to getting us that,

[Speaker 4] (2:09:50 - 2:09:52)
so we'll go from there,

[Speaker 4] (2:09:52 - 2:10:02)
and then we'll be able to make a better decision about what this looks like for fiscal year 27, and potentially future years if something is developed to

[Speaker 1] (2:10:02 - 2:10:02)
Right.

[Speaker 4] (2:10:02 - 2:10:08)
re-energize circuit breaker and sort of wind down special education reserve.

[Speaker 1] (2:10:08 - 2:10:26)
I think that's again it's all an open discussion and we all land on something everyone's comfortable with especially you know guys however we can improve it and make sure it's done the right way and talk to the people who can help you guide you guys to make that decision but I can commit that we can have

[Speaker 1] (2:10:27 - 2:10:31)
You know, Cheryl and Martha join with uh a meeting to

[Speaker 5] (2:10:31 - 2:10:32)
Oop.

[Speaker 1] (2:10:32 - 2:10:33)
again educate a little bit more.

[Speaker 4] (2:10:33 - 2:10:33)
Great.

[Speaker 4] (2:10:34 - 2:10:35)
Is that worth for all parties?

[Speaker 6] (2:10:35 - 2:10:52)
I would say frankly, I don't know even though I asked the question which it was, but um more important I I think it would be great if they could outline literally the cash flow implications of getting to where you want to get to. 'Cause right now I think we're all kind of grasping.

[Speaker 7] (2:10:52 - 2:10:52)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (2:10:52 - 2:10:53)
Yeah, I think that's correct.

[Speaker 6] (2:10:53 - 2:10:54)
I need a spreadsheet basically.

[Speaker 7] (2:10:54 - 2:10:54)
You

[Speaker 6] (2:10:54 - 2:10:54)
What

[Speaker 7] (2:10:54 - 2:10:54)
need

[Speaker 6] (2:10:54 - 2:10:55)
are the a ramifications

[Speaker 7] (2:10:55 - 2:10:55)
recommendation.

[Speaker 8] (2:10:55 - 2:10:55)
Right,

[Speaker 1] (2:10:55 - 2:10:55)
Exactly.

[Speaker 6] (2:10:55 - 2:10:55)
we need to see

[Speaker 8] (2:10:55 - 2:10:55)
and

[Speaker 6] (2:10:55 - 2:10:56)
and

[Speaker 4] (2:10:56 - 2:10:56)
yeah.

[Speaker 8] (2:10:56 - 2:10:56)
we need

[Speaker 1] (2:10:56 - 2:10:56)
I I

[Speaker 8] (2:10:56 - 2:10:56)
and I don't

[Speaker 1] (2:10:56 - 2:10:57)
think I need a record.

[Speaker 8] (2:10:57 - 2:11:00)
I don't think we need a whole nother meeting for that, like they can

[Speaker 8] (2:11:00 - 2:11:02)
him think it through and give us

[Speaker 1] (2:11:02 - 2:11:02)
Sure.

[Speaker 8] (2:11:02 - 2:11:02)
the recommendation

[Speaker 6] (2:11:02 - 2:11:03)
Yep.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:03 - 2:11:03)
Yes,

[Speaker 8] (2:11:03 - 2:11:03)
so

[Speaker 4] (2:11:03 - 2:11:03)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:03 - 2:11:03)
exactly.

[Speaker 8] (2:11:03 - 2:11:04)
that we can understand it.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:04 - 2:11:05)
Exactly.

[Speaker 6] (2:11:05 - 2:11:05)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:05 - 2:11:05)
Exactly.

[Speaker 6] (2:11:05 - 2:11:05)
Perfect.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:05 - 2:11:06)
Yeah, amongst

[Speaker 9] (2:11:06 - 2:11:06)
Exactly.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:06 - 2:11:07)
ourselves, and then

[Speaker 6] (2:11:07 - 2:11:08)
Yeah, that's perfect.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:08 - 2:11:08)
work back, I

[Speaker 9] (2:11:08 - 2:11:08)
Exactly.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:08 - 2:11:10)
think that works

[Speaker 6] (2:11:10 - 2:11:10)
I

[Speaker 4] (2:11:10 - 2:11:10)
better.

[Speaker 6] (2:11:10 - 2:11:12)
think it'll help us too, right, to actually see

[Speaker 9] (2:11:12 - 2:11:12)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 6] (2:11:12 - 2:11:13)
what it looks like. Okay.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:13 - 2:11:13)
Right, okay.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:13 - 2:11:15)
Can I ask we add one thing to that?

[Speaker 4] (2:11:15 - 2:11:15)
Please.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:15 - 2:11:19)
Is if you are pre-paying for something, how does that impact the following year's budget?

[Speaker 1] (2:11:19 - 2:11:20)
That's

[Speaker 4] (2:11:20 - 2:11:20)
Yeah,

[Speaker 1] (2:11:20 - 2:11:20)
a great

[Speaker 4] (2:11:20 - 2:11:20)
that's

[Speaker 1] (2:11:20 - 2:11:20)
question.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:20 - 2:11:20)
a great

[Speaker 9] (2:11:20 - 2:11:21)
So that you're

[Speaker 4] (2:11:21 - 2:11:21)
point.

[Speaker 9] (2:11:21 - 2:11:21)
not

[Speaker 1] (2:11:21 - 2:11:21)
I

[Speaker 9] (2:11:21 - 2:11:23)
paying it and then carrying it to spend

[Speaker 1] (2:11:23 - 2:11:23)
Okay,

[Speaker 9] (2:11:23 - 2:11:24)
somewhere else.

[Speaker 1] (2:11:24 - 2:11:25)
so I wrote that down too,

[Speaker 1] (2:11:25 - 2:11:25)
right?

[Speaker 8] (2:11:25 - 2:11:25)
Mm

[Speaker 1] (2:11:25 - 2:11:25)
I mean

[Speaker 8] (2:11:25 - 2:11:25)
-hmm.

[Speaker 1] (2:11:25 - 2:11:28)
fair is fair, right? If we're pre-paying something.

[Speaker 1] (2:11:28 - 2:11:28)
Nothing.

[Speaker 8] (2:11:28 - 2:11:29)
Right.

[Speaker 1] (2:11:29 - 2:11:32)
Then what how does that affect the following years'

[Speaker 9] (2:11:32 - 2:11:33)
My needs

[Speaker 1] (2:11:33 - 2:11:33)
budget?

[Speaker 9] (2:11:33 - 2:11:33)
are different.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:33 - 2:11:34)
Right.

[Speaker 1] (2:11:34 - 2:11:35)
Right. I completely agree.

[Speaker 1] (2:11:35 - 2:11:36)
A hundred percent.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:36 - 2:11:37)
Okay.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:40 - 2:11:48)
Anything else? We are moving on then. Okay, memo of understanding between Swampscott Public Schools and the Police Department.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:49 - 2:11:53)
And this mostly governs the SRO.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:53 - 2:11:56)
And the school, sorry, the school resource officer.

[Speaker 4] (2:11:58 - 2:12:00)
It's pretty lengthy.

[Speaker 4] (2:12:01 - 2:12:02)
Because it's

[Speaker 9] (2:12:03 - 2:12:04)
The only, the only

[Speaker 4] (2:12:04 - 2:12:04)
complicated.

[Speaker 9] (2:12:04 - 2:12:11)
piece, the only piece that Jason and I need to touch base on with the chief is the, um,

[Speaker 9] (2:12:11 - 2:12:11)
the,

[Speaker 9] (2:12:11 - 2:12:15)
the expense is only FY25 in there. It's FY24 and 25.

[Speaker 9] (2:12:15 - 2:12:22)
So just to make sure, however we did it this year, but certainly looking forward that we all agree on what the appropriate number is and is good.

[Speaker 9] (2:12:22 - 2:12:29)
This could be another one of the things that we make sure we're looking at annually, update with either consistent start and end date or whatever,

[Speaker 1] (2:12:29 - 2:12:29)
Hmm.

[Speaker 9] (2:12:29 - 2:12:35)
but it's F-Y twenty five only in there so we'll make sure we'll look at what we did this year and make sure twenty seven is appropriate.

[Speaker 4] (2:12:35 - 2:12:36)
Yeah, okay.

[Speaker 11] (2:12:36 - 2:12:44)
Well, I mean it it makes sense to review it annually just because it is kind of performance-based, right, and it's you know an individual, almost an individual contract.

[Speaker 4] (2:12:47 - 2:12:49)
Okay, um

[Speaker 12] (2:12:49 - 2:13:11)
I just can I just say one thing? I I just heard through um some MASC policy stuff that um some people are including in their MOU um statement about um the SRO or the police cooperation or support when there's um ICE agents or some sort of immigration

[Speaker 12] (2:13:12 - 2:13:33)
thing that could happen. I and I know it's been in the news a lot with the governor sort of preparing um the go the government so I just I don't know if Mr. Kalishman and and Reuben have some sort of meeting or talk about that. I we don't have a policy per se as the school committee yet or maybe ever 'cause I I don't know. But

[Speaker 12] (2:13:34 - 2:13:54)
But I just think, I think, I think it just should be on the radar for maybe including, I mean there's a statement in there about, about, you know, equality and non-discrimination based on immigration status and stuff, but there's nothing, there's nothing about the police duties in the event that anything like that happens. So I just, I don't know, I'm just putting it out there.

[Speaker 1] (2:13:55 - 2:13:59)
Yeah, there are certain cities and towns that have very specific.

[Speaker 1] (2:14:00 - 2:14:02)
Um rules. Yeah,

[Speaker 12] (2:14:02 - 2:14:03)
Yeah, I haven't seen an MOU yet, but,

[Speaker 1] (2:14:03 - 2:14:03)
yeah not

[Speaker 12] (2:14:03 - 2:14:04)
but

[Speaker 1] (2:14:04 - 2:14:04)
seen

[Speaker 12] (2:14:04 - 2:14:04)
I

[Speaker 1] (2:14:04 - 2:14:04)
MOU.

[Speaker 12] (2:14:04 - 2:14:05)
think that's mother stuff,

[Speaker 1] (2:14:05 - 2:14:05)
Yeah.

[Speaker 12] (2:14:05 - 2:14:07)
but just, it's just,

[Speaker 1] (2:14:07 - 2:14:08)
It's pretty timey.

[Speaker 12] (2:14:08 - 2:14:08)
I don't know.

[Speaker 11] (2:14:09 - 2:14:14)
And it and from a select board perspective, we've had feedback from residents that are concerned.

[Speaker 11] (2:14:15 - 2:14:18)
So it it very much is something that has to be addressed publicly.

[Speaker 4] (2:14:18 - 2:14:20)
Yeah, we know we have kids that aren't coming to school.

[Speaker 9] (2:14:20 - 2:14:20)
Yeah,

[Speaker 11] (2:14:20 - 2:14:20)
Yeah,

[Speaker 4] (2:14:20 - 2:14:21)
Yeah,

[Speaker 9] (2:14:21 - 2:14:21)
we definitely

[Speaker 11] (2:14:21 - 2:14:21)
absolutely.

[Speaker 9] (2:14:21 - 2:14:22)
know that.

[Speaker 4] (2:14:22 - 2:14:22)
Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (2:14:22 - 2:14:24)
Absolutely. So no, I agree completely.

[Speaker 12] (2:14:25 - 2:14:26)
All right.

[Speaker 4] (2:14:28 - 2:14:31)
That exhausts our our list of MOUs.

[Speaker 1] (2:14:31 - 2:14:36)
Jason, do we is there anything else that you have seen in your short tenure,

[Speaker 1] (2:14:36 - 2:14:38)
any MOUs that aren't included here?

[Speaker 1] (2:14:39 - 2:14:39)
You don't think we got them all?

[Speaker 9] (2:14:40 - 2:14:42)
This is all we could find.

[Speaker 4] (2:14:46 - 2:14:51)
I'm more interested in Eric and Mary Ellen, since you all have been a part of many of these MOUs and I

[Speaker 12] (2:14:51 - 2:14:51)
Gracias.

[Speaker 4] (2:14:51 - 2:14:54)
think if you guys haven't presented it because

[Speaker 4] (2:14:55 - 2:14:55)
If

[Speaker 12] (2:14:55 - 2:14:55)
Not

[Speaker 4] (2:14:55 - 2:14:55)
you could just

[Speaker 12] (2:14:55 - 2:14:57)
me. not that I can think of.

[Speaker 4] (2:14:57 - 2:14:59)
Okay. So.

[Speaker 4] (2:15:01 - 2:15:23)
So alright so I hope folks thought that was helpful. I I very much think it was and I think it will continue to be as we talk about how you know how some of these get reimagined or um uh not. Uh and it evolves over time and then hopefully this can help us oh my light is blinking, I don't know if that means oh there I am.

[Speaker 4] (2:15:23 - 2:15:48)
Um hopefully this can help us sort of stop some of the distractions that occur during budgetary season and we can have a clearer understanding when we start budgetary season what the baseline is like we said going forward and stick to um stick to the budget at hand. So moving on to the next topic unless anybody has anything else looks like no to the general discussion of the non-revolving fund.

[Speaker 9] (2:15:49 - 2:15:50)
Is it just

[Speaker 8] (2:15:50 - 2:15:50)
I

[Speaker 9] (2:15:50 - 2:15:51)
back on the um

[Speaker 11] (2:15:51 - 2:15:51)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (2:15:51 - 2:15:56)
the two hundred thousand member of understanding and you guys are gonna do some research like is there a

[Speaker 4] (2:15:56 - 2:15:57)
Special education research.

[Speaker 9] (2:15:57 - 2:15:58)
I'm not asking for a date, but like

[Speaker 4] (2:15:58 - 2:15:59)
Utilities,

[Speaker 12] (2:15:59 - 2:15:59)
It's starting.

[Speaker 9] (2:15:59 - 2:15:59)
some

[Speaker 4] (2:15:59 - 2:15:59)
okay.

[Speaker 9] (2:15:59 - 2:16:00)
week again the next like

[Speaker 4] (2:16:00 - 2:16:00)
Utilities.

[Speaker 12] (2:16:00 - 2:16:00)
Oh, next

[Speaker 9] (2:16:00 - 2:16:00)
few

[Speaker 12] (2:16:00 - 2:16:01)
week.

