001Great. Good evening everyone. Um, thank you for coming. I'm calling to order the March 16th meeting of the Milton School Committee. Um we will start uh with approval of the agenda. Uh one thing that I would love to do is move um item number uh a under the finance subcommittee report to the end the review for the presentation to the warrant committee. I think if we could go through the um the fee discussion and the budget discussion first and then if there are comments or things that we want to review for the warrant committee meeting after all of that um it would be it would be best if it were at the end if everybody's in agreement with that. >> Great. Um next we will move to um public comment. Um in accordance with school
002committee policy we welcome members of the community to share their perspectives with us during public comment. We have set aside up to 15 minutes for this part of the meeting and individuals may speak for up to three minutes each. While the school committee does not respond directly to public comment, there may be opportunities for members to address issues that arise over the course of the meeting when relevant topics are on our agenda. We strive to engage in respectful discourse during our meetings and ask that the public comment, excuse me, members do the same. Um, speakers should introduce themselves for the record. If anybody any participant is on the call and they are interested in participating in public comment, if you could raise your hand. I see Ron Shikini. Um, if Lizzie or Mark, I don't
003have the ability to promote him. Ron will promote you and then you could make your comment. >> Hi, can you hear me? >> Yes. Yes, can go ahead. Thank you. >> Sure. Ron Kenny, 26 Kushing Road. Uh I have a son in fifth grade at Tucker and a son in seventh grade at Pierce. Uh for those who don't know me, my wife is of Chinese descent, which for the Saskatcheepers makes our boys biracial. Um in March of 2022, I attended a forum held by the newly hired restorative justice coach, Adena Shear. I wasn't familiar with restorative justice, so I thought I would give it a listen. The talk started off well, but it eventually became clear that she believed that racism was only something white people could be guilty of. After the talk, I approached
004her to discuss a number of her comments and told her that racism cannot be redefined to mean only whites can be racist and that all whites are inherently racist. After a back and forth discussion, she agre she suggested that we agree to disagree. Instead, I gave her this hypothetical. I said, "If a black student grabbed my Asian son around the throat and started beating him and beating him and beating him, and while beating him, he screams, "I am beating you because I don't like your eyes. I am beating you because I don't like where your mother comes from. I am beating you because I don't like Chinese people. I am killing you because I hate your race." I asked her, "Would that be a hate crime? Would that be racism?" She looked me in the
005face and said something I will never forget. Well, I wouldn't call that racism. I would call that internalized oppression. As a father, imagine being told by a school employee that if your child were attacked because of his race, that the act would not be racism. I told a few people that conversation, but I mostly tucked it away. And the next year and a half went by without incident. But then in the fall of 2023, the racial comments toward my son started. They were repeatedly called Ching Chong, rice eater, dumpling eater, Chinese boy. One girl told my son that she didn't want his quote yellow skin touching her. Then one day that October, my son confronted a girl who had been making racist comments about Asians. She denied it and then add, "Besides, I'm black. Black
006people can't be racist. Only white people are racist. >> [snorts] >> That's when I filed my first racial bullying report. And then I waited and I heard nothing from the school committee, nothing from then superintendent Burroughs, nothing from then Tucker principal Carter, nothing from the DEI department, nothing from the district at all. And the attacks continued. And after not hearing anything for over two months, I filed the second racial bullying report. In that report, I asked the school committee and superintendent to issue a simple townwide statement affirming the common sense definitions of racism already linked to on the district website. And I asked them to include a simple statement. Anyone can be a racist. Anyone can be a victim of racism. Racism is always wrong. I again received no response from the school committee or
007the superintendent. But apparently the principal was told to investigate the first report and he did. The principal spoke to that girl and she admitted to saying exactly what my son reported that black people can't be racist. only white people are racist. In total, I ended up filing seven racial bullying incident reports, and there were many other incidents that I didn't even bother to report, including one as recent as last Friday. My I'm about to wrap up. My sons are doing fine, but the larger question remains, where did that little girl learn the idea that only one race can be racist? Did she hear it on the playground from a friend? Did she hear it at home from a sibling or parent? or did she hear it in a classroom from the Milton DEI director? I'll
008end with this and I'll repeat. Anyone could be a racist. Anyone could be a victim of racism and racism is always wrong. If our schools cannot say something that simple and obvious, then we should ask why we are paying for the ideology that tells them not to. Thank you. >> Thank you. Is anyone else here for public comment? If you could raise your hand. All right. I don't see anyone. Sorry, I can't get out of this screen. All right. I don't see anyone. Right. So, we will move on to the next the first agenda item, which is the fee discussion. Mark with Mark Mark that's Mark or Katie >> uh I can share just um kind of the context of the discussion we had within finance. So uh obviously this is a continuation of kind
