001Uh, we'll call the finance subcommittee meeting to order at 8:05. Um, see we got um, so maybe we'll wait to do the subcommittee reorganization until later. See if Mark. [clears throat] Um, so, uh, next item of business is the assistant superintendent update. Um, specifically I'm happy to happy to hear any anything you all want [clears throat] to talk about, but specifically wanted to chat about the transition plan, >> hiring status of the new director. [clears throat] >> So, uh, Katie, can you just describe the work that you're doing and then I'll go to the hiring piece and then we'll go into the, um, the overlap piece. So, a lot of the work that I've been focusing on kind of recently is just making sure that we're in a real good place to close the books
002and then be able to open the books for fiscal year 27. So, the pieces that that are from the accounts payable more of like the um vendor warrants and some of the payments that we're making to the outside service providers. We have um put a purchasing freeze on. Um we communicated that to the leadership team and to some other individuals that are responsible for purchasing um I think over a month ago. Um and that purchase order freeze is currently in place now. And that really is just in an effort to help um make the end of year close out go smoothly. Um we gave plenty of notice. It was I think it was prior to April school vacation to say like if you need something, make sure that you're getting those purchase orders um or
003requests for purchases in prior to the the cut off which was at the beginning of May. Um, so that's for this fiscal year and that just allows us to look at all the purchase orders that are currently open, go through them, reconcile them, process those payments. Um, just because we want to have a really clean um, close out. We want to have a really good idea of [clears throat] where we are at the end of the fiscal year. Um, for next year, we have asked all of the department heads, principles, um, and again the people that are responsible for purchasing if they could try to get as many of their requests, purchase order requests in sooner rather than later. And that's really just in an effort to be able to like organize the information, assign
004assign account codes, um, just verify what is being requested. um just to to help because there was so much work that happens over the summer, but the summer is also a difficult time to do the work because we are still trying to close out the prior fiscal year. And that really is just in an effort. I just was hoping to be able to have um the requests organized in kind of a an easy to understand way so that the next person that's coming into the role isn't just, you know, when they walk in on day one faced with a stack of papers. Um, and I just don't um want there to be any delay in uh receiving goods or services for the opening of the school year in late August, early September. So that's currently
005in process for um payroll, which is you know 81% of our budget is our salaries. Um the lumpsum payment is going to happen during the first payroll in June. And what that is is we're essentially paying the staff um for the payments that they will receive over the summer. That payment happens in June. Um so that's the majority of our teaching staff, some of our um UNIP, which is curriculum supervisors, assistant principles. So where um Moren, who is our federal processor, is currently in the process of making sure that she has everything accurate. there's some adjustments that have to happen um in the loss on payment just if someone potentially doesn't have enough sick time that's where the adjustment happens. Um so when you have 600 employees that you're processing that for and then a
006lot of moving pieces um it's a lot of work and so we're trying to give enough time and attention to that to make sure that we're accurate um and that everything is lining up with the budget. So that's another piece. Stipen payments happen um along the same time period. So um the majority of the stipen payments have already been processed, but we're still processing those. Um and again, all of this work is just happening because I just want to make sure that um things are kind of neat and paid forward for the end of the year. um and that um if you don't do the preparation work, things can kind of linger into the next fiscal year, which um can make things a little bit more complicated. So, we're just trying to stay on top
007of it as much as we can and make sure that everything is accurate when we press those payments and everything goes smoothly. Um certainly we're in a much better spot, more straightforward spot than we were last year, which I'm extremely grateful for. Um they need for processing a lot easier. So, and not easier, but just more straightforward. Um >> can you just a clarifying question? So, there's a it sounds like a whole bunch of staff who don't work over the summer like a lump sum payment. I think >> that come in July one. Um it's actually early the first pay period in June that's when they receive that pay >> and that carries them all the way through the summer basically. >> Correct. Y >> and that is acred to the FY27 budget. >> That's
008FY26. Yeah. >> Okay. So the >> so the summer months so the the summer months are acred to the prior year. Correct. >> Fiscal year. Yeah. So um because the fiscal year ends June 30, but the contract ends August 31st. >> so we process the payment in the correct fiscal year, but it's actually earnings kind of like because they're deferred compensation over the summer for that period of time they're not working. And the teachers um I believe the options are in the contract in the unit a contract they have options to either receive their pay in that manner of the 26 pay periods which carry them over the summer or they can split their pay into 21 pay periods which is essentially the pay periods during the school year and then they don't receive that