[Speaker 9] (2:16:01 - 2:16:06)
two weeks or month or something like that. Just so we're not suddenly it's mid-May and early May.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:06 - 2:16:06)
No, no, no, no.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:06 - 2:16:07)
No,

[Speaker 9] (2:16:07 - 2:16:07)
Okay.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:07 - 2:16:07)
no, no, no, no.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:07 - 2:16:14)
I I'm sorry. As soon as I get the email from from these guys, I'm gonna b immediately send it to Max and Charl.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:14 - 2:16:20)
And give them ten days to get back to us because we we

[Speaker 9] (2:16:20 - 2:16:20)
That's

[Speaker 1] (2:16:20 - 2:16:20)
all need

[Speaker 9] (2:16:20 - 2:16:20)
fine.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:20 - 2:16:27)
we all need to call certainty right you guys need to cross certainty and you know the the more quicker we can get you the information the better.

[Speaker 9] (2:16:28 - 2:16:29)
Great.

[Speaker 12] (2:16:29 - 2:16:30)
Thanks.

[Speaker 4] (2:16:30 - 2:16:33)
Excellent. Okay, moving on to Nahant Revolving Fund.

[Speaker 4] (2:16:34 - 2:16:34)
Glenn?

[Speaker 1] (2:16:37 - 2:16:43)
You know HS we have said earlier we are we will start negotiations I believe it's February 11th.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:44 - 2:16:50)
Um, there are certain things that we as a district would like to be included in the new agreement.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:51 - 2:16:55)
I I can imagine there are certain things not what in the new agreement.

[Speaker 1] (2:16:57 - 2:17:06)
Um I have committed to send Eric and to yourself um all the old contracts that we can find.

[Speaker 1] (2:17:06 - 2:17:12)
And that would include the updated contract where we had folk had students come over for one year.

[Speaker 1] (2:17:13 - 2:17:17)
Again to keep everybody in the loop so you guys can see how this started.

[Speaker 1] (2:17:17 - 2:17:44)
And where we are currently. Um I also was clear with um Eric and yourself that uh although you're not involved in the negotiations, we will be a as transparent as we possibly can uh at least to you guys probably not to share with your boards until it's done. Um we'll be looking for your expertise if there's if we have questions. Um the negotiating team will be uh Jason, Cheryl and myself.

[Speaker 1] (2:17:44 - 2:17:50)
F and from Nahant it's their superintendent and the chair of their school committee.

[Speaker 1] (2:17:52 - 2:18:10)
That's how it's historically been done. But, you know, will uh I will personally make sure that you guys are in the loop throughout um Eric and I spoke often as we went through the teacher contracts and the uh the other two contracts to want to make sure that Eric knew what we were doing. Um

[Speaker 1] (2:18:10 - 2:18:23)
Again, even though Eric didn't have a vote, we just wanted I wanted to make sure that what we were doing and talking financially was in the ballpark of what everyone had thought. So we'll continue to do that to do that with not.

[Speaker 4] (2:18:25 - 2:18:50)
And I think too something we talked about in tri-chair was that we as a select board have talked about regionalization when possible and we have come into some agreements in the past and we hope in the future that continues where there's an economically advantageous relationship between both parties to, you know, meet in the middle and share costs, then it makes sense to do so. So if, you know, any,

[Speaker 4] (2:18:50 - 2:18:54)
I'm sure Nick can fill Jason in on some of the

[Speaker 4] (2:18:53 - 2:18:54)
some of those relationships.

[Speaker 2] (2:19:02 - 2:19:04)
Yeah, I'm completely, completely agree.

[Speaker 2] (2:19:05 - 2:19:10)
Any place that we can have efficiency is well worth the opportunity to look into.

[Speaker 3] (2:19:16 - 2:19:18)
So I need to be dismissed to get this party once again.

[Speaker 3] (2:19:19 - 2:19:30)
But I have a question on the revolving account. On the current revolving account, when we set this up, we set it up for the specific purpose of being able to move them to hunt money

[Speaker 3] (2:19:31 - 2:19:35)
into a revolving account so that the schools could have access to the revolving account right away.

[Speaker 3] (2:19:37 - 2:19:41)
In September of this year, at the school committee meeting,

[Speaker 3] (2:19:41 - 2:19:43)
it was um

[Speaker 3] (2:19:44 - 2:20:05)
The information was released that there was five hundred and seventy four thousand dollars in this revolving account. It was also described that this revolving account was like a revolving account, like a reserve similar to the recreation revolving account and similar to the finance committee reserve.

[Speaker 3] (2:20:05 - 2:20:07)
Those were words at the school committee,

[Speaker 3] (2:20:07 - 2:20:08)
those are not my words.

[Speaker 3] (2:20:09 - 2:20:13)
When the school committee presented their their budget for 2025,

[Speaker 3] (2:20:13 - 2:20:29)
on page twenty seven they were very clear they were using one million seven hundred and forty eight thousand ninety dollars out of the revolving account to fund middle school and high school teachers, middle school and high school paraprofessionals, middle school and high school guidance,

[Speaker 3] (2:20:29 - 2:20:31)
middle school and high school psychologists.

[Speaker 3] (2:20:33 - 2:20:36)
I I'm at a loss as to understanding why

[Speaker 3] (2:20:37 - 2:20:52)
There is $574,000 sitting in an account. And I really believe that when the school committee came to town meeting for the 25 budget,

[Speaker 3] (2:20:52 - 2:21:01)
four out of five members of the school committee said that the budget that was being presented was not enough money and they needed another four to four hundred fifty thousand.

[Speaker 3] (2:21:01 - 2:21:06)
That was turned down after a couple days. And then at the end of the year.

[Speaker 3] (2:21:06 - 2:21:15)
There is a surplus of almost actually more than half a million dollars and that money is now sitting in an non revolving account.

[Speaker 3] (2:21:16 - 2:21:27)
I need to have an explanation of what is going on here with this revolving account because when I voted for this revolving account it wasn't to have a fund,

[Speaker 3] (2:21:28 - 2:21:33)
a reserve fund sitting on the side and it's my belief that taxpayers overpaid.

[Speaker 3] (2:21:34 - 2:21:49)
five hundred close to six hundred thousand dollars in taxes. When the select board sat here and went through the budget line by line literally cutting money out of the library, couple thousand dollars of library, a thousand dollars here, just beating up the budget,

[Speaker 3] (2:21:50 - 2:22:07)
And then to see this surplus, I need to have a real clear understanding, especially when I'm being presented a budget, and actually that's on line item page number twenty seven of your budget from twenty five, I I think taxpayers deserve an answer to what's going on here. What happened here?

[Speaker 4] (2:22:07 - 2:22:11)
Ray on just for clarification, you've been referring to it for F_Y_ twenty five,

[Speaker 3] (2:22:11 - 2:22:12)
Correct.

[Speaker 4] (2:22:12 - 2:22:13)
for twenty five, okay.

[Speaker 3] (2:22:13 - 2:22:17)
So when if at the end of F_Y_ twenty five, which was

[Speaker 3] (2:22:18 - 2:22:18)
Little say

[Speaker 4] (2:22:18 - 2:22:18)
The

[Speaker 3] (2:22:18 - 2:22:19)
July one.

[Speaker 4] (2:22:19 - 2:22:19)
last, yeah, yeah.

[Speaker 3] (2:22:19 - 2:22:20)
Okay.

[Speaker 4] (2:22:20 - 2:22:20)
Okay.

[Speaker 3] (2:22:20 - 2:22:29)
The report the school comes back and reports their budget, you what the savings are and how their budget turned out, and this is a report from their budget.

[Speaker 4] (2:22:29 - 2:22:33)
Right, and in the report, particular issue at the end is that

[Speaker 4] (2:22:33 - 2:22:44)
For F_Y_ twenty six budget, we were scrutinising cutting flu shots and this and the other thing and weren't and understood that the school budget was very very very very tight.

[Speaker 3] (2:22:44 - 2:22:45)
Very tight, no money.

[Speaker 4] (2:22:45 - 2:22:51)
And then we found out later that there was this amount of money left in the revolving account.

[Speaker 3] (2:22:51 - 2:22:51)
Correct.

[Speaker 5] (2:22:55 - 2:23:00)
To that I would say that the budget fluctuates a tremendous amount in that it

[Speaker 5] (2:23:01 - 2:23:18)
Period of time you could look at our unemployment you can look at a variety of different reasons but the bottom line is we were within one point three percent of our budget and I know I'm new to this but I feel like headline news the school came in under budget like that should be a great thing

[Speaker 3] (2:23:18 - 2:23:19)
It is a great thing.

[Speaker 5] (2:23:19 - 2:23:19)
Good.

[Speaker 5] (2:23:19 - 2:23:21)
So yes, we're in agreement there.

[Speaker 5] (2:23:21 - 2:23:29)
So I understand that it looks like a I mean, I don't think anybody expected it to go to 517 I think is already down to four

[Speaker 5] (2:23:30 - 2:23:40)
ten or so, um but we came in under budget by a very small percentage, and I think that should be applauded quite frankly.

[Speaker 3] (2:23:40 - 2:23:45)
No doubt you should be applauded. But the second part of that should be

[Speaker 3] (2:23:46 - 2:24:00)
why wasn't that money returned to the taxpayers? Why wasn't that money returned to free cash? Instead it was moved over into the non revolving account when at the presentation of that budget you were very clear on how you were using, not you, but

[Speaker 5] (2:24:00 - 2:24:01)
Yes,

[Speaker 3] (2:24:01 - 2:24:01)
how

[Speaker 5] (2:24:01 - 2:24:01)
yes.

[Speaker 3] (2:24:01 - 2:24:06)
the school was using the non revolving account. You made it very clear. You're gonna use one seven almost fifty

[Speaker 5] (2:24:06 - 2:24:07)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 3] (2:24:07 - 2:24:12)
on out of the out of the revolving account. Excuse me, out of the non

[Speaker 5] (2:24:12 - 2:24:12)
Right.

[Speaker 3] (2:24:12 - 2:24:13)
tuition.

[Speaker 2] (2:24:14 - 2:24:18)
So what I would suggest is put your questions in writing, and we'll get you an answer.

[Speaker 3] (2:24:18 - 2:24:21)
You know what? I I will not be putting my questions in writing.

[Speaker 3] (2:24:21 - 2:24:27)
I'm here at the meeting, I'm asking you, I'm letting people know that there's a serious issue here. I would like an answer.

[Speaker 2] (2:24:27 - 2:24:31)
Well, there is no answer tonight. And if you'd like to sit here all night, you can.

[Speaker 2] (2:24:32 - 2:24:37)
If you'd like to send me an email, I'm happy to get you that answer. All of us, that answer.

[Speaker 3] (2:24:43 - 2:24:44)
Just clear.

[Speaker 1] (2:24:44 - 2:24:53)
I mean, this question has been asked, right. This isn't the first time we're hearing about it. Um it was asked a couple of times already, right.

[Speaker 1] (2:24:53 - 2:24:54)
And so

[Speaker 1] (2:24:57 - 2:25:05)
I think at this point we n we knew this question was gonna be asked tonight, right, Glenn? So uh that I understand you might not have an answer and

[Speaker 1] (2:25:05 - 2:25:13)
We c we have to accept that, but I mean we to Mary Ellen's point we do need some sort of answer to taxpayers to understand.

[Speaker 5] (2:25:14 - 2:25:23)
So I mean if it's okay uh I would just say the same thing that Sheryl said when we met a few months ago, that there were three options. We could peep prepay tuition.

[Speaker 1] (2:25:23 - 2:25:23)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (2:25:24 - 2:25:30)
We could have spent the budget entirely and did not. We could le leave some unspent and then it would go to the special ed reserve fund.

[Speaker 5] (2:25:30 - 2:25:32)
Or some combo of

[Speaker 5] (2:25:34 - 2:25:37)
in some combo of those two. Um

[Speaker 6] (2:25:38 - 2:25:38)
But could

[Speaker 5] (2:25:38 - 2:25:54)
we know that there's gonna be tough financial decisions, so I think with more money in the fund now, we it enables us to tomorrow night you'll see what we're asking for compared to other towns, um and I think it we look it's pretty favourable. So

[Speaker 7] (2:25:54 - 2:25:55)
Kara, did you have a question?

[Speaker 1] (2:25:55 - 2:26:22)
I mean I just wanna say, I just kinda wanna reiterate Katie's point is this question has been raised numerous times. It's on the agenda tonight. That nobody's surprised by the questions we're asking. We were actively restricted from speaking to school staff tonight. Um we were informed in advance that there would not be answering our questions. So you had ample time to prepare in in fairness. I mean I'm not attacking anyone. I'm just saying this is the right it was

[Speaker 1] (2:26:22 - 2:26:33)
There's no surprise here, this is not a w we're not asking you something that you didn't expect to hear. So asking us to send an email with questions is just is frankly disrespectful.

[Speaker 8] (2:26:40 - 2:26:41)
Glenn, can I say something?

[Speaker 2] (2:26:41 - 2:26:42)
Absolutely.

[Speaker 9] (2:26:42 - 2:27:00)
Um so if we go back to the report that we had at the beginning of this meeting, that money goes into correct me if I'm wrong, it goes into the revolving fund and then it's spent out of the revolving fund. So it would never go back to the general fund, it would stay in the revolving fund as it says right here it carries forward to the next fiscal year. I think

[Speaker 9] (2:27:02 - 2:27:07)
maybe going out on a limb here I think it's it was a good business practice to to

[Speaker 9] (2:27:08 - 2:27:18)
To spend the money that you you had to spend and to reserve the money that you could reserve for costs that might come up over the next year that you might need to close your budget the next year that you might need to

[Speaker 9] (2:27:19 - 2:27:27)
if it's possible, pre-pay some costs. So to me it it makes good business and financial sense to do it this way.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:28 - 2:27:29)
Liz, I

[Speaker 1] (2:27:30 - 2:27:33)
I don't disagree that it maybe was a good business decision for the school.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:33 - 2:27:39)
I just don't know if it was a good business decision for if you look at the collective of the town and the taxpayers.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:39 - 2:27:42)
So I think that is the question that I'm trying to wrap my head around.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:42 - 2:27:43)
I see why they did it.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:43 - 2:27:45)
I think I see the logic to it.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:45 - 2:27:46)
I see your point.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:47 - 2:27:55)
It just then becomes our responsibility as elected officials to understand to explain to the taxpayer why they were taxed on something that didn't get spent.