009of what we talked about last time where first we talked about the Milton community schools but then um in our last finance meeting last Wednesday we talked about fees for transportation student activities and building use. Again, the district's making um their prior kind of budgets some assumptions on some fee changes as kind of they held that line item about 75,000 within the budget discussion and so we were reviewing kind of some of their baseline recommendations of fees. Uh Katie has that memo um that kind of lays things out. Um and essentially, you know, after some discussion of the district's initial proposal and um you know, internal kind of conversation, I we made a recommendation that's slightly different from the district's original um proposal, which again that that memo was previously shared. The updated uh proposal
010uh that the finance committee supported was uh increasing the transportation fee um a little bit more than was originally proposed uh by again close to kind of that $50 per student rate. Uh and then in the student activities, not changing that at all. Again, there was some additional allocation that Katie felt she could make for FY27 to add some revenue to the um to the budget, but not by changing fees because we've just been collecting more revenue uh than we anticipated within the current year. And then um we did agree with the town with the department's recommendation to increase the building use fees for the other category. And just to clarify there, there are kind of three categories of building use fees. There's um town um use fees, right? Parks and wreck kind of internal
011stuff. And then um and then this other fee. So these are non-townbased programs that are utilizing our uh spaces. Um at least non- like town governmental programs, I should say. So not parks and wreck uh run programs. Um, so those are that's kind of where our recommendation uh landed and what we um unanimously supported, but I will uh pass it over to Katie to provide any other kind of context and color around the discussion. Um I don't think I have anything else to add other than just to reiterate that um one of the reasons that we had proposed increases to the fees for um next school year or fiscal year 27 was when we had um looked at the budget and when we were um reviewing the budget after we were told that um we
012would the town wouldn't be able to fund the 5.2% level service increase. We had committed to look at the entire budget and not just look at one area of the budget. And so one of um those places were the fees and the additional revenue that we could bring in to um help offset what the original deficit was. And so um the target amount that we discussed internally was the 75,000 and the fee proposal the original and the updated one that you have in the folder tonight is a result of some analysis looking at the different fees that we're charging discussion at the finance subcommittee and ultimately um the recommendation that would bring in additional revenue um in the amount of $78,000. for fiscal year 27. Sorry, Liz, before we get to you and um just
013want to make sure Amanda, Nathan, anything else you want to add about the discussion? >> No, I think you captured it. >> Okay. John, did you want to jump in before? Yeah, I only wanted to add that when we started the school year, uh, which feels like a long time ago, but was very short time ago, we we did need that extra bus that was unable to be funded last year for for the year that we're in. And we made some real clear uh changes for our bus routes and to support as many students getting on the bus as possible. And at that time, we had a lot of folks who were coming to our school committee meetings making sure that we were uh thoughtful about uh adding a bus back. So despite the fact
014that this has not been a public discussion recently, uh it was really important to a good amount of folks. I believe we took over 100 students off the wait list and uh with the um creative bus stop pickup, but adding a bus uh as we promised a while back would be very helpful to get our middle school and high school students on a bus to school on time safely. So it was very important back in the fall if folks remember that we follow through with this during the budget season for the next school year. Lizzie, >> thanks. So, just um I think you said this, but the fees for parks and wreck and town nonprofit organizations are not changing. >> Correct. >> So, it's this other category. They hadn't changed in a long time, and
015they are the only ones receiving the increase. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions folks have about the the proposal? Now >> is the fees for um using the building for nonprofit organization remain uh the same or is it increasing as well? >> We for next year we're not proposing changing them at this time. So, it's only the the other category, not the nonprofit category. And it's a 10% across the board increase for that one. >> Nathan, on that point, Katie, I think you mentioned in our finance meeting that the other category makes up the lion share of the fee revenue for facilities. Is that right? >> Correct. Y >> Yeah. Do you know like are we talking 60% or like 90%. >> Um I don't have the percentage and I don't want to guess. Um