009what we call lumpsum payment. Yeah. Um, maybe this gets into the transition part a little bit, but are you So, you won't be here like when the FY26 books are closed, >> correct? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um, what are the like what are the what are the risks for that? >> Um, so >> I know again you're lining everything up. >> Totally. the ship. >> Um, so one of the last pieces in order for us to close the books for the fiscal year really is so we have our operating budget funds and then we also have the funds in our revolving accounts. We talked a lot about um the utilization of the revolving accounts. We utilized them pretty heavily in fiscal year 24 because we didn't have enough funds in the operating budget and that
010was some of that work that happened in July. We have until I believe it's July 14th to close the books for the previous year. So for the first two weeks in July, it allows us time to process journal entries which is essentially just moving expenses from one place to another. Whether it be from one account in the operating budget to another account or it could be moving expenses from the operating budget to revolving accounts. And so really the last step in the process is if we have to move any expenses that we currently have assigned to the operating budget over to the revolving accounts and that would be the circuit breaker account or some the grants that we receive. And so that that is that typically is the last thing that we would do in
011July. and we're drawing from those revolving accounts depending on what the balance looks like in the operating budget. And so I I really truly think with all of the work that we've done over the course of the year, not even just the past couple of months, it may just be a matter of okay, now we need to just transfer um transfer do one transfer in July from the operating budget to circuit breaker and then the books are closed and done. >> Right. So, pretty straightforward and that's just a matter of running reports and um and processing that. That's something I can very easily walk somebody through, you know, over. So, I'm not worried. >> All right. Great. Well, thank you. >> Yeah. For all the diligent >> details. So, I'm sorry. the uh I want
012to thank Katie because the the ability to clean this up at such an early date is really important for the transition, but even in a regular year, Katie was going to stay for next 100 years or no one was coming in. Uh that's how traditionally I would close the books. I always close them in May because it gives you a runway to see every PO that's out there that you don't forget about or uh when you have so many folks that have the ability to write a PO and [clears throat] uh expend dollars that you just need to tighten it up. So you can see everything. So you because you only have two weeks in uh July, but the the last week would be June, no one's here. So then the business person's by themselves
013trying to figure out somebody else's PO and where that is. So we saw that a little bit last year, which was not not a good healthy practice. So that will be the annual practice. And um to Katie's point, I really appreciate her work supporting the revolving accounts as a priority to try to rightsize the budget because that will be part of our right sizing of the FY27 budget. So our FY27 allocation combined with how we uh leave some healthy revolving income really person. >> Um great and there's a pretty clear road map of where all the budget itself that Katie is developing for the new person coming for 27 that they can just plug in. Yeah, which is great and helpful and thank you. Uh [clears throat] for the transition, we interviewed we had a
014team um interview um five or six candidates. It was a paper screening of about 11. Uh the uh results of those uh interviews and paper screening came down to three finalists. the interview team that was led by Ka and a group of Kala Marine for payroll, Bill Fish, um Martha Sandal from community schools. Um they were the additional screening team, they uh produced three finalist candidates. Danielle Wetmore and I met with each finalist last year to give make sure that the special education group this was present uh in the conversation of finalist interviews. uh we actually had three competent finalists and I I would hire any one of the three. So there's a preference thing. It's a nice luxury. It was a very nice luxury. Um the uh and just from a hiring standpoint, two
015of the three people were people of color, which was another interesting um dynamic that we were very thankful for. The pool being diverse and deep, which was great. Uh I have uh offered an interview for one of those three to come in tomorrow and then the other two are waiting that that discussion and uh hopefully at the end of the day tomorrow um the other two candidates will will put on hold until that answers uh that discussion is finalized either to the good or to the bad in terms of contract offer. >> Yeah. Uh the person uh all three people have municipal um uh experience uh years of municipal experience um whether it be in CFO of a town municipality uh or a um u accountant in a town. I'm trying not to identify them,
016but so we have people from Boston public schools, uh people from uh that are in large organizations that have a financial uh role within the larger system, and we have folks who come from smaller towns that have ECFO role at the municipality level. So, which means that they've all interacted with the schools because they were that partner of the schools. >> Yeah. So that's all the good news. The the the nuances of what makes the school budget different are the questions that we ultimately started to really focus in because we knew they knew how to do the work that all three were at least 20 year veterans of municip. So they knew they know the work but now it's the subtleties the school budget which does carry um you know areas that you have to