[Speaker 1] (2:27:55 - 2:28:08)
And then like if we go forth with a budget for the schools for the next fiscal year whether or not they're going to get taxed on additional funds are they double taxed now so I agree with what you're saying.

[Speaker 1] (2:28:09 - 2:28:12)
But like we have to wear all the hats so

[Speaker 9] (2:28:12 - 2:28:13)
Sure.

[Speaker 1] (2:28:13 - 2:28:13)
But

[Speaker 3] (2:28:13 - 2:28:14)
I think,

[Speaker 9] (2:28:14 - 2:28:16)
So but if we're gonna have an open discussion, right,

[Speaker 9] (2:28:16 - 2:28:19)
what happens if what happens if they overspent?

[Speaker 2] (2:28:19 - 2:28:19)
Hmm.

[Speaker 9] (2:28:19 - 2:28:19)
And they don't

[Speaker 3] (2:28:19 - 2:28:19)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (2:28:19 - 2:28:22)
have the money. Then they have to come back to town meeting? Oh Are

[Speaker 5] (2:28:22 - 2:28:22)
just

[Speaker 9] (2:28:22 - 2:28:22)
they gonna

[Speaker 5] (2:28:22 - 2:28:22)
a second.

[Speaker 9] (2:28:22 - 2:28:22)
get the money?

[Speaker 3] (2:28:22 - 2:28:23)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (2:28:23 - 2:28:24)
Like what happens then?

[Speaker 3] (2:28:24 - 2:28:24)
I

[Speaker 9] (2:28:24 - 2:28:27)
I think it's a policy discussion that we need to have.

[Speaker 3] (2:28:27 - 2:28:32)
and I think we all have to be cognisant of the timing of how this all works, right? So at the time you're voting a budget,

[Speaker 11] (2:28:33 - 2:28:49)
I mean you don't necessarily know what you're gonna end with, right, in terms of what you're gonna spend. And I have asked this question of Sheryl Stella. And I have she has given me that similar explanation that they had three options, none of which um i you know, where they could have

[Speaker 3] (2:29:11 - 2:29:12)
A combination of

[Speaker 1] (2:29:12 - 2:29:13)
Thank you. A combination of the two.

[Speaker 1] (2:29:14 - 2:29:21)
Like at some point, we have to let the experts do what they do. And we,

[Speaker 1] (2:29:21 - 2:29:23)
you know, to the extent that...

[Speaker 1] (2:29:24 - 2:29:29)
I am of the belief that not everybody in the school department is trying to screw this town,

[Speaker 4] (2:29:29 - 2:29:29)
Yep.

[Speaker 1] (2:29:29 - 2:29:31)
to put it quite frankly.

[Speaker 1] (2:29:31 - 2:29:49)
I really don't feel that way, considering the superintendent lives here. I have faith and trust in the policies and the way that they're going about that. I'm not always looking for the gotcha moment where they screwed up or someone screwed up and I'm going to call them on it. That's not what I'm interested in, right?

[Speaker 5] (2:29:49 - 2:29:50)
Bye.

[Speaker 1] (2:29:50 - 2:29:54)
Like how I mean we got to micromanage every single move.

[Speaker 1] (2:29:54 - 2:29:55)
Is it our purview to do that?

[Speaker 1] (2:29:55 - 2:30:01)
I don't think it is I think it's our purview to approve that one line item final budget and then it's

[Speaker 1] (2:30:02 - 2:30:07)
These elected officials to oversee this gentleman in his school department right in

[Speaker 1] (2:30:08 - 2:30:11)
I'm comfortable with the way that Cheryl has done that.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:11 - 2:30:13)
I think I'm to Liz's point, though,

[Speaker 6] (2:30:13 - 2:30:28)
like, you know, we can't we can't have a policy like and and I think that part of the discussion on long term budgeting with the town and everything is sort of understanding how how the school appropriation gets picked and, and, you know, is two and a half percent.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:29 - 2:30:29)
You

[Speaker 1] (2:30:29 - 2:30:29)
It's feasible.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:29 - 2:30:31)
know, it shouldn't be 4%, just whatever.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:31 - 2:30:32)
We need that.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:32 - 2:30:38)
But we can also have the discussion about what's the percentage that's okay to leave in a revolving account.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:38 - 2:30:44)
Should every revolving account go to zero? Should some say, you know, keep 10% in?

[Speaker 6] (2:30:44 - 2:30:50)
Would be like, you know, above 10% you give it back to free cash or do what you're allowed to do with it? I mean, we can certainly,

[Speaker 6] (2:30:50 - 2:30:55)
I mean, that's what our financial team should be discussing. They should be discussing.

[Speaker 6] (2:30:56 - 2:31:02)
things like that so that so that it's understandable that when something comes back and and you know

[Speaker 1] (2:31:03 - 2:31:06)
And absolutely, and for going forward, that's exactly what we should do,

[Speaker 1] (2:31:06 - 2:31:11)
but to sit here and penalize professionals that made these decisions a year ago.

[Speaker 1] (2:31:12 - 2:31:21)
Right? And not i in basically accusing them of not exercising professional judgment and guidance as fiduciaries, like doesn't seem appropriate.

[Speaker 6] (2:31:21 - 2:31:22)
Well, I think I mean, it's true when you make

[Speaker 7] (2:31:22 - 2:31:22)
I

[Speaker 6] (2:31:22 - 2:31:23)
a budget,

[Speaker 7] (2:31:23 - 2:31:23)
don't

[Speaker 6] (2:31:23 - 2:31:23)
it's a professional.

[Speaker 7] (2:31:23 - 2:31:26)
think anyone's making accusations about, yeah,

[Speaker 7] (2:31:26 - 2:31:36)
I think the question is, you know, we were presented with a budget and today, you know, we got further information from the MSA, M-A-S-C on,

[Speaker 7] (2:31:36 - 2:31:37)
you know, for revolving funds.

[Speaker 7] (2:31:38 - 2:31:49)
They're earmarked for a specific purpose. And in the budget, the Mahan revolving funds are earmarked for paying teachers at the middle and high school, which is where Mahan students go.

[Speaker 1] (2:31:49 - 2:31:50)
In the middle school.

[Speaker 7] (2:31:50 - 2:31:54)
And the midd and the middle school, yeah. And so um

[Speaker 7] (2:31:55 - 2:32:05)
those monies staying in the revolving fund either means that you know that means that those teachers either weren't I mean they were paid but they were paid from other sources.

[Speaker 7] (2:32:05 - 2:32:06)
And then

[Speaker 7] (2:32:07 - 2:32:14)
You know it's but then if they were paid from other sources that then means that other funds were available to pay those expenses.

[Speaker 1] (2:32:14 - 2:32:15)
Mm-hmm,

[Speaker 7] (2:32:15 - 2:32:17)
And then it's sort of like a trickle down effect

[Speaker 1] (2:32:17 - 2:32:18)
mm-hmm.

[Speaker 7] (2:32:18 - 2:32:33)
and it just you know it's not questioning what decisions were made it's just understanding it seems like we don't understand the budget because we don't understand you know what what the expenses are. I know like that budget.

[Speaker 7] (2:32:33 - 2:32:47)
we're told varies every day, it can go up two percent or not, you know, and everything's nothing's predictable, but you still like every budget is a balance of assumptions uh about

[Speaker 6] (2:32:47 - 2:32:48)
It's the best

[Speaker 7] (2:32:48 - 2:32:48)
uh what

[Speaker 6] (2:32:48 - 2:32:48)
guess.

[Speaker 7] (2:32:48 - 2:32:55)
about the unknowns and an allocation of risk. And you know in this town we have a school budget and we have a town budget. And this sum budget

[Speaker 7] (2:32:56 - 2:33:14)
There are some expenses that are shared. There are some expenses that you know the school generates that totally fall in the town, like healthcare and you know some of the um retirement funds. So there's there's an allocation of risk of who bears what expense if it's out of whack.

[Speaker 1] (2:33:15 - 2:33:15)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 7] (2:33:15 - 2:33:18)
Um you know special education is a hundred percent on the schools right, if

[Speaker 1] (2:33:18 - 2:33:18)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 7] (2:33:18 - 2:33:21)
that goes up, I mean it's on the town as a total, but

[Speaker 1] (2:33:21 - 2:33:21)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (2:33:21 - 2:33:24)
right now it's on your budget. Um so

[Speaker 7] (2:33:26 - 2:33:29)
We're not saying anyone did anything wrong, we're just

[Speaker 1] (2:33:31 - 2:33:31)
See, that's

[Speaker 7] (2:33:31 - 2:33:31)
what

[Speaker 1] (2:33:31 - 2:33:31)
why

[Speaker 7] (2:33:31 - 2:33:31)
happened,

[Speaker 1] (2:33:31 - 2:33:32)
I differ

[Speaker 7] (2:33:32 - 2:33:32)
right?

[Speaker 1] (2:33:32 - 2:33:34)
with you there because I feel like

[Speaker 1] (2:33:34 - 2:33:39)
My colleague to my right is saying that, and I'm not comfortable saying that. So that's my point.

[Speaker 8] (2:33:39 - 2:33:39)
May

[Speaker 9] (2:33:39 - 2:33:41)
I just want I just want an

[Speaker 1] (2:33:41 - 2:33:42)
I feel like answer this is a very

[Speaker 8] (2:33:42 - 2:33:42)
I

[Speaker 1] (2:33:42 - 2:33:42)
accusatory

[Speaker 8] (2:33:42 - 2:33:43)
mean I just

[Speaker 1] (2:33:43 - 2:33:43)
tone.

[Speaker 8] (2:33:43 - 2:33:44)
yeah I just want an answer

[Speaker 1] (2:33:44 - 2:33:45)
I get it, Mary Ellen,

[Speaker 8] (2:33:45 - 2:33:56)
as but, to why why there is additional monies and the monies were not returned back to the taxpayer. I I'm sorry that I have a fiduciary responsibility. I'm sorry

[Speaker 1] (2:33:56 - 2:33:57)
We

[Speaker 8] (2:33:57 - 2:33:57)
I

[Speaker 1] (2:33:57 - 2:33:57)
all

[Speaker 8] (2:33:57 - 2:33:57)
have

[Speaker 1] (2:33:57 - 2:33:57)
do,

[Speaker 8] (2:33:57 - 2:33:57)
to be in

[Speaker 1] (2:33:57 - 2:33:57)
Mary Ellen.

[Speaker 8] (2:33:57 - 2:33:58)
this situation

[Speaker 1] (2:33:58 - 2:33:59)
We all do. You're but not the only one.

[Speaker 8] (2:33:59 - 2:34:00)
you

[Speaker 1] (2:34:00 - 2:34:01)
You're not the only one.

[Speaker 8] (2:34:01 - 2:34:01)
to

[Speaker 8] (2:34:01 - 2:34:02)
To try to vilify me for

[Speaker 1] (2:34:02 - 2:34:02)
I'm

[Speaker 8] (2:34:02 - 2:34:03)
asking

[Speaker 1] (2:34:03 - 2:34:03)
not vilifying you.

[Speaker 8] (2:34:03 - 2:34:04)
questions,

[Speaker 8] (2:34:04 - 2:34:05)
I'm sorry,

[Speaker 1] (2:34:05 - 2:34:05)
not vilifying

[Speaker 8] (2:34:05 - 2:34:05)
it's

[Speaker 1] (2:34:05 - 2:34:05)
you,

[Speaker 8] (2:34:05 - 2:34:06)
not going to

[Speaker 1] (2:34:06 - 2:34:06)
but

[Speaker 8] (2:34:06 - 2:34:06)
happen,

[Speaker 1] (2:34:06 - 2:34:06)
I

[Speaker 8] (2:34:06 - 2:34:06)
right?

[Speaker 1] (2:34:06 - 2:34:08)
think that your tone and your approach

[Speaker 8] (2:34:08 - 2:34:08)
Oh, my tone,

[Speaker 1] (2:34:08 - 2:34:08)
is

[Speaker 8] (2:34:08 - 2:34:08)
okay.

[Speaker 1] (2:34:08 - 2:34:11)
what has got us to this point of mistrust.

[Speaker 1] (2:34:11 - 2:34:15)
And I think that that is what we need to scale back if we're going to get anywhere in the future,

[Speaker 1] (2:34:15 - 2:34:16)
right?

[Speaker 1] (2:34:16 - 2:34:17)
That is my point.

[Speaker 1] (2:34:18 - 2:34:19)
I think it's been historical,

[Speaker 1] (2:34:20 - 2:34:28)
and I think we need to cut it out and try to be a little bit more collaborative, and try to solve this problem instead of pointing fingers and waiting for gotcha moments.

[Speaker 9] (2:34:28 - 2:34:30)
Just answer the questions. That's all it is.

[Speaker 1] (2:34:30 - 2:34:33)
So you've asked an you've had this question answered because you've

[Speaker 9] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
I

[Speaker 1] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
asked it

[Speaker 9] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
don't

[Speaker 1] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
for

[Speaker 9] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
have

[Speaker 1] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
the past

[Speaker 9] (2:34:33 - 2:34:33)
the I

[Speaker 1] (2:34:33 - 2:34:34)
six months.

[Speaker 9] (2:34:34 - 2:34:34)
don't have the question answered.

[Speaker 1] (2:34:34 - 2:34:36)
Cheryl Stella sat here and told us

[Speaker 9] (2:34:36 - 2:34:36)
Five hundred

[Speaker 1] (2:34:36 - 2:34:37)
in her seventy presentation

[Speaker 9] (2:34:37 - 2:34:37)
four thousand

[Speaker 1] (2:34:37 - 2:34:40)
that there was unemployment savings that they hadn't

[Speaker 9] (2:34:40 - 2:34:40)
Of

[Speaker 11] (2:34:40 - 2:34:40)
But

[Speaker 1] (2:34:40 - 2:34:40)
of

[Speaker 9] (2:34:40 - 2:34:40)
a hundred

[Speaker 1] (2:34:40 - 2:34:40)
interest.

[Speaker 11] (2:34:40 - 2:34:40)
there were hun

[Speaker 9] (2:34:40 - 2:34:41)
thousand.

[Speaker 11] (2:34:41 - 2:34:43)
hun no, but there were hundreds of line items where

[Speaker 9] (2:34:43 - 2:34:43)
Of

[Speaker 11] (2:34:43 - 2:34:43)
g where

[Speaker 9] (2:34:43 - 2:34:44)
course there things were, but one of the

[Speaker 11] (2:34:44 - 2:34:44)
ended up

[Speaker 11] (2:34:44 - 2:34:44)
Another ended

[Speaker 1] (2:34:44 - 2:34:44)
place

[Speaker 11] (2:34:44 - 2:34:44)
up better

[Speaker 1] (2:34:44 - 2:34:44)
with unemployment.

[Speaker 11] (2:34:44 - 2:34:58)
than we expected by one point three percent of the budget. I just have to say that again. Like when you look around the area and look at what other districts are going to, looking for overrides, look coming to the town for their towns for this excessive amounts of money, we are not doing that.

[Speaker 11] (2:34:58 - 2:35:02)
I understand I really do understand what you're saying. I would say that, you know, we don't have to look far.

[Speaker 11] (2:35:02 - 2:35:11)
Marblehead has um revolving accounts they have like four different revolving accounts with, you know, two million dollars in it that that they can it's this is not uncommon.

[Speaker 1] (2:35:11 - 2:35:11)
No,

[Speaker 11] (2:35:11 - 2:35:12)
And

[Speaker 1] (2:35:12 - 2:35:12)
I know.

[Speaker 11] (2:35:12 - 2:35:12)
it's not.

[Speaker 11] (2:35:13 - 2:35:24)
I understand it's a lot. I'm not saying $500,000 isn't a lot, but percentage-wise, a year ago we came if I told you we became within one point three percent of our budget and we were under, I think you'd be happy. Like I you know from my perspective,

[Speaker 9] (2:35:24 - 2:35:24)
I Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (2:35:24 - 2:35:31)
would think this is a good thing. I understand I do understand what you're saying, but generally speaking we came in under budget. I'm not coming to you asking for another five hundred thousand dollars right now.

[Speaker 9] (2:35:31 - 2:35:32)
I agree.

[Speaker 1] (2:35:33 - 2:35:33)
I agree.

[Speaker 11] (2:35:33 - 2:35:33)
So,

[Speaker 7] (2:35:33 - 2:35:34)
can I make

[Speaker 1] (2:35:34 - 2:35:34)
And

[Speaker 7] (2:35:34 - 2:35:34)
sure

[Speaker 1] (2:35:34 - 2:35:34)
we can

[Speaker 7] (2:35:34 - 2:35:35)
that ask it answers

[Speaker 1] (2:35:35 - 2:35:35)
for

[Speaker 8] (2:35:35 - 2:35:35)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (2:35:35 - 2:35:35)
the

[Speaker 1] (2:35:35 - 2:35:35)
a

[Speaker 7] (2:35:35 - 2:35:35)
main

[Speaker 1] (2:35:35 - 2:35:35)
we

[Speaker 7] (2:35:35 - 2:35:36)
points question.

[Speaker 1] (2:35:36 - 2:35:46)
can ask for a detail for exactly and we have asked for detail as to where this money came from and we have been provided with that right we just don't seem to want to accept it.

[Speaker 7] (2:35:46 - 2:35:53)
Well, it's also But one part of the question you're asking, Mary Helen, that I think I think is you've been saying why hasn't it been returned to the taxpayers?

[Speaker 12] (2:35:54 - 2:35:55)
That was answered tonight.

[Speaker 7] (2:35:56 - 2:35:59)
Th the revolving fund kee that's not the way it works,

[Speaker 1] (2:35:59 - 2:35:59)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (2:35:59 - 2:35:59)
right?

[Speaker 8] (2:35:59 - 2:35:59)
No,

[Speaker 7] (2:35:59 - 2:35:59)
The

[Speaker 8] (2:35:59 - 2:36:01)
no, no, no, no. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Speaker 7] (2:36:01 - 2:36:01)
Okay.

[Speaker 8] (2:36:01 - 2:36:14)
Hold on. Because had the money from the hunt been spent the way it was budgeted, 1.748090 would have been paid out of that revolving account,

[Speaker 8] (2:36:15 - 2:36:15)
which would have been.

[Speaker 8] (2:36:16 - 2:36:17)
zero,

[Speaker 1] (2:36:17 - 2:36:17)
What if left a zero?

[Speaker 8] (2:36:17 - 2:36:21)
would have left almost zero except for maybe $134,000,

[Speaker 1] (2:36:21 - 2:36:21)
Mm

[Speaker 8] (2:36:21 - 2:36:22)
which

[Speaker 1] (2:36:22 - 2:36:22)
-hmm.

[Speaker 8] (2:36:22 - 2:36:34)
means the other monies that were coming out of the general fund have to be returned to, out of the school general fund, have to be returned back to the town.

[Speaker 8] (2:36:36 - 2:36:36)
That's what it was.

[Speaker 7] (2:36:36 - 2:36:37)
To

[Speaker 8] (2:36:37 - 2:36:37)
So,

[Speaker 7] (2:36:37 - 2:36:37)
the plan?

[Speaker 8] (2:36:37 - 2:36:37)
so,

[Speaker 7] (2:36:37 - 2:36:38)
Just to so pay

[Speaker 8] (2:36:38 - 2:36:38)
if you...

[Speaker 7] (2:36:38 - 2:36:41)
it back to you, make sure. Okay, so you're saying the plan...

[Speaker 7] (2:36:42 - 2:36:50)
that we understood the way FY 25 was gonna work was that amount of money, one point seven million was gonna be spent out of the revolving fund.

[Speaker 1] (2:36:50 - 2:36:50)
Right.

[Speaker 7] (2:36:51 - 2:36:54)
Less than that was used out of that fund.

[Speaker 13] (2:36:54 - 2:36:55)
But all the bills got paid.

[Speaker 7] (2:36:56 - 2:37:00)
But all the g bills got paid which left an if they had spent it that way

[Speaker 7] (2:37:01 - 2:37:02)
then

[Speaker 14] (2:37:02 - 2:37:05)
There would have been money left in the school committee budget

[Speaker 9] (2:37:05 - 2:37:05)
which Oh.

[Speaker 14] (2:37:05 - 2:37:06)
would have been returned to

[Speaker 11] (2:37:06 - 2:37:07)
I actually don't think that's true. I

[Speaker 14] (2:37:07 - 2:37:07)
Okay.

[Speaker 11] (2:37:07 - 2:37:08)
can be I think it actually

[Speaker 14] (2:37:08 - 2:37:08)
Let's

[Speaker 11] (2:37:08 - 2:37:08)
goes

[Speaker 14] (2:37:08 - 2:37:09)
be clear.

[Speaker 11] (2:37:09 - 2:37:10)
I think if it's not

[Speaker 14] (2:37:10 - 2:37:10)
Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (2:37:10 - 2:37:12)
spent it goes back to the special ed reserve. If I'm cor

[Speaker 6] (2:37:12 - 2:37:12)
But I think

[Speaker 11] (2:37:12 - 2:37:13)
we can look into that,

[Speaker 6] (2:37:13 - 2:37:14)
are but we at the cap of that?

[Speaker 7] (2:37:14 - 2:37:15)
It does, but it We is capped.

[Speaker 8] (2:37:15 - 2:37:16)
were at the cap

[Speaker 7] (2:37:16 - 2:37:16)
Right.

[Speaker 9] (2:37:16 - 2:37:16)
Okay.

[Speaker 8] (2:37:16 - 2:37:20)
we were at the cap of the special ed reserve so it could not be returned to special ed reserve.

[Speaker 6] (2:37:20 - 2:37:20)
This right.

[Speaker 9] (2:37:20 - 2:37:20)
Okay.

[Speaker 14] (2:37:20 - 2:37:22)
Oh, I don't think anyone knew that at the time.

[Speaker 8] (2:37:22 - 2:37:22)
No.

[Speaker 1] (2:37:22 - 2:37:23)
Right.

[Speaker 14] (2:37:23 - 2:37:25)
That's that you're correct that we were at the cap and that's the limit.

[Speaker 15] (2:37:27 - 2:37:27)
Right, because

[Speaker 11] (2:37:27 - 2:37:27)
Right.

[Speaker 15] (2:37:27 - 2:37:28)
in December we got back ninety six

[Speaker 11] (2:37:28 - 2:37:29)
That was the ninety.

[Speaker 15] (2:37:29 - 2:37:29)
thousand

[Speaker 11] (2:37:29 - 2:37:29)
Oh, yeah, okay.

[Speaker 15] (2:37:29 - 2:37:30)
and then we gave you

[Speaker 11] (2:37:30 - 2:37:30)
Yeah.

[Speaker 15] (2:37:30 - 2:37:35)
back what we said we were gonna give you and we did that because you were at close to the ceiling.

[Speaker 6] (2:37:35 - 2:37:35)
Correct.

[Speaker 11] (2:37:35 - 2:37:37)
I think that deals with those active,

[Speaker 11] (2:37:37 - 2:37:39)
the special education reserve chunk,

[Speaker 11] (2:37:39 - 2:37:39)
and

[Speaker 8] (2:37:39 - 2:37:39)
By

[Speaker 11] (2:37:39 - 2:37:39)
what you're

[Speaker 8] (2:37:39 - 2:37:39)
by

[Speaker 11] (2:37:39 - 2:37:40)
doing for savings.

[Speaker 8] (2:37:40 - 2:37:43)
leaving it in the revolving account then you can't touch it.

[Speaker 14] (2:37:43 - 2:37:44)
Got it.

[Speaker 1] (2:37:44 - 2:37:44)
Correct.

[Speaker 14] (2:37:44 - 2:37:49)
Got it, that's the that's the concern, got it, okay. Sorry I maybe everyone else got that all along, but

[Speaker 15] (2:37:50 - 2:37:54)
So I just think so there I think there's two questions. One we can

[Speaker 15] (2:37:55 - 2:38:09)
Put it in writing because that's what the school committee's asked, exactly the detailed line items for which we accrued this fifty, five hundred and seventy four thousand K over a hundred different line items where it came from.

[Speaker 1] (2:38:09 - 2:38:10)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:10 - 2:38:13)
If that's the answer we want, then that's what we want.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:13 - 2:38:16)
But I think what is more important is just a common best practice going

[Speaker 1] (2:38:16 - 2:38:16)
Yes.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:16 - 2:38:17)
forward for

[Speaker 1] (2:38:17 - 2:38:17)
Yes.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:17 - 2:38:21)
the revolving account so we don't get ourselves into this situation again.

[Speaker 1] (2:38:21 - 2:38:21)
Exactly.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:21 - 2:38:23)
It is not a criticism of any

[Speaker 1] (2:38:23 - 2:38:24)
Right.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:24 - 2:38:34)
buddies how they utilize that account without a best practice because they had the ability to and you made a decision and you did it. But now we are saying like, well.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:35 - 2:38:37)
Maybe that wouldn't be the decision that we made.

[Speaker 11] (2:38:37 - 2:38:38)
Yeah.

[Speaker 15] (2:38:38 - 2:38:42)
And so can we come to an understanding on what is better going forward?

[Speaker 11] (2:38:42 - 2:38:44)
Yeah. I guess I keep on thinking that this is interesting. Would you?

[Speaker 1] (2:39:02 - 2:39:03)
Mm yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:39:03 - 2:39:03)
I

[Speaker 3] (2:39:03 - 2:39:03)
-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (2:39:03 - 2:39:04)
I keep getting stuck on that.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:05 - 2:39:06)
Right,

[Speaker 2] (2:39:06 - 2:39:06)
But

[Speaker 4] (2:39:06 - 2:39:06)
but

[Speaker 3] (2:39:06 - 2:39:06)
Yeah, because that's

[Speaker 4] (2:39:06 - 2:39:06)
make sure

[Speaker 3] (2:39:06 - 2:39:07)
a feeling

[Speaker 4] (2:39:07 - 2:39:07)
you

[Speaker 3] (2:39:07 - 2:39:07)
among

[Speaker 4] (2:39:07 - 2:39:07)
hear

[Speaker 3] (2:39:07 - 2:39:07)
the room.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:07 - 2:39:09)
the the

[Speaker 4] (2:39:09 - 2:39:11)
I get that you can see it that way,

[Speaker 4] (2:39:11 - 2:39:12)
and I understand that,

[Speaker 2] (2:39:12 - 2:39:12)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:12 - 2:39:25)
and that's all true too, and it does feel there's a possibility that there was a little gamesmanship that happened to keep the money in the school till.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:25 - 2:39:28)
Right? Right? I'm not saying that that's how I feel. But

[Speaker 5] (2:39:28 - 2:39:28)
Right.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:28 - 2:39:30)
I'm just saying that that is a

[Speaker 5] (2:39:30 - 2:39:31)
So is that how you feel?

[Speaker 4] (2:39:31 - 2:39:32)
No, it isn't how I feel.

[Speaker 6] (2:39:33 - 2:39:33)
No.

[Speaker 5] (2:39:33 - 2:39:33)
So,

[Speaker 4] (2:39:33 - 2:39:33)
You misunderstand

[Speaker 5] (2:39:33 - 2:39:34)
so hold on. So

[Speaker 4] (2:39:34 - 2:39:34)
No,

[Speaker 5] (2:39:34 - 2:39:35)
what

[Speaker 4] (2:39:35 - 2:39:37)
no no, I'm talking right now, Glenn. You've had plenty of time to I speak.

[Speaker 5] (2:39:37 - 2:39:38)
I need to stop you however,

[Speaker 4] (2:39:38 - 2:39:38)
No you don't.

[Speaker 5] (2:39:38 - 2:39:40)
because you're talking about a town employee.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
No,

[Speaker 6] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
Stop.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
no, really.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
No.