017really pick up on i.e. the federal grants, the circuit breaker, the big ones, making sure that you're diligent uh with federal grants and circuit breaker and the understanding of that. Um, everybody had uh a grasp on that. Um, the larger district would had an interesting grasp on it because it was just not that much money to them, >> right? Whereas the two towns that were people from towns was like, "Yeah, that's a big deal because that's a sizable portion of our overall budget and how important it is." So it was interesting to to learn about the dynamics of how city budgets work versus town budgets. But yeah, so we feel very confident in tomorrow we'll have that meeting and hopefully we'll uh to terms with that individual announce and move forward. >> Great. >> And
018then we Katie and I uh as she you know ends the year with the work she's doing and also um has time that she's taking we've identified two days where there'll be overlap. So whatever the candidate is at the end will have to commit to due dates in June that Katie has already identified in her calendar that overlap two overlap days and so that will be part of the transition as well. And Katie has offered to be available during July. I'm trying to convince her that once you leave it's hard to >> look back. Uh >> but I do appreciate that offer and we will call if needed. And I thank Katie for being available but uh we're trying to organize it so that doesn't have to happen. I'm sure Katie will have her plate
019full uh where she goes, but we appreciate the the connectivity that we can have Katie and me too. >> Yeah. >> And so I appreciate how to do that as well. >> Great. Congrats on a successful hiring process. >> Yeah, it was I want to thank uh Ka for running it. Uh Martha Sandal, Bill Fish, and Marine uh for being part of it. There was one other person I can't remember who was. Um and and just from transitions, we have a HR finalist coming in next week. >> Yeah. >> And uh we have a finalist interview for the technology director position today. So we could have all three of those, you know, significant positions up by the end of next week. >> Yeah. HR person report to you. >> Yes. Also just in terms of
020or technology person reports to Carla >> or the technology versus the UB position on contract. So they would report to Ka was there questions or thoughts. >> And I know that we I don't want to continue to uh yell thank you to Katie as she drives away on June 30th. Um, this has been a very effective year for the finance committee. Uh, and it started by Katie finishing 25 well. Uh, and being here in May, watching the, uh, the diligence in which she was able to pull so many different things together that were unknown by the minute, you know, purchase order, stipens, things that were not codified anywhere and then actually discover them. you know, we were sending emails to principles and everybody, you need to do this and uh they had never really actually
021had done that before. So, closing 26 was a significant uh accomplishment. Not only having it come to meet the number and asking for the million from the morning, but just uh identifying the expenses in a way that we could actually pay for them for. I mean, it it was a lot. And so, [clears throat] this year is night and day in terms of every expense is in front of us. It's all been encumbered. There's no confusion. This is how it should be. >> And also under the school committee's leadership along with Mark and Katie, uh the two policies that we created this year were significant in terms of safeguards for the community around how the budget will be accessed and if it does get access more money coming out of a revolving complex circuit breaker,
022it has to be done at a table as opposed to uh dealt with in other way. So, uh, those structures have been really helpful. And behind the scenes, Katie has set up internal, uh, systems for how we encumber. When someone's out and we have people stepping in for folks that are not a traditional sub that we might have to pay a teacher, everything now is done by memo, it's all been encumbered. Um, so we know where every expenses and and when things pop because every day every year things do pop or every week something pops it goes into a memo it goes to to KD it goes to the other people so there's no confusion about what's being spent and why. So and there's an institutional record like a memory of how decisions were made
023which is so we have social person going on our FMLA and it's a significant position we need to hire someone to replace that person in just six weeks but >> you know you cify it you write it down and it's an expense and you put it out in front of everybody's in the principles I thank them for slowly getting on board right >> yes >> what do you mean I have to stop and write this I just told you no you have to stop it and write it down I [laughter] have to approve it and when I approve it I to Katie and and Katie proves it. So there is a system and I think remembering to where we where you all were we started last year those things were not in place >> and
024those I think are the systems that people expected that the schools to put in place. So it's good to codify this in this meeting that all those things are replaced though which is really good news >> I think um for me thinking about how the level of knowledge from the directors and the principles and people that are like responsible for actually spending the money the um engagement level of understanding when I first started to do was like significantly different um and I think that's really important because everyone really feels like invested and a part of that process um in which they should right it's not just one person's responsibility um >> and they have budgets that Katie goes through with them so now it's like if you want to buy that you can buy that
025but just remember this is what you have when you buy that this is what you have >> and when you buy that this is how much you so be thoughtful about what you have and that has produced thoughtful strategic thinking around what they said about you [clears throat] in get all the UB people who spend money for principles because they don't have their own budgets. >> Principles house all the money in Katie's uh budget and then the when we buy workbooks for math for elementary schools now Brian Sully has to write a memo to the principal saying I bought X amount of workbooks for your school. >> Your school has 380 students so there's 380 for you. There's 600 of you. Here's the amount of money that your school is going to be charged out
026of your account. There's no confusion about it. >> You have principal [clears throat] saying, "Where's that money? How come I got I thought I started the $50,000 and I only have 40." >> Yeah. >> Because everybody is writing memos to you saying that how to spend that money. So, uh it's all been very much a part of our continued leadership meetings uh throughout the year. >> That's great. That level of transparency is so important. I hope you feel really proud of all the work you've done. We're so grateful for your service. Yeah, >> I think one thing just this is anecdotal but like um >> you know everyone in town is connected to the schools like they know their teachers names obviously they know their principles they might know other people. I >> would say
027it's rare for random town residents to know who the assistant superintendent of finance is >> and a lot of people know who you are and are grateful for all the work that you've done. I mean just when I was running for school committee be knocking on random doors and people would know who you are. Um, so, uh, I think it's a testament to the trust that you built with the town, both of you. Um, and the transparency that you do your work with. >> Um, a lot more people understand how this happens and body to feel ownership over it. >> So, really important. Thank you. >> Yeah, of course. Thank you. >> Um, all right. Anything else on transition? >> Where will the try be? Will it be in your office? some photograph flowers underneath
028something. [laughter] >> What would Katie do? >> You know, >> um All right. Should we talk about the budget development schedule um that the budget coordinating committee has been working on? Um, I sent this around to all of you. Um, and you know, this is like, well, three of us plus Mark are on this committee, so we've been working on this for quite some time. Lizzie, I'm not sure if this is the first time you're seeing this or you saw early drafts. Um, I think I just wanted to invite a conversation between all of us. I had a couple of things that um I wanted to check uh just sanity check with both of you around timing in particular in December and January where you know a lot of stuff has to get done under
029a compressed timeline. Um, but before I raise those, I think happy to [clears throat] happy to hear um any I'm not gonna I'm not going to like walk through this document. >> Um, but happy to hear any like questions or comments on any parts of it. I have one question about um this plan for the afteraction review which seems like a good practice. Has is something like that taking place has it taken place or is it planned to take place this year? >> Uh so I >> see it in here for the winter >> as part of next year's process. So the the the committee and the the the vice chair Loy is uh leading a survey collection process. So all the members of the committee are weighing in um via an anonymous survey on
030how the process unfolded and then I don't know the exact plan but I assume we will be debriefing the results of that input and talking about it as a committee >> like sometime before August. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Thanks. like in our next one or two committee meetings, I assume. >> Yeah. Okay. Um and yeah, I think it's a great I think I I'm I'm really grateful it's in here. Um I think it's I think it's an important practice. Um I wanted to ask uh so if we just look at December and January where we are >> Would you share that on the screen? >> Yeah. Oh thanks. So, um, you know, through the through the summer and the fall, we're sort of conceptually designing, uh, budgets, both kind of [clears throat] contingent and non-contingent
031budget, collaborating with, uh, other boards and town staff to understand what revenue and expense expectations should look like, having joint planning sessions, and then by the time we get to December, we're hoping to have drafted contingent and non-contingent budgets. Um, same with the select board on the town side. And then we are submitting that to those drafts to the town administrator and to the and [clears throat] then and then subsequently down the chain to the warrant committee. So that so those those two bodies can begin sort of processing all the information and providing feedback uh to the to the to the communities. one and this is I'm raising something I think has come up in in um the budget coordinating committee. I just want to make a sense of this. So we have um by
032the second Friday in December um the town administrator is turning over our contingent and non-contingent budgets to the water committee. meaning that prior to that, some point in the first two weeks of December, we need to have complete a contingent non-contingent budget. And then some point in the second half of December, um the warrant committee is hosting the school committee and superintendent to provide feedback [clears throat] on budget. Um, and then when we get to January, I'll just fast forward to January. Um, we're holding PTO budget briefings. Um, we are holding our budget hearing, the sort of legally required budget hearing. We're voting on final. Um, so there's a lot that's happening there in that in that month really. Um, and it it should, you know, in my mind, it should all be doable if