[Speaker 6] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
Stop

[Speaker 4] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
I was

[Speaker 1] (2:39:40 - 2:39:40)
Glenn,

[Speaker 4] (2:39:40 - 2:39:41)
I just

[Speaker 6] (2:39:41 - 2:39:41)
it.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:41 - 2:39:41)
it's not about

[Speaker 6] (2:39:41 - 2:39:41)
Stop.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:41 - 2:39:42)
It's not

[Speaker 6] (2:39:42 - 2:39:42)
Employee.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:42 - 2:39:42)
Glenn,

[Speaker 4] (2:39:42 - 2:39:42)
about

[Speaker 6] (2:39:42 - 2:39:43)
I need to let him talk.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:43 - 2:39:43)
Employee, no.

[Speaker 1] (2:39:43 - 2:39:46)
You can Glenn you can go right after. It's not about a town employee. Go ahead.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:46 - 2:39:54)
Yeah, yeah, I'm just saying if we really hear each other, I'm not I don't think we even have to take a side because I think Suzanne we're s

[Speaker 4] (2:39:54 - 2:39:56)
where she went is where we need to go and Kiri reiterate

[Speaker 1] (2:39:56 - 2:39:56)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (2:39:56 - 2:40:00)
it we need to have a policy but I think it's good to get these things out

[Speaker 7] (2:40:00 - 2:40:00)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (2:40:00 - 2:40:00)
so

[Speaker 7] (2:40:00 - 2:40:00)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (2:40:00 - 2:40:01)
we're not just kind of like

[Speaker 7] (2:40:01 - 2:40:01)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (2:40:01 - 2:40:05)
dodging and weaving and kind of making innuendo like this

[Speaker 2] (2:40:05 - 2:40:05)
Right.

[Speaker 4] (2:40:05 - 2:40:08)
is this is this is the perceptions that we have

[Speaker 2] (2:40:08 - 2:40:08)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 4] (2:40:08 - 2:40:08)
right

[Speaker 7] (2:40:08 - 2:40:17)
I hear I hear that Mary Ellen's asking for the one the the 1.3 percent that were under budget, we could have been under budget by more.

[Speaker 7] (2:40:18 - 2:40:19)
you know like if

[Speaker 1] (2:40:19 - 2:40:19)
I don't

[Speaker 7] (2:40:19 - 2:40:19)
if

[Speaker 1] (2:40:19 - 2:40:20)
are

[Speaker 7] (2:40:20 - 2:40:20)
we

[Speaker 1] (2:40:20 - 2:40:20)
you a woman

[Speaker 7] (2:40:20 - 2:40:21)
use if we use that five hundred

[Speaker 1] (2:40:21 - 2:40:22)
carrying down that much?

[Speaker 7] (2:40:22 - 2:40:23)
no but isn't that if

[Speaker 2] (2:40:23 - 2:40:23)
No,

[Speaker 7] (2:40:23 - 2:40:23)
we I had

[Speaker 2] (2:40:23 - 2:40:26)
think at that it would it's it would have dropped to free cash if

[Speaker 7] (2:40:26 - 2:40:26)
Right, like

[Speaker 2] (2:40:26 - 2:40:26)
yeah.

[Speaker 7] (2:40:26 - 2:40:27)
w right we would have

[Speaker 2] (2:40:28 - 2:40:29)
Yeah, right.

[Speaker 7] (2:40:29 - 2:40:29)
given back

[Speaker 2] (2:40:29 - 2:40:29)
That comes

[Speaker 7] (2:40:29 - 2:40:30)
more money.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:30 - 2:40:31)
like a lot of other things

[Speaker 7] (2:40:31 - 2:40:31)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:31 - 2:40:32)
it comes down to a little bit of control.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:33 - 2:40:33)
So

[Speaker 7] (2:40:33 - 2:40:33)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:33 - 2:40:33)
that's what we're talking

[Speaker 7] (2:40:33 - 2:40:34)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:34 - 2:40:34)
about.

[Speaker 1] (2:40:34 - 2:40:34)
You're

[Speaker 7] (2:40:34 - 2:40:34)
That's

[Speaker 1] (2:40:34 - 2:40:34)
right.

[Speaker 7] (2:40:34 - 2:40:35)
what I'm that's what I'm saying

[Speaker 2] (2:40:35 - 2:40:35)
On

[Speaker 7] (2:40:35 - 2:40:35)
like

[Speaker 2] (2:40:35 - 2:40:37)
the margin who controls these dollars?

[Speaker 2] (2:40:37 - 2:40:40)
That's what we're kind of quibbling over in a lot of these things,

[Speaker 2] (2:40:41 - 2:40:41)
right?

[Speaker 8] (2:40:41 - 2:40:44)
So I think the policy about it will really help us.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:44 - 2:40:55)
I I th I agree I totally agree with the policy concept. This is something I think that kind of blindsided people, because this isn't this this account has it's existed for a while. Like at the end of last year, it had a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in there.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:55 - 2:40:58)
That was enough to get our IR up, right? But now when it's five seventy five,

[Speaker 7] (2:40:58 - 2:40:59)
Right.

[Speaker 5] (2:40:59 - 2:40:59)
You know all about especially that.

[Speaker 2] (2:40:59 - 2:41:04)
after last well, no, this would have been reported in Sheryl's year end report. But at one fifty it we

[Speaker 1] (2:41:04 - 2:41:05)
But but

[Speaker 2] (2:41:05 - 2:41:07)
wouldn't have been banging our hands on the table about

[Speaker 7] (2:41:07 - 2:41:07)
Exactly.

[Speaker 2] (2:41:07 - 2:41:07)
it.

[Speaker 1] (2:41:07 - 2:41:07)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:41:07 - 2:41:09)
We were kind of shocked by the magnets in the

[Speaker 2] (2:41:08 - 2:41:10)
We don't have a policy and I the other

[Speaker 1] (2:41:10 - 2:41:10)
That's

[Speaker 2] (2:41:10 - 2:41:10)
thing I don't

[Speaker 1] (2:41:10 - 2:41:11)
not true.

[Speaker 2] (2:41:11 - 2:41:16)
think we understand is you know the what what things can and cannot be charged against this account because when

[Speaker 5] (2:41:16 - 2:41:16)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:41:16 - 2:41:25)
I think of we're charging Nahan tuition, we're taking an average for the number of students or w you know, we're taking it the sorry, we're taking the revenues that come in that are kind of predetermined.

[Speaker 2] (2:41:25 - 2:41:31)
But it's not like we have all these invoices that are specifically for Nahan. So we're making choices on what's going against that million seven.

[Speaker 4] (2:41:32 - 2:41:33)
Can I don't fully understand this part of

[Speaker 7] (2:41:33 - 2:41:33)
What

[Speaker 4] (2:41:33 - 2:41:33)
the policy.

[Speaker 7] (2:41:33 - 2:41:34)
the formula is,

[Speaker 4] (2:41:34 - 2:41:34)
At least

[Speaker 7] (2:41:34 - 2:41:34)
right?

[Speaker 4] (2:41:34 - 2:41:35)
exclamation. What what

[Speaker 7] (2:41:35 - 2:41:35)
Mm.

[Speaker 4] (2:41:35 - 2:41:38)
can we charge that what can we can we charge anything we want there?

[Speaker 7] (2:41:38 - 2:41:38)
No.

[Speaker 4] (2:41:38 - 2:41:40)
Uh that's what I don't fully get.

[Speaker 1] (2:41:40 - 2:41:40)
Yeah, I

[Speaker 8] (2:41:40 - 2:41:40)
I

[Speaker 1] (2:41:40 - 2:41:42)
t I just w

[Speaker 8] (2:41:42 - 2:41:42)
go ahead.

[Speaker 7] (2:41:42 - 2:41:43)
Oh.

[Speaker 1] (2:41:43 - 2:41:47)
I just wanna say this. It's like a convolut uh a con um

[Speaker 2] (2:41:47 - 2:41:48)
Convoluted?

[Speaker 1] (2:41:48 - 2:41:52)
no. Uh it's a pile on of events that occurred that brought us to this juncture,

[Speaker 7] (2:41:52 - 2:41:53)
right? Right.

[Speaker 1] (2:41:53 - 2:41:58)
So when I first heard about it, it was like, okay, well that doesn't feel great since

[Speaker 1] (2:41:58 - 2:42:24)
I went before the select board and took you know line items out of the town budget right town budget it's all one budget but and we went through this very public display and then it turned out there was a surplus so Jason that's on us right because we felt a way based on our I felt a way I'll speak for myself I felt a way based on the actions that I took that didn't feel great because I didn't have a full understanding so then I tried to get a better understanding and then I tried to get a better understanding

[Speaker 1] (2:42:24 - 2:42:28)
I've since gotten a little less heated about that initial feeling.

[Speaker 1] (2:42:28 - 2:42:30)
I have a more clarity about the feeling.

[Speaker 1] (2:42:30 - 2:42:45)
I am not saying that it's not great that you have a surplus, and I'm not saying it's any one employee or particular person's issue that this is. All I'm saying is if we can avoid that feeling happening in the future,

[Speaker 1] (2:42:45 - 2:42:46)
let's do it, right?

[Speaker 1] (2:42:46 - 2:42:48)
And the way we do that is through understanding.

[Speaker 7] (2:42:50 - 2:42:50)
in policy.

[Speaker 2] (2:42:50 - 2:43:02)
Agreed, I I agreed I would just say that wouldn't it feel worse if we were coming to you for more money, which could've just as easily happened. It just happened to break in our w way this time. But like you said, there was this almost

[Speaker 7] (2:43:02 - 2:43:02)
Many

[Speaker 2] (2:43:02 - 2:43:02)
made nothing

[Speaker 7] (2:43:02 - 2:43:03)
times it doesn't.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:03 - 2:43:05)
in that account for years. It finally broke in our favour.

[Speaker 7] (2:43:05 - 2:43:05)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (2:43:06 - 2:43:09)
Yeah, it would feel worse, but doesn't necessarily mean it would feel

[Speaker 2] (2:43:09 - 2:43:09)
Well

[Speaker 8] (2:43:09 - 2:43:09)
great.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:09 - 2:43:09)
that's right.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:09 - 2:43:11)
Right, but so what's right, the what's the so I think

[Speaker 1] (2:43:11 - 2:43:11)
I

[Speaker 2] (2:43:11 - 2:43:11)
you have

[Speaker 1] (2:43:11 - 2:43:11)
mean,

[Speaker 2] (2:43:11 - 2:43:13)
to we have to decide what's the line. Do you want

[Speaker 1] (2:43:13 - 2:43:13)
I like all I can say

[Speaker 2] (2:43:13 - 2:43:14)
Oh, if is, if

[Speaker 1] (2:43:14 - 2:43:14)
if I can

[Speaker 2] (2:43:14 - 2:43:14)
if 150

[Speaker 1] (2:43:14 - 2:43:14)
right.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:14 - 2:43:16)
doesn't move the needle,

[Speaker 1] (2:43:16 - 2:43:16)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:16 - 2:43:20)
does 215 move the needle? I mean, we're already at four seventeen or whatever it is.

[Speaker 9] (2:43:20 - 2:43:24)
And let's let's understand the select board having that conversation about cutting a budget,

[Speaker 9] (2:43:24 - 2:43:27)
a budget that we had never done that in years.

[Speaker 9] (2:43:27 - 2:43:34)
Right. So I had no problem doing that. I wouldn't have a problem doing it again. Did I want to have to do it that?

[Speaker 9] (2:43:34 - 2:43:35)
that publicly line by line no.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:35 - 2:43:35)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (2:43:35 - 2:43:48)
It shouldn't have come to that. And had we had had had we done it differently as we as I requested we should have, months before that point, we wouldn't have done that publicly. But did it need to be done? Yes.

[Speaker 9] (2:43:48 - 2:43:51)
Do we ask the school department to do it every single year?

[Speaker 9] (2:43:51 - 2:43:52)
Yes.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:52 - 2:43:52)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (2:43:52 - 2:43:55)
And we we f we hone in on it with a microscope,

[Speaker 9] (2:43:55 - 2:43:57)
but never had we done it on this town side.

[Speaker 2] (2:43:57 - 2:43:59)
I don't disagree with that, that at least, I mean

[Speaker 8] (2:43:59 - 2:44:05)
You have a finance committee sitting in front of you that spends weeks with the t with town staff going through line by line

[Speaker 9] (2:44:05 - 2:44:05)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (2:44:05 - 2:44:07)
budget review, so please don't say we don't do

[Speaker 9] (2:44:07 - 2:44:07)
I

[Speaker 8] (2:44:07 - 2:44:07)
that,

[Speaker 9] (2:44:07 - 2:44:07)
didn't

[Speaker 8] (2:44:07 - 2:44:07)
right?

[Speaker 9] (2:44:07 - 2:44:08)
say you didn't. I said we did it.

[Speaker 8] (2:44:08 - 2:44:09)
Okay,

[Speaker 9] (2:44:09 - 2:44:09)
As the select

[Speaker 8] (2:44:09 - 2:44:09)
but you you

[Speaker 9] (2:44:09 - 2:44:09)
board.

[Speaker 8] (2:44:09 - 2:44:13)
you don't need to do that in your role, otherwise you don't you don't need us. So uh

[Speaker 9] (2:44:13 - 2:44:15)
So you you you're saying we're not supposed to look at the budget?

[Speaker 8] (2:44:15 - 2:44:23)
I I'm saying you should not supposed to be going and cutting two three thousand dollar line items to solve the hundred that's you know that that that I think we all agree nobody wanted that to be happening.

[Speaker 9] (2:44:23 - 2:44:28)
Well, do you know what happened before that? Do you understand what the back story was of of asking us as a collective

[Speaker 9] (2:44:28 - 2:44:33)
the collective board to we had discussed it and wanted our chair to talk about it amongst ourselves.

[Speaker 4] (2:44:33 - 2:44:33)
We

[Speaker 9] (2:44:33 - 2:44:33)
We

[Speaker 4] (2:44:33 - 2:44:33)
don't

[Speaker 9] (2:44:33 - 2:44:33)
were no,

[Speaker 4] (2:44:33 - 2:44:34)
know that that happened.

[Speaker 9] (2:44:34 - 2:44:35)
you don't. So that's my point.