033we've done this all of this work in advance. Um, I just wanted to hear from the from the two people who sort of fully owned this work last year how that sits with you. Um, you know, we're not I think we're we're trying to, as I understand it, we're trying to agree to a schedule as a as a town. We're not chiseling this into granite. So things will come up maybe if we have to flex we can can do that but I wanted to sort of hear from both of you whether this felt reasonable. So if you I'm just going to start it all sounds very reasonable with the understanding that that is pressurized to get a lot of work done before the holiday break. >> Yeah. And the goal is if you can get
034that done, then you're actually moving moving the work much easier for January, February, March, preparation for the March, you know, for for Warren community to actually have something. The question becomes the detail of that, what what the schools can provide. What's the level? Is it a 34,000 30,000 foot level? Is it a thousand foot level? Is it the the full detail is really where the hardest work comes in. And I think when we talk about contingent and non-contingent budgets, it will be very helpful for the probably the schools and the town, but I'll just say the school to know what the gap is that we're talking about. So it really will become uh important to understand what the revenue uh forecast is in at a very sign you know at a very not detailed level
035but really this is what we're zeroing in on even though we don't know what the house budget looks like or the governor's budget looks like and charter 7 looks like um because as we learned this year uh first of all knowing it earlier helps because we can construct those budgets a little more detail uh knowing that there might be more money rolling in later on and just assuming Uh it's a common it's a it's a tension it's a political tension between getting people riled up and not riled up at whatever points of the year. Um but if that gap is a half a million dollars then this isn't that big of a deal. We know that we might get at we'll get more chapter 70 that gap will go from 500 to 200. We'll figure
036it out. It will work. If the gap is 3 million then that's a different conversation that might spill into June. That might be something where there's going to be dialogue that has to be soon. So, I like the structure. I like the aggressive structure, but I it it needs to be um seen through the lens of it really depends on what what we're seeing in terms of uh a revenue expense uh uh consistency where they're you know the same or there's a big gap. That's where the non-contingent can do budget work because the detail of that will need to provide on our side needs to be substantial. um because we'll end up taking the broader reduction and it will mean that we would want our actually in mind what that might impact what that might
037be. >> I don't think it affects the town as much because I don't think that they'll end up um having to make that big changes. Uh and then the other part of that discussion will be [clears throat] what is the expectation for the split between town and schools and what is the anticipated growth uh percentage that the schools are going to be able to uh utilize to make up by 204 that that's going to be the discussion will be helpful. That's just my opinion. What do you think? >> No, I totally agree. I think I just had and we're talking like focusing on December and January, but I think to those points I had just gone back to look at August and September because I think August and September is really the appropriate timing to
038be looking at overall revenue because that is essentially going to drive the budget that we're creating from an expense side and that is going to give us the information that we need to say, okay, if level services x% and we know that the revenue is only this percent what is the gap and and what are the changes that need to happen >> um so I think the sooner that we can get that information which I know that there's some language around having some of those conversations in August and September um the sooner the better knowing that there of course are going to be changes up until we finalize the budget in January, February. >> I actually see that discussion happen in October. >> Okay. >> Um, so and I I don't know what led to
039that. >> That may be the soonest that we can actually reasonably talk about it. Does that feel >> reasonable to you? >> Yeah, you have you have free cash being certified by the town right around then. So then that solidifies the next year's budget. from the town side pre-cast looks like it's certified that's a building block of the exchange budget so >> um Lizzie any any kind of absorbing this for the first time >> no I mean I agree that this makes good sense I think it could go without saying but just what I've learned it it's good to be agreeing to all of this now, >> you know, because our ability to like we saw this year, our ability to follow through on our time frame hinges on the warrant committees doing their time
040frame, select board doing their time frame. So, I think it's good that everybody can just agree to something because you have proposed a timeline >> that looked similar to this, >> correct? But it was not followed >> and that meant we couldn't follow it either. >> So you know I think >> um that's I see this as a you know continuation of the model that you you attempted to implement. So it's, you know, hopefully we'll have more success coming through budget coordination committee since that's like everybody at the table together. [clears throat] the the discussion that we I didn't go to the last uh Milton the budget meeting I had a previous but we were talking about being part of that uh the the definitions and or how we want to talk about rollover budget
041versus level service budget versus uh level funded budget. all of which are very different things >> uh that have a lot of different nuances to them and and then trying to figure out how we can educate the community around what each one of those mean so when we use them we can all speak the same language but I think it'll be important for us when we do do a debrief and we get ready in August or this conversation that when we start that cont the non-contingent budget which means it's not contingent on or or extra money anywhere non-contingent means what it means that we don't need any other resources in order to make this budget work. if that's going to be consistently across the town departments and school rolling everybody over with certain assumptions. I
042think that that's something that we want to come to agreement pretty early so we can all describe it the same way [clears throat] and it has similar as best we can apples to apples uh conditions for everybody like if it's for the schools and I think Katie did that last year in October which was we're rolling every person over we're making certain reasonable assumptions like utilities will go up by x% we're looking back at our actuals and making some reasonable assumptions about some of non salary expenses >> by this by in next year's budget we'll have a contract with everybody. So we'll know exactly what the personnel [clears throat] line will be in terms of dollars compensation etc. So that's what that means. We just want to make sure that you know Amy and you
043know Nick and I and Katie and or Katie's um replacement we all understand that that's the same thing going forward. Whatever that doesn't matter which one of those things it is just has to be the same thing for everybody. So we can all say that's what that's what non-contingent means. Jimmy, >> I had mentioned this during budget coordination, but I'll say it again here. Um I think it's really important to as a part of the process to be able to create that level of service budget. And for me, a level service budget is just um projecting what the cost is going to be next year for the same level of service that we have this year. >> Um because you just want to that creates the baseline to say we took everybody projected them out
044one year forward. This [clears throat] is how much it's going to cost us. And if the revenue is not matching whatever that percentage increase is, then there are certain changes or reductions that we'll have to make to be able to meet that so we can have a balanced budget. It's just a and and then we during the course of conversation kind of went over like level service. I think sometimes level service and level funded are used interchangeably. I've heard that a lot. level of funded would be the same amount of money which always results in cuts year over year. >> So I think we just need to be careful when we we always want to say that we're providing level service the same level of services to our students and to our staff. So, um
045I just that's just such an important part in the pro of the the process to be able to communicate like if you want the same number of teachers, number of buses, the same instructional materials. This is >> the lights on the bus is rolling the the heat on all the nons. >> Um >> that comes with an increase. >> It comes and not an increase of you're getting >> Yeah. >> Um >> and it doesn't mean you just blindly do the same thing not sure that you do every year in all of this. I think it's having that financial baseline is is right. >> Yeah. >> So similar to what we did this year, we will do a gift this year. We will realign positions and or resources which means we might have two less
046of these type of staff members so we can have two more these types of staff members in order to directly impact the classroom. >> Yeah. >> In a in a more effective way for students. And that realignment that we did this year despite reducing staff was important. And I think that that's what we >> I think we're going to be in realignment mode for a couple years before we ever think about adding mode. Yeah, >> we're not going to be in adding mode for a little while till we can kind of rightsize the uh the budget and what what what we offer. Um so that that is going to be a part of the conversation for sure. >> Um so just keep an eye on the clock. I know half of us have to go
047somewhere else in 10 minutes. Um are we good on the I have a few notes here but seems like the committee is generally comfortable with this timeline. Um, I thought we could spend a [clears throat] few minutes talking about the the goals for our committee next year, like just um things we want to accomplish uh in addition to uh building and approving the budget. Um, for example, this year, John, as you mentioned, uh, we, uh, we wrote and approved SPE stabilization policy, circuit breaker policy. Um, are there is what what is the work product, if any, that we hope to produce this next year beyond beyond the budget? And like one thing on my mind, it's just other evolving funded policies that may be important to govern those. >> U yeah. So I'm I'm thinking
048that we if if if uh I related to revolving we may need to review more comprehensive way fees [clears throat] >> because if we're uh I think we we increased some fees this year to make things work and remember we screenshots some fee shifts. Uh I think we shifted the bus fee. uh we might want to look at our rental fee schedule a little bit differently. We are a very good partner to the town and we give everything the council on aging is choosing the auditorium. We're going to give to Bri or just charge custodian. Um, I think we do a good job of of charging people who rent that are uh not part of the town and uh maybe reviewing what those fees could be in order to be more revenue uh seeking even