[Speaker 4] (2:44:35 - 2:44:54)
But all I'm saying is we had we had gone through the detailed budget review not that I'm going to stop soon because and we had come up with we had done reviews and had you know that many versions of the town said many versions on the school side and we got to this number that we kind of thought we were there and within a couple of weeks of coming to town meeting we had the $250,000 you know.

[Speaker 8] (2:44:54 - 2:44:57)
healthcare issue we had to then deal with. So that's how we got there ultimately.

[Speaker 9] (2:44:57 - 2:44:57)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (2:44:58 - 2:45:00)
I I admit I don't know backstory of what was going on

[Speaker 9] (2:45:00 - 2:45:00)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (2:45:00 - 2:45:03)
in discussions of the school committee, but I mean the s select board, but

[Speaker 9] (2:45:03 - 2:45:03)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (2:45:03 - 2:45:04)
I just I d

[Speaker 9] (2:45:04 - 2:45:12)
So my point is we we should have as a as a board been talking about areas of our budget considering we didn't even have a permanent T_A_ in place, right.

[Speaker 9] (2:45:12 - 2:45:20)
There was um a bit of a lag there. So we really needed to be a little bit more in tune and we should've we shouldn't have not had to do what we did, right, to your point, but

[Speaker 2] (2:45:20 - 2:45:20)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (2:45:20 - 2:45:23)
we it doesn't mean that we shouldn't have looked at it at all.

[Speaker 8] (2:45:23 - 2:45:23)
Yeah.

[Speaker 7] (2:45:22 - 2:45:23)
Oh.

[Speaker 11] (2:45:23 - 2:45:23)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (2:45:23 - 2:45:46)
Right. So if if we're talking about a policy going forward, I think that thing, what I'm hearing anyway, a goal for sort of percentage that we're carrying in any revolving account is useful. We have that type of, you know, policy guideline in other places in town already, but also understanding the prioritisation of spending of appropriation versus revolving. I think that's a lot, that that's the distinction but in the discussion right now,

[Speaker 11] (2:45:46 - 2:45:47)
Yes.

[Speaker 8] (2:45:47 - 2:45:49)
is which dollars we were spending first.

[Speaker 7] (2:45:49 - 2:45:49)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 11] (2:45:49 - 2:45:49)
Right.

[Speaker 8] (2:45:49 - 2:45:51)
And so that can be something if

[Speaker 8] (2:45:52 - 2:46:18)
everyone's comfortable with it, that Jason, Cheryl, Patrick and myself can be coming back to these both boards and you all obviously with an idea of what could be next, and you all can beat it up and give us better ideas and come up with something. But those are the those are the big pieces that are missing. Like what is the goal? What is comfortable what is right to have in there? And then how do we prioritise spending broadly, I don't think we should ever get into dollar for dollar or them or the town operation, the school operation side, but

[Speaker 8] (2:46:18 - 2:46:23)
a broad policy statement that this is how we would like to be moving forward,

[Speaker 9] (2:46:23 - 2:46:23)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 8] (2:46:23 - 2:46:35)
and then we can make the case to you all if we need to do something different, whether it's on the school operation side or the town operation side or on the shared service side. Um I'm just trying to get to a point where we have some next steps

[Speaker 1] (2:46:35 - 2:46:35)
Yep.

[Speaker 8] (2:46:35 - 2:46:36)
'cause I

[Speaker 9] (2:46:36 - 2:46:36)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (2:46:36 - 2:46:42)
I think we could go on for a long time tonight. Uh so I don't know if that works for folks or or not.

[Speaker 9] (2:46:42 - 2:46:44)
Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a great idea.

[Speaker 2] (2:46:45 - 2:46:45)
Yep.

[Speaker 5] (2:46:45 - 2:46:53)
Um that's fine. I d can't I just wanna just a couple things. I think questions about whatever's left in the revolving fund I think are completely fair.

[Speaker 7] (2:46:54 - 2:46:54)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 5] (2:46:54 - 2:47:02)
Uh they are. It's not it's fair. It's kinda like we were talking about earlier with the two hundred thousand dollars. We'll get you an answer, whatever that answer is.

[Speaker 5] (2:47:03 - 2:47:10)
Someone's wearing mud on their face, someone's wearing mud on their face, that's fine. I think part of the challenge that we're having is

[Speaker 5] (2:47:11 - 2:47:13)
It just doesn't seem fair and equal.

[Speaker 5] (2:47:13 - 2:47:38)
You know, it was reported in Nick, to your point, I don't I don't know what the revolving fund on the town side is, but, you know, it was reported by Patrick in October 22nd that FY25 closed on the rec department revolving fund with $434,700 sorry and $69.

[Speaker 5] (2:47:39 - 2:47:43)
Are you guys looking at that revolving account,

[Speaker 5] (2:47:43 - 2:47:46)
asking the same questions you're asking us,

[Speaker 5] (2:47:46 - 2:47:48)
where'd that money go?

[Speaker 5] (2:47:48 - 2:47:49)
Shouldn't that lower.

[Speaker 5] (2:47:50 - 2:47:54)
Any shouldn't that change the budget by four hundred thirty four thousand dollars?

[Speaker 1] (2:47:54 - 2:47:55)
Well, rec

[Speaker 2] (2:47:55 - 2:47:55)
So

[Speaker 1] (2:47:55 - 2:47:55)
rec

[Speaker 2] (2:47:55 - 2:47:55)
they

[Speaker 1] (2:47:55 - 2:47:55)
rec

[Speaker 9] (2:47:55 - 2:47:55)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (2:47:55 - 2:47:56)
I'm asking I'm not telling

[Speaker 1] (2:47:56 - 2:47:57)
But

[Speaker 5] (2:47:57 - 2:47:57)
I'm

[Speaker 1] (2:47:57 - 2:48:01)
rec asking doesn't have a line item of millions of dollars to fund the rec department. Oh,

[Speaker 1] (2:48:01 - 2:48:01)
rec has

[Speaker 2] (2:48:01 - 2:48:01)
Most

[Speaker 1] (2:48:01 - 2:48:02)
line

[Speaker 2] (2:48:02 - 2:48:02)
of that money

[Speaker 1] (2:48:02 - 2:48:02)
items.

[Speaker 2] (2:48:02 - 2:48:03)
is from user fees Right, anyway.

[Speaker 1] (2:48:03 - 2:48:03)
Yeah,

[Speaker 4] (2:48:03 - 2:48:03)
right.

[Speaker 5] (2:48:03 - 2:48:04)
So it's it's not that's

[Speaker 1] (2:48:04 - 2:48:04)
all it's

[Speaker 7] (2:48:04 - 2:48:04)
all

[Speaker 1] (2:48:04 - 2:48:04)
all

[Speaker 7] (2:48:04 - 2:48:04)
all

[Speaker 1] (2:48:04 - 2:48:05)
from user user fees.

[Speaker 2] (2:48:05 - 2:48:05)
Yeah.

[Speaker 5] (2:48:05 - 2:48:05)
I

[Speaker 7] (2:48:05 - 2:48:05)
fees.

[Speaker 1] (2:48:05 - 2:48:06)
don't need to be Okay. Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:48:06 - 2:48:08)
So it's not going to come back to the town, is it?

[Speaker 5] (2:48:08 - 2:48:09)
I don't know the answer, I asked

[Speaker 7] (2:48:09 - 2:48:10)
It's all user fees.

[Speaker 9] (2:48:10 - 2:48:10)
Yeah,

[Speaker 1] (2:48:10 - 2:48:11)
It's all

[Speaker 9] (2:48:11 - 2:48:11)
it's

[Speaker 1] (2:48:11 - 2:48:11)
user

[Speaker 9] (2:48:11 - 2:48:11)
all user

[Speaker 1] (2:48:11 - 2:48:11)
fees.

[Speaker 9] (2:48:11 - 2:48:11)
fees.

[Speaker 12] (2:48:12 - 2:48:13)
Which then

[Speaker 1] (2:48:13 - 2:48:13)
But

[Speaker 12] (2:48:13 - 2:48:13)
can

[Speaker 1] (2:48:13 - 2:48:13)
justly

[Speaker 12] (2:48:13 - 2:48:18)
we make the same point then for the Nahantan residents that are paying money into that account?

[Speaker 12] (2:48:18 - 2:48:22)
account, 'cause they're the ones that are paying the money into the revolving account,

[Speaker 12] (2:48:22 - 2:48:24)
not the taxpayer.

[Speaker 12] (2:48:25 - 2:48:26)
It's the same as

[Speaker 4] (2:48:26 - 2:48:26)
But the it's just

[Speaker 12] (2:48:26 - 2:48:26)
person

[Speaker 4] (2:48:26 - 2:48:26)
funding

[Speaker 12] (2:48:26 - 2:48:27)
being the

[Speaker 4] (2:48:27 - 2:48:27)
the partially

[Speaker 12] (2:48:27 - 2:48:27)
fee.

[Speaker 4] (2:48:27 - 2:48:29)
part of the funding the school that the taxpayers pay for.

[Speaker 12] (2:48:29 - 2:48:30)
Yeah,

[Speaker 5] (2:48:30 - 2:48:30)
Nate?

[Speaker 12] (2:48:30 - 2:48:30)
but

[Speaker 7] (2:48:30 - 2:48:31)
So you that's you're saying it's

[Speaker 12] (2:48:31 - 2:48:31)
the part

[Speaker 7] (2:48:31 - 2:48:31)
a per user

[Speaker 12] (2:48:31 - 2:48:31)
that

[Speaker 7] (2:48:31 - 2:48:31)
fee?

[Speaker 12] (2:48:31 - 2:48:40)
yeah, but that's what we're getting into is the part of well you guys paid that much, it's the user fees, but then you're asking us

[Speaker 1] (2:49:03 - 2:49:10)
students but it kind of sounds like we are supposed to kind of throw other things in there like

[Speaker 1] (2:49:10 - 2:49:13)
Why don't we pay for our utilities or something

[Speaker 2] (2:49:13 - 2:49:13)
No,

[Speaker 1] (2:49:13 - 2:49:13)
like that?

[Speaker 3] (2:49:13 - 2:49:13)
Oh no,

[Speaker 2] (2:49:13 - 2:49:13)
no, no, no,

[Speaker 3] (2:49:13 - 2:49:13)
no,

[Speaker 2] (2:49:13 - 2:49:13)
no.

[Speaker 3] (2:49:13 - 2:49:14)
no, no, no.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:14 - 2:49:14)
No no.

[Speaker 3] (2:49:14 - 2:49:14)
He said that, no.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:14 - 2:49:14)
No.

[Speaker 3] (2:49:14 - 2:49:15)
No, don't say that.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:15 - 2:49:19)
Because what I want to make really clear, 'cause you guys are gonna go into negotiations with Nahant,

[Speaker 2] (2:49:20 - 2:49:31)
all of the Nahant paid tuition got spent on Nahant students in the high school or the middle school. There was no savings. This dollar amount that's in the Nahant revolving account, it's not a savings

[Speaker 4] (2:49:31 - 2:49:31)
Mm-mm.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:31 - 2:49:33)
of money that Nahant should not have paid us.

[Speaker 3] (2:49:33 - 2:49:33)
Correct.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:33 - 2:49:35)
That's I wanna make all that hundred percent clear.

[Speaker 4] (2:49:35 - 2:49:36)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:36 - 2:49:39)
What it was was that there were savings in other line items.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:39 - 2:49:48)
items on the swanskots' side. And so money did not get spent from the revolving account that could have, but rather it was spent out of the school budget.

[Speaker 5] (2:49:48 - 2:49:48)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:48 - 2:49:53)
So there was there I because we're going into active negotiations with Nahat,

[Speaker 6] (2:49:53 - 2:49:53)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:49:53 - 2:50:06)
there is not a five hundred thousand dollar saving that they should be seeing because that is not what happened here. So and the the difference I find in the rec account I agree we should be discriminatory against director we should be asking all the same questions.

[Speaker 2] (2:50:07 - 2:50:16)
But the budget for the rec department is not anywhere near the budget that the school department has and they self fund basically.

[Speaker 7] (2:50:16 - 2:50:16)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 2] (2:50:16 - 2:50:22)
So they carry a much larger amount in the revolving account because they don't have a backup budget.

[Speaker 2] (2:50:22 - 2:50:23)
So

[Speaker 1] (2:50:23 - 2:50:23)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:50:23 - 2:50:27)
if they need to pay bouncy houses for something on town hall law,

[Speaker 2] (2:50:27 - 2:50:28)
they don't have

[Speaker 2] (2:50:29 - 2:50:46)
all the line items to be able to do that in the rec department budget from town side, they pay it out of the revolving account. If you look at the historics of that account, at least my understanding of it is, yes, it keeps a high balance but it's almost a full cycle of what comes in and what goes out.

[Speaker 2] (2:50:46 - 2:50:50)
In the summer, the revolving account is very high. We all can understand why,

[Speaker 2] (2:50:50 - 2:50:55)
'cause there's a million activities happening in the rec department and so there's lots of funds coming in.

[Speaker 2] (2:50:55 - 2:51:02)
by the end of September it goes much lower because they have to pay out the lifeguards and everybody else who's been working all summer long.

[Speaker 2] (2:51:02 - 2:51:11)
So they're they're similar to I mean it's more similar to special education reserve but it is way more definitive than that.

[Speaker 8] (2:51:11 - 2:51:11)
Yep.

[Speaker 2] (2:51:11 - 2:51:23)
So I mean I understand the ask which is please have the same scrutiny that you're asking us with wreck revolving and I don't have a problem with that that's fair as Glenn's been saying he's owning where there's a fair.

[Speaker 2] (2:51:23 - 2:51:24)
That's fair.

[Speaker 2] (2:51:24 - 2:51:30)
But also understand the differences between the budgetary constraints between rec and the school department.

[Speaker 1] (2:51:30 - 2:51:33)
Yep, which totally, totally get.

[Speaker 1] (2:51:34 - 2:51:45)
But the part that is kind of circling through everybody is the line item was this, but your overall budget was this. So why didn't it get spent?

[Speaker 1] (2:51:45 - 2:51:51)
Which the same argument can be made about the rec account or any of the other revolving accounts that you have where it's like,

[Speaker 1] (2:51:51 - 2:51:51)
yes.

[Speaker 1] (2:51:51 - 2:52:00)
Because that line item for that one revolving account is this much, but your town's side of your budget is this much. So why is there a difference?

[Speaker 1] (2:52:01 - 2:52:30)
Uh and I know this was brought up before, that there were savings. Like if we were paying a teacher eighty thousand dollars, which crazy, um for teaching one year, but then the next year we're paying them sixty, there's already a twenty thousand dollar difference there, which is a savings, which is an education expense for an AHN student, which is a savings which could probably explain why we have a surplus. There were millions of little things that added up.

[Speaker 1] (2:52:30 - 2:52:59)
add it up to the surplus. And that's the part that I feel like everybody wants to get into which is explain specifically where you spent the money and where are the actual savings because if there were savings then why aren't you sending that back to the town even though chapter 71 section 71F tells you that it needs to carry forward because it's restricted to just the educational expenses.

[Speaker 9] (2:53:04 - 2:53:07)
Yeah, that, I think that's the challenge. I mean, listen,

[Speaker 9] (2:53:07 - 2:53:13)
this is, we, we may agree sometimes to disagree, but these are great conversations. They really are. All right, it's hard.

[Speaker 9] (2:53:13 - 2:53:15)
All right, people get hot under the collar.

[Speaker 9] (2:53:15 - 2:53:16)
That's okay.

[Speaker 9] (2:53:17 - 2:53:25)
It's, there are just some things on the school budget we just can't share.

[Speaker 9] (2:53:26 - 2:53:27)
We, we don't have to.

[Speaker 9] (2:53:27 - 2:53:46)
That that's the thing and we've talked a lot we don't abide by that rule I mean there are time there are tones that you know Hold on there are tones that don't do it that way We're trying to be as transparent as possible we'll get you as much answer as we possibly can and then you guys can make your own decisions

[Speaker 11] (2:53:46 - 2:53:47)
I got to tell you, Glenn,

[Speaker 11] (2:53:47 - 2:53:48)
just from hearing that.

[Speaker 11] (2:53:49 - 2:53:51)
That's just the wrong approach that

[Speaker 12] (2:53:51 - 2:53:51)
I can't share

[Speaker 11] (2:53:51 - 2:53:51)
you

[Speaker 12] (2:53:51 - 2:53:51)
what?

[Speaker 11] (2:53:51 - 2:53:57)
can't share. Like I agree with you 90% of what you said tonight, but that's why we're all here.

[Speaker 2] (2:53:57 - 2:53:57)
Right.

[Speaker 11] (2:53:57 - 2:54:06)
Like that, you know, even me who really understands what we're talking about, like it's that sentiment that we really want to get away from, right?

[Speaker 11] (2:54:06 - 2:54:08)
We're all here to share, right?

[Speaker 11] (2:54:08 - 2:54:16)
So we're not, the spirit of what we're asking is just for clarity so people can understand and not be.

[Speaker 11] (2:54:17 - 2:54:28)
you know, continuously like misled or feel like they're misled or have a bad feeling, right. So to say you can't share, I I just think is maybe a bad choice of words, right, because

[Speaker 9] (2:54:28 - 2:54:29)
Yeah.

[Speaker 11] (2:54:29 - 2:54:32)
you know we want to be collaborative. That's what we're trying to accomplish.

[Speaker 13] (2:54:32 - 2:54:33)
May I um

[Speaker 1] (2:54:33 - 2:54:34)
If if I can just

[Speaker 11] (2:54:34 - 2:54:35)
This is all public.

[Speaker 1] (2:54:35 - 2:54:36)
I yeah I I'm

[Speaker 14] (2:54:38 - 2:55:00)
I'm not sure if you left a word out there or not, but uh you know, I I thought you were trying to say you know, we're trying to be as transparent as possible, which I know we are. Um I think you were trying to say there are other school districts that are not nearly as transparent as our school board is with with the rest of the town, with their budget. So I think that's what you were trying to say. I don't think you were trying to say we're not gonna share what

[Speaker 9] (2:55:00 - 2:55:03)
Right. If I sa if you're if you interpreted that I did, you know I apologise.

[Speaker 9] (2:55:03 - 2:55:08)
What I was trying to say is there are communities that don't do what we do. They don't

[Speaker 11] (2:55:08 - 2:55:08)
I'm sure.

[Speaker 9] (2:55:08 - 2:55:11)
break down to the level that we do.

[Speaker 11] (2:55:12 - 2:55:12)
I'm sure.

[Speaker 9] (2:55:12 - 2:55:14)
And it's hard, but again,

[Speaker 9] (2:55:14 - 2:55:19)
as we taught in tri-trail, we're trying to do this as it's one number. At the end of the day,

[Speaker 9] (2:55:19 - 2:55:21)
it's, there's only so much money to go around,

[Speaker 9] (2:55:22 - 2:55:24)
right? The town has X dollars,

[Speaker 9] (2:55:24 - 2:55:29)
right? And that's, and with the current constraints at a state level.

[Speaker 9] (2:55:29 - 2:55:36)
That's, we have X dollars. X dollars goes to the town, X dollars goes to the school, X dollars goes elsewhere.

[Speaker 9] (2:55:36 - 2:55:43)
And that's what I meant. Thank you, John. I did not mean that we won't. We have done it the last several years. We continue to answer the questions,

[Speaker 9] (2:55:43 - 2:55:52)
continue to share as much as humanly possible to make people as comfortable as we can. But I can tell you, the

[Speaker 9] (2:55:54 - 2:55:57)
folks we have employed on the school side.

[Speaker 9] (2:55:58 - 2:56:04)
And I've said this before publicly, they're damn good at what they do, and I'm sure the same thing could be said on the town side.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:05 - 2:56:10)
And there are just sometimes that the language being used is just tough to hear.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:10 - 2:56:12)
And it's not tough to hear for us because,

[Speaker 9] (2:56:12 - 2:56:16)
you know, the voters can vote me in, vote me out and do what they want,

[Speaker 9] (2:56:16 - 2:56:23)
but we have employees who really work hard.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:24 - 2:56:29)
And there's no slush funds. There's no, you know, I'm not calling Jason saying,

[Speaker 9] (2:56:29 - 2:56:31)
hey, you want to go out for a steak dinner?

[Speaker 9] (2:56:31 - 2:56:32)
Put it put it on the town.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:33 - 2:56:34)
That doesn't happen.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:36 - 2:56:38)
Every dollar is accounted for.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:38 - 2:56:41)
Yes, there's you know, there's a question about the revolving fund.

[Speaker 9] (2:56:41 - 2:56:43)
We'll get you the answer.

[Speaker 15] (2:56:44 - 2:56:46)
May I um interject?

[Speaker 14] (2:56:46 - 2:56:47)
You can interject.

[Speaker 15] (2:56:47 - 2:56:53)
We've been here for three hours, and I think we've taken this meeting about as far as we're gonna go.

[Speaker 16] (2:56:53 - 2:56:53)
Motion.

[Speaker 15] (2:56:53 - 2:56:58)
I wanna make a motion to adjourn our finance committee.

[Speaker 2] (2:56:58 - 2:56:59)
Can I

[Speaker 1] (2:56:59 - 2:56:59)
Wait.

[Speaker 2] (2:56:59 - 2:57:09)
but before you do that could I just put I can I um dog right size this particular conversation to figure out what the takeaway is so that we can have some

[Speaker 15] (2:57:09 - 2:57:10)
Please, let's have

[Speaker 2] (2:57:10 - 2:57:10)
okay.

[Speaker 15] (2:57:10 - 2:57:10)
closure.

[Speaker 2] (2:57:10 - 2:57:13)
Yeah, so I think we don't wanna just

[Speaker 2] (2:57:13 - 2:57:36)
Stop the conversation because we have had some good discussion here, but we s do need to have a direction on where this discussion should be going. And I think the direction is that we would like to work out some parameters by which on a go-forward basis these decisions are made um so that this is uh m in the future less

[Speaker 14] (2:57:36 - 2:57:36)
Voids in the

[Speaker 2] (2:57:36 - 2:57:36)
shocking

[Speaker 14] (2:57:36 - 2:57:36)
title.

[Speaker 2] (2:57:36 - 2:57:38)
and has a direc like

[Speaker 2] (2:57:39 - 2:57:51)
has direction for us all that we can understand and we've done that on the town side for our reserve funds so maybe there is a conversation that could be had with Jason and Ms.

[Speaker 2] (2:57:51 - 2:58:04)
Stella and Patrick about how we handled it on our side however we came to those percentages and then there can be some back and forth and then there could be a takeaway that would come back to all the boards I don't know I'm open to suggestions and

[Speaker 15] (2:58:05 - 2:58:06)
Do we have another...

[Speaker 15] (2:58:07 - 2:58:09)
A little summit like this schedule? Does

[Speaker 11] (2:58:09 - 2:58:09)
Not scheduled.

[Speaker 14] (2:58:10 - 2:58:10)
No.

[Speaker 2] (2:58:10 - 2:58:11)
We do not have one scheduled.

[Speaker 15] (2:58:12 - 2:58:18)
Is that something that we want to think about and specify what questions we want to address at the next one?

[Speaker 14] (2:58:18 - 2:58:22)
I think we were theorising the next one might be more about like long-term

[Speaker 2] (2:58:22 - 2:58:23)
Yeah.

[Speaker 14] (2:58:23 - 2:58:26)
financial issues as we're heading into budget season, we don't wanna we want it to be clear on,

[Speaker 14] (2:58:27 - 2:58:34)
you know, as we present something to the town meeting this year, we know it's gonna be tight, the question of okay, what's gonna look like next year and if we have no concept

[Speaker 3] (2:58:35 - 2:58:36)
Mm-hmm.

[Speaker 4] (2:58:36 - 2:58:36)
Right.

[Speaker 2] (2:58:36 - 2:58:39)
we'll that that's not a good place to be. So I think that's what we're at least that's what we've been thinking.

[Speaker 3] (2:58:39 - 2:58:41)
Yep. So that's the next topic.

[Speaker 2] (2:58:41 - 2:58:41)
Yeah,

[Speaker 5] (2:58:41 - 2:58:41)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:58:41 - 2:58:43)
that's what that's what the tri chair have been talking about anyway.

[Speaker 3] (2:58:43 - 2:58:44)
So maybe we

[Speaker 5] (2:58:44 - 2:58:44)
We can

[Speaker 3] (2:58:44 - 2:58:44)
have

[Speaker 5] (2:58:44 - 2:58:48)
get on this agenda. I mean I know some people might wanna leave.

[Speaker 4] (2:58:48 - 2:58:50)
We didn't get up to discussion of long

[Speaker 5] (2:58:50 - 2:58:52)
But I don't think we've done the last two bullets, right?

[Speaker 4] (2:58:52 - 2:58:53)
Right, right.

[Speaker 5] (2:58:53 - 2:58:53)
We

[Speaker 4] (2:58:53 - 2:58:53)
Yes.

[Speaker 3] (2:58:53 - 2:58:54)
Right. Right.

[Speaker 5] (2:58:54 - 2:59:00)
'Cause I have to say, I mean this has all been educational, but this whole conversation has been a little bit about moving

[Speaker 5] (2:59:00 - 2:59:18)
moving the puck between you know three feet either side of the red line right you know center ice that none of this has been about how we actually save money or generate money this is all about like how much of the you know we've moved it around the field just a little bit

[Speaker 5] (2:59:20 - 2:59:20)
So

[Speaker 2] (2:59:20 - 2:59:24)
I think I don't think this was a meeting to talk about saving or the money.

[Speaker 5] (2:59:24 - 2:59:24)
Well,

[Speaker 2] (2:59:24 - 2:59:27)
I think it was to get us better prepped as we head into the budget season

[Speaker 3] (2:59:27 - 2:59:27)
Yeah.

[Speaker 2] (2:59:27 - 2:59:31)
and a lot of kind of things that come up every year and stall us and lead to difficult budget.

[Speaker 5] (2:59:31 - 2:59:32)
And that's great.

[Speaker 2] (2:59:32 - 2:59:34)
Yeah, and I think we accomplished a lot in that regard.

[Speaker 5] (2:59:34 - 2:59:35)
That's great.

[Speaker 5] (2:59:37 - 2:59:47)
But none of this is really going to fundamentally change the decisions that we're going to have to make because we haven't.

[Speaker 5] (2:59:48 - 2:59:55)
We haven't really explored any dramatic changes to the way that we run our business here.

[Speaker 5] (2:59:56 - 3:00:01)
And, you know, for me, like, that's what those last two are potentially about.

[Speaker 6] (3:00:02 - 3:00:10)
I don't know how we even get to those discussions if we can't all be in the same room and have civilized discussions about like the past. So that was why we started with some of these things first.

[Speaker 5] (3:00:10 - 3:00:11)
That's great.

[Speaker 5] (3:00:11 - 3:00:15)
I'm not saying we shouldn't have done what we did.

[Speaker 5] (3:00:16 - 3:00:19)
But I just I feel like it would be uh

[Speaker 4] (3:00:19 - 3:00:19)
Should we go

[Speaker 5] (3:00:19 - 3:00:19)
derelict

[Speaker 4] (3:00:19 - 3:00:19)
on?

[Speaker 5] (3:00:19 - 3:00:21)
to not do the last two.

[Speaker 3] (3:00:22 - 3:00:22)
Yeah.

[Speaker 4] (3:00:22 - 3:00:22)
Okay.

[Speaker 5] (3:00:22 - 3:00:23)
If we're not doing them tonight then

[Speaker 3] (3:00:24 - 3:00:24)
So

[Speaker 6] (3:00:24 - 3:00:24)
I didn't

[Speaker 3] (3:00:24 - 3:00:26)
I think ask we have some takeaways, right, from

[Speaker 2] (3:00:26 - 3:00:27)
But we have quite a few take from takeaways

[Speaker 3] (3:00:27 - 3:00:28)
what we you know

[Speaker 2] (3:00:28 - 3:00:28)
not maybe around.

[Speaker 3] (3:00:28 - 3:00:36)
we make a list of that that the school committee is going to get back to us all with and then quickly try to address these last two pieces or at least

[Speaker 4] (3:00:37 - 3:00:41)
One budget, a school committee budget doesn't necessarily need to come up tonight. We have a budget meeting tomorrow night.