049though revenue generating the organization. But uh we do have space to rent that that that um we're not going to increase that. Uh that might be just one uh one thought I and when I think about fees if we have a budget at state uh I actually I'm very open to reducing fees for some things that students and families use >> because I don't believe in high high bus fees high athletic fees. Uh so I may maybe maybe if we get some stability in our budgets over the next couple years then we can actually be thoughtful about we can either hold and reduce some student center fees. >> Yeah. >> As part of that it'd be nice that if that's a conversation we just want to have out loud. Yeah. >> Maybe it's we have
050to wait to see how 27 goes. This is one data point where this you know Katie has provided us one solid fiscal year data point and then we have to carry that over there to make that one solid year. Next data points are connected and then 28 will be the third and that's the trend. Right? So now we're in good shape. We know where we are. We know the revenue is going to be you know we know where we're you know whether we're going to be reducing each year by a couple or we're going to be next year will be a hard year. I mean, we're not going to [clears throat] we're not going to wake up next year being either. >> We're gonna wake up next year need to do exactly what we did
051this year, but hopefully we just do it in October, November. >> Yeah. >> Which is kind of, you know, not have as much revenue as we hoped, realign things where we think it works for kids and maybe have to be thoughtful about whether we can reduce compositions. >> Yeah. >> And not have it be a crisis moment. >> Right. That's it's a it's a planning discussion over the course of would have been a more uneventful. Yeah, we just went through had that discussion back in October >> on fees. I I completely agree with you and I I think um any any way we can find to control fee increases. I I think fees will go up because costs go up, but I it um you know, it pains me to to try to close budget
052gaps on with using fees just given how regressive they are. Um, so I'm I'm with you on that, John. Um, on so on other revolving fund policies, I I don't know. This is this is a knowledge gap for me. Like I just don't know what we would typically have. It gives me a great deal of comfort to know that we have a circuit breaker policy >> and I think it it [clears throat] seems like that logic should extend to other revolving fund policies. cuz I could imagine I don't know that we need a policy for every single line, every single revolving fund, but um there may be specific revolving funds we want to have policies for or maybe want to have a a policy governing the entire body of revolving funds that aren't that aren't
053circuit breaker, but do you have what's what is best practice there when you see it? >> So, I want to give Katie the floor because um I think you have some really good thinking around that and you can say whatever you like as you're leaving. So, I want you to be I want you to feel comfortable saying like these ones, yeah, you don't really need much there yet, but you might there might be a couple that you want to pay attention to. I think that's good to justify that. >> Um, so typically it is three months of expenses. That's the balance that you would want to retain in a revolving fund. that is kind of the federal guidelines um that we use for the school lunch program um is that we're supposed to have the
054three months worth of operating expenses as a balance in the accounts. So that's what we typically use for some of the other accounts I think. Um and then I believe it's DLS also gives us guidelines for the following accounts of um specific to the schools and then they have guidelines that are specific to municipalities around um just somewhat governing the usage of their revolving accounts and saying that um yes, you can roll over the funds year, but you're only supposed to use them for like these specific purposes. So, I think it's always important to kind of like keep that as our framework of any of the conversations because it's not like we can just take money into nonvolver. There really is supposed to be a specific purpose for the collection of those fees. Um, so
055I think that's just a really important thing to keep in mind. I think um a piece of the work that we started this year was really looking at building rentals and what is an appropriate balance knowing that we want to be able to utilize some the revenue that we receive to um maintain and upkeep the facilities that are being used on pretty much a daily basis throughout the year. Transportation is another piece too. We had increased the fee this year, but just looking at how much of the revolving account should offset the overall cost. Right now, it's only a fraction. I think it pays for maybe um one or two months. That's how much of the revenue we're bringing in. So, um looking at transportation um and then also the athletics. So, I think athletics
056is a pretty significant expense. So, kind of looking at how much revenue we're bringing in for athletics. Is that appropriate? Are we car carrying um three months worth of expenses in that account and is that an area where um we would need to change the fee to kind of reflect what we think is an appropriate balance. Yeah, those were that three kind of that was the next iteration of looking at is there a policy that could be somewhat similar in high level that would encompass those three important terms. >> What about community schools? >> Community schools because I think um because community schools the intent is for that to be a self- sustaining um program. I think of it as a little as different than the other ones. The other ones are just it's um