[Speaker 2] (3:00:41 - 3:00:42)
I agree.

[Speaker 4] (3:00:42 - 3:00:42)
So people

[Speaker 2] (3:00:42 - 3:00:42)
I agree.

[Speaker 4] (3:00:42 - 3:00:43)
can turn, to

[Speaker 6] (3:00:43 - 3:00:43)
Yes.

[Speaker 4] (3:00:43 - 3:00:47)
turn to that and there's going to be a whole bunch more information because Sha, Cheryl's going to be presenting.

[Speaker 4] (3:00:47 - 3:00:48)
I mean,

[Speaker 3] (3:00:48 - 3:00:48)
Okay.

[Speaker 4] (3:00:48 - 3:00:54)
I mean that's the place to discuss the budget. Well what did this ma Katie what did you mean by discussion of school committee budget?

[Speaker 5] (3:00:54 - 3:00:54)
May I?

[Speaker 6] (3:00:54 - 3:01:01)
The item was on that agenda in case we veered too far off topic about the MOUs and we didn't want to violate open meeting.

[Speaker 3] (3:01:02 - 3:01:03)
Okay, so we can And skip

[Speaker 2] (3:01:03 - 3:01:04)
is that. there was a

[Speaker 4] (3:01:04 - 3:01:04)
That

[Speaker 2] (3:01:04 - 3:01:04)
reasonable

[Speaker 4] (3:01:04 - 3:01:05)
was basically

[Speaker 2] (3:01:05 - 3:01:05)
expectation that

[Speaker 4] (3:01:05 - 3:01:06)
what it that

[Speaker 2] (3:01:06 - 3:01:06)
could happen so

[Speaker 6] (3:01:06 - 3:01:07)
Yeah,

[Speaker 2] (3:01:07 - 3:01:07)
we wanted

[Speaker 6] (3:01:07 - 3:01:07)
so because

[Speaker 2] (3:01:07 - 3:01:08)
to make sure it was captured.

[Speaker 6] (3:01:08 - 3:01:13)
we were talking about the MOUs and if we veer too far us outside of the MOUs into the budget itself,

[Speaker 6] (3:01:13 - 3:01:20)
I was like how do we make sure we can't say well we can't talk about that. We're all here and I wanted to make sure we covered ourselves for

[Speaker 2] (3:01:20 - 3:01:20)
If we all can

[Speaker 6] (3:01:20 - 3:01:20)
the

[Speaker 2] (3:01:20 - 3:01:20)
reasonably

[Speaker 6] (3:01:20 - 3:01:21)
different contingencies.

[Speaker 2] (3:01:21 - 3:01:22)
anticipate it, we're

[Speaker 3] (3:01:22 - 3:01:22)
Okay,

[Speaker 2] (3:01:22 - 3:01:22)
some place

[Speaker 3] (3:01:22 - 3:01:22)
so

[Speaker 2] (3:01:22 - 3:01:22)
but we're

[Speaker 3] (3:01:22 - 3:01:22)
we can skip that.

[Speaker 2] (3:01:22 - 3:01:23)
good, we're good with Even that one.

[Speaker 4] (3:01:23 - 3:01:24)
then I.

[Speaker 6] (3:01:24 - 3:01:24)
Okay.

[Speaker 4] (3:01:24 - 3:01:26)
And then what about discussion of long-term budgeting?

[Speaker 3] (3:01:28 - 3:01:29)
Does he want to have that tonight,

[Speaker 3] (3:01:29 - 3:01:30)
Doug?

[Speaker 5] (3:01:30 - 3:01:32)
Well, I I'm just saying it's it's on here.

[Speaker 5] (3:01:32 - 3:01:33)
I don't know what the inclination

[Speaker 2] (3:01:33 - 3:01:34)
So, similarly

[Speaker 5] (3:01:34 - 3:01:34)
was.

[Speaker 2] (3:01:34 - 3:01:41)
it was included in case, because again it could be reasonably anticipated that if we weren't in our beginning of the fourth hour.

[Speaker 2] (3:01:41 - 3:01:55)
And not had gotten there that it could have come up. We wanted to make sure that people were aware at a very high level with income at the last meeting. I think we were talking very broadly about how we put together something that is reflective of what's asked in the charter,

[Speaker 2] (3:01:55 - 3:02:06)
but also similar to like the capital plan where we can say, here's a longer term budgeting so that you can understand where we may see deficits again or where we may see need for additional revenue.

[Speaker 2] (3:02:06 - 3:02:07)
So that.

[Speaker 2] (3:02:07 - 3:02:15)
Broad discussion started briefly in the in the last FinCom meeting so that we can put together something that meets the charter

[Speaker 2] (3:02:15 - 3:02:18)
really speaks to what you all are asking for as well for to

[Speaker 7] (3:02:18 - 3:02:19)
the prep

[Speaker 2] (3:02:19 - 3:02:19)
try

[Speaker 7] (3:02:19 - 3:02:19)
for town

[Speaker 2] (3:02:19 - 3:02:19)
to

[Speaker 7] (3:02:19 - 3:02:20)
meeting for

[Speaker 2] (3:02:20 - 3:02:38)
in to be able to go to town meeting with something that says this is this is this year, but also this is what you can anticipate in the years ahead, and this is what we see on the horizon, whether it's a trash contract that's extended one year and we we know it'll be back up or, you know, we can start to identify things on the horizon that everyone needs to be thinking about considering as we make decisions in this year's budget.

[Speaker 3] (3:02:38 - 3:02:42)
But it sounds like that's the topic for the next little mini-summit, maybe,

[Speaker 2] (3:02:42 - 3:02:42)
Yeah.

[Speaker 3] (3:02:42 - 3:02:42)
right? So

[Speaker 7] (3:02:42 - 3:02:44)
I I never anticipate we were ready to talk about

[Speaker 2] (3:02:44 - 3:02:44)
to talk about that tonight.

[Speaker 8] (3:02:44 - 3:02:45)
Alright, it

[Speaker 3] (3:02:45 - 3:02:45)
Okay.

[Speaker 8] (3:02:45 - 3:03:07)
just for just for the future it would be helpful for me. I don't I'm not speaking for anybody else, but you know just really having a tighter timeline. So if we can just say look, we're dedicating two hours, six to eight, we're gonna talk about this, let's stay on task, and let's make sure that we have all of the people who can answer all of the questions just so we can be as productive as possible uh in these meetings moving forward. So

[Speaker 3] (3:03:08 - 3:03:09)
And information sent to us.

[Speaker 8] (3:03:10 - 3:03:10)
In advance.

[Speaker 3] (3:03:10 - 3:03:11)
So in Yeah. advance.

[Speaker 8] (3:03:11 - 3:03:11)
Yeah.

[Speaker 8] (3:03:11 - 3:03:12)
Agree.

[Speaker 8] (3:03:15 - 3:03:16)
So. Motion to adjourn?

[Speaker 2] (3:03:16 - 3:03:17)
Yeah.

[Speaker 9] (3:03:17 - 3:03:18)
Second.

[Speaker 4] (3:03:18 - 3:03:19)
Do you wait a minute,

[Speaker 3] (3:03:19 - 3:03:19)
Sorry.

[Speaker 6] (3:03:19 - 3:03:21)
do you want to close out one

[Speaker 4] (3:03:21 - 3:03:22)
Yeah. of the action items?

[Speaker 6] (3:03:23 - 3:03:26)
Yeah. Well, I mean I think there are quite a few takeaways.

[Speaker 3] (3:03:26 - 3:03:27)
For the school department.

[Speaker 6] (3:03:28 - 3:03:28)
I think to

[Speaker 8] (3:03:28 - 3:03:30)
Is anyone going to send out that email?

[Speaker 2] (3:03:31 - 3:03:33)
Has to... Anna, have you been taking minutes? I'm not sure if you have or not. You've

[Speaker 3] (3:03:33 - 3:03:34)
You

[Speaker 2] (3:03:34 - 3:03:34)
been?

[Speaker 3] (3:03:34 - 3:03:34)
have the takeaways,

[Speaker 4] (3:03:34 - 3:03:34)
Yes.

[Speaker 3] (3:03:34 - 3:03:34)
Diane?

[Speaker 5] (3:03:35 - 3:03:35)
Prepare.

[Speaker 7] (3:03:35 - 3:03:36)
Yeah.

[Speaker 6] (3:03:36 - 3:03:37)
Yep, she f we we will cut we

[Speaker 3] (3:03:37 - 3:03:38)
It's recorded.

[Speaker 6] (3:03:38 - 3:03:40)
will compile them and we will calculate it.

[Speaker 5] (3:03:40 - 3:03:40)
Grab a yellow.

[Speaker 3] (3:03:40 - 3:03:40)
Great.

[Speaker 5] (3:03:40 - 3:03:40)
Yep.

[Speaker 6] (3:03:40 - 3:03:43)
We'll talk about it in tri-chair and then we'll

[Speaker 5] (3:03:43 - 3:03:49)
circulate Yeah, and we'll and when we get it will it won't be a long time All right, but that it can't be because before we know it

[Speaker 5] (3:03:50 - 3:03:59)
We're presenting to you in March and we want we want clarity as best we can right and I just want to say one thing, you know about last year

[Speaker 5] (3:03:59 - 3:04:04)
about you know, we whatever whatever the dollar amount we were apart

[Speaker 8] (3:04:05 - 3:04:09)
You know, and I said it then, I'm gonna say it now, you guys didn't know about the two fifty.

[Speaker 8] (3:04:10 - 3:04:11)
You know, we were in complete agreement

[Speaker 2] (3:04:11 - 3:04:12)
You you had any w what?

[Speaker 8] (3:04:12 - 3:04:27)
so you know last year when we the school department went to in front of town meeting for the X dollar and it was one forty seven of memory strikes, but you know I just want to the public to know whoever's listening is that everyone agreed on a budget until the last minute

[Speaker 11] (3:04:27 - 3:04:28)
of the health care.

[Speaker 2] (3:04:29 - 3:04:29)
Yes.

[Speaker 11] (3:04:29 - 3:04:34)
So we had worked really hard to come to an agreement that everyone could live with.

[Speaker 11] (3:04:35 - 3:04:45)
And then something happened and it was no one's fault and the town had to do what the town had to do, we had to do what we had to do, but everyone was completely fine with it.

[Speaker 11] (3:04:45 - 3:04:47)
And it's just a last minute thing,

[Speaker 11] (3:04:47 - 3:04:48)
hopefully that never happens again.

[Speaker 11] (3:04:50 - 3:05:01)
But, you know, the problem was that there was this data you guys didn't have, and because of y you got, you know, the the state was late or whatever they were doing with the health care. So there was never an issue with that. It it happened. And it aggravated everybody.

[Speaker 11] (3:05:02 - 3:05:12)
And, you know, the goal with the questions we have tonight, want to get them way before you we meet in March, and hopefully that doesn't happen again. And if there's adjustments that need to be made, we'll make the adjustments.

[Speaker 11] (3:05:14 - 3:05:15)
And I appreciate the time,

[Speaker 11] (3:05:15 - 3:05:17)
and I definitely think we should, to Doug's point,

[Speaker 11] (3:05:17 - 3:05:19)
you know, the long term,

[Speaker 11] (3:05:19 - 3:05:21)
I think we definitely should have, it's a whole separate meeting,

[Speaker 11] (3:05:21 - 3:05:29)
I think. There's just interesting discussions that can be had of how can we, you know, is there revenue sources that, you know, we could do here on the school side?

[Speaker 11] (3:05:30 - 3:05:33)
You know, what do we think is going to happen five years from now?

[Speaker 11] (3:05:33 - 3:05:36)
What's going to happen with the contracts when they expire three years from now?

[Speaker 11] (3:05:37 - 3:05:38)
And I think it's great discussions,

[Speaker 11] (3:05:38 - 3:05:40)
but I definitely think it's for a different environment.

[Speaker 3] (3:05:41 - 3:05:48)
And I would just respectfully ask if we could get Diane, if you could send us the takeaways, and if we could get an answer maybe in a week turnaround.

[Speaker 4] (3:05:48 - 3:05:48)
Oh.

[Speaker 3] (3:05:48 - 3:05:55)
I mean, I don't really want it to be next month. I'd like to s get them sooner rather than later if possible.

[Speaker 6] (3:05:57 - 3:05:58)
Okay.

[Speaker 3] (3:05:58 - 3:05:59)
Motion to adjourn.

[Speaker 6] (3:05:59 - 3:06:00)
Do you want to close?

[Speaker 2] (3:06:01 - 3:06:01)
Sorry?

[Speaker 6] (3:06:01 - 3:06:02)
Do you Does want to close? it matter what order we close?

[Speaker 2] (3:06:02 - 3:06:04)
Uh yeah, we already have it was one of the floor for us

[Speaker 6] (3:06:04 - 3:06:04)
Oh,

[Speaker 2] (3:06:04 - 3:06:05)
so all

[Speaker 6] (3:06:05 - 3:06:05)
okay.

[Speaker 2] (3:06:05 - 3:06:06)
in favor say aye.

[Speaker 4] (3:06:06 - 3:06:06)
Aye.

[Speaker 5] (3:06:06 - 3:06:06)
Aye.

[Speaker 2] (3:06:07 - 3:06:07)
Closed.

[Speaker 5] (3:06:07 - 3:06:08)
I do.

[Speaker 11] (3:06:08 - 3:06:09)
Make a motion to adjourn, please.

[Speaker 2] (3:06:09 - 3:06:09)
Second.

[Speaker 11] (3:06:10 - 3:06:11)
All right. All in favor?

[Speaker 2] (3:06:11 - 3:06:12)
Aye.

[Speaker 4] (3:06:12 - 3:06:12)
Hey, can't be much.

[Speaker 4] (3:06:13 - 3:06:14)
Motion to adjourn.

[Speaker 2] (3:06:14 - 3:06:15)
Second.

[Speaker 6] (3:06:15 - 3:06:16)
All in favor?

[Speaker 2] (3:06:16 - 3:06:16)
Aye.

[Speaker 6] (3:06:16 - 3:06:16)
Aye.

[Speaker 4] (3:06:16 - 3:06:16)
Aye.

[Speaker 6] (3:06:16 - 3:06:18)
Thank you everyone for your time.