057the revenue that we receive is not intended to pay for the entire program where community schools is is self- sustaining, self operating. Um >> would you say Katie the community schools and school lunch are kind of here >> for the reasons that you just said >> and then everything else is kind of over here like bus you know buses transportation is only a fraction >> athletics is only a fraction >> um you know facilities uh I would like to develop that to be more substantial yes >> for all we found that actually >> we could give to Bob May who the facilities to do more [clears throat] but the unexpected cost we just start from scratch. But yeah, I I I agree. School lunch and community schools are just different. They're self-sustaining. You kind of
058believe they're they're the they're the real three months of expense kind of folks. >> Uh because there's no general fund money going to those. >> Yeah. [clears throat] policies policy idea that makes sense to me to model it on what we did this year because it's also about setting our like intentions as a committee. um even if we can't commit future committees, you know, to the fees, but to the increases, I feel like that would be helpful for the community to have a take a step back, have some conversation about um what might be necessary like looking forward because that's obviously better for people if they can have a way of anticipating like what increases they might need to expect to kind of help phase the >> fees of transportation or athletics towards like a
059a better level >> rather than having some surprising feeling fee like increase at the end of the year next for next year. Do you know what I mean? Like I when we talked about we want a fouryear plan, you want a threeyear plan towards >> I just wonder if there's a way to talk about that where we're now intending to raise the fees like >> all at once in one year but we are making a threeyear plan to get us to a place >> and do incremental >> we when we were doing community schools I think that conversation came up should we the these expenses go each year and the fee stays dormant, maybe >> knock people over with a $100 increase and it doesn't feel okay. >> Yeah. >> And there should be potentially
060a policy that just says these fees go up every year by x%. >> Yes. >> And that we just have now we're trying to work within that increase. >> Not going beyond >> and that that really is not just for community schools which seems to be that was the one this year but you had like two or three folks uh email about that. mouth and Katie and I talked to different parents throughout the year that uh that would be helpful for all because then it's just more predictable. >> Yeah, it is more predictable and that despite the fact that it's not as much of the out budget as it's as it would be if every dollar helps. >> That's a million dollar enterprise that when they raise when their fees are x% of that if
061it's $30,000 off that's $30,000 out of the account. that's apparent or small to kind of do like that that's there's not that much room for error stuff. So I I think that would be a great idea to talk about annual increases at a certain percentage that provide clarity for future planning. Great. >> Y great. Um, so we can take I should have said at the beginning, I wanted to just start this conversation so we could take it into our governance retreat in a couple of weeks and just have have all these ideas on the table to share with the rest of the broader school committee. Um, finally, just before we close out, uh, is there a need for us to meet again before the school year is up? >> Katie, we don't need to. I
062mean, I know we've been well, it's been we took a little bit of break since since the school committee reorganization, but we were spending a lot of time together last six months. Um, so yeah, I defer to you all if there's if there's things we need to pay attention to before this goes up. >> I don't think so either. Um, and I know a lot of the work that we've done during these meetings is kind of to have um, conversations here to present to the full school committee. And I'm not sure that there's >> I can't think of anything that needs to be presented either at the June 3rd or future >> future meeting. Yeah. >> I I can't >> I mean, if something comes up, we can always call on. >> Yeah. Yes. Um,
063absolutely. >> Okay. I think I think uh the next step of that because I agree with Katie is to say that uh if school opens on the 24th and we start to look at our retreat with the calendar school committee meetings going for next year that there would need to be a finance meeting as part of the starting of the year as well that the calendar that uh the um committee is working on starts in August. So we want we want the finance to be up on board ready to go for mid August stuff. >> Could be that part thing could be like sometime over the summer look at the timing of these meetings >> when they >> or just the day. >> Yeah. This Yeah, we can reset the schedule. looking at like Tuesday
064morning or I I just need >> I'm not totally sure, but >> yeah. Yeah, I'd rather set that um early so we can just be Yeah. >> Okay. [clears throat] Yeah. And we'll Yeah, we can we can check in on that. >> Okay. >> For sure. It it is always helpful when we think about it. You know, >> a set day. >> It's a set day is very helpful. And then making sure that if we're meeting every week, which we we were during the year. Yeah. >> Which is fine. If we ever go to every other week, it would be nice to have the every other week be of the option of school. >> Yeah. >> So the preparation happens here in order to present. Yeah. Not to say your day stuff. >> Yeah. >>
065Okay. >> All right. I think >> Oh, yeah. I guess I guess we I guess we >> I'll make for um Nathan to be the chair of finance. >> I'll second that. All in favor? Okay. And I'll make a motion. >> Um I'll make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Great. >> It's not picking up the This setting is also weird, but so it wasn't picking up everybody's hands, but we both voted for >> we did unanimous to listen.