016I can certainly pull those numbers for you. I did ask um Laura Connie who um is a facilities rental coordinator. He [clears throat] pulled the history the recent history of the rentals and the revenue that we've received. And when I just did a quick review, I didn't pull percentages. Um, but when I looked at the overall revenue, um, we typic typically are making the majority of the revenue from, uh, for profits, one of the examples that comes to mind is if you think about like the dance recital that happen in the spring, um, it brings in a pretty significant um, chunk of revenue. So that that was the that would be the area that we're targeting for the fee increase and it would be go into effect for um the upcoming fiscal year. So that
017would um that change would happen on July 1st. >> And I don't I don't need the [clears throat] specific number for the purposes of this discussion. I just wanted to underscore that point for folks on the committee that these fees apply to the vast majority of events taking place in the facilities. Any other questions members have? Okay. Um, just to make it very clear, the the fee change, which again is listed in that memo, but it's $40 per student for increase for transportation for FY27 uh and a um a seven um sorry, $80 increase to the family cap for transportation and then 10% increase across the board in those building uses for the uh short-term rental other. So, if there are no more questions, I will make a motion to uh approve the fee changes
018for FY27 as presented within the memo and discussed tonight. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any further discussion? If not, uh I'll do the roll call vote given we are remote. Uh Bal, >> yes. >> Anna, >> yes. >> Amanda, >> yes. >> Nathan, >> yes. Lizzy, >> yes. >> And I am a yes. So, they are approved. >> Amanda, you're on mute. >> As I just said, uh the next item is the FY27 um budget discussion and vote. >> Do we want to John, do you want to go ahead? >> Sure. So, um, as you know, we've been working through some of these reductions and we have added back several, uh, several meetings back, uh, with feedback from the public, um, at our school committee meetings, and that some of that feedback was
019taken via email and do, uh, through phone calls. Um, one prioritized position that folks have given us a lot of feedback on internally from our own staff, uh, as well as from the public is the nurse director role. Um, as you know, we have um allocated our entire budget except for about $110,000 that we planned on potentially putting aside for a nurse float if we thought the volume of our uh nurse office uh departments were um overwhelmed next year by the need of student facing positions. Uh but after meeting with um at least one of our staff and talking with others and hearing from them via email, uh it sounds like this our nursing department feels uh the need to have a nurse director uh in in our department in order to provide that high
020level administrative uh support and leadership. Uh so with that said in in listening to the public and I know that the school committee has also received uh similar emails um Katie and I met today to talk about what it would look like to fund that position uh for next year and what that would look like at our uh with our final number uh in terms of our final budget. Um, in addition to that, we're we're still concerned about the title one money that has been uh so far reduced from our budget from a set from the federal government due to the census data that's going through the state. Uh this is something that the the uh federal government has reached out to the state of Massachusetts. Uh and subsequently we had a call with the
021department of elementary and secondary education commissioner who asked us to only budget at 85% and then a week later gave us a spreadsheet that showed Milton being zeroed out for uh title one funding which represented roughly $135,000 that was used at the Tucker School to fund a an additional math intervention teacher as well as tutoring for some students um that may need math support. Uh with that being said, um this is very irregular for the commissioner to get this concern and send out this kind of information as well as have a a public call about it with all superintendents across the state. So when we saw the zero on that spreadsheet, we felt like we wanted to bring that information forward. Uh there is a high likelihood that that money will not return from the
022federal government to the state and in turn to the the town of Milton. So, uh, Katie and I feel like we will, as we wait that process out, uh, that we can find funds internally in order to support the position in the tutoring, uh, and leave Tucker's Title One services harmless, uh, and keep them whole moving forward into next year. So, uh, we would like to say as a leadership team, and I did reach out to all the principles today to talk, uh, about this very, uh, specific issue that putting back the lead nurse, I'm sorry, putting back the director of nursing, um, as well as waiting out the title one funding issue and if it does not um, that funding does not come to the district that we will find the money internally in
023order to support what Tucker has in place right now. Um, and with that said, we uh Katie updated the the list of reductions page uh on the on the um uh in the folder for the school committee showing the position back into the budget and also deleting the nurse lead stipen which no longer will be necessary. So, there's a little netting out there that will happen. Um, and with that said, we would recommend putting that position back. Uh and if we vote the total budget number which we've been afforded to uh by the town of 75,613,973 that we will be able to make uh this budget work next year uh given the things that we're putting back in uh and some of the things that we're reducing uh going into FY27. >> Thank you, John.
024Does anybody have uh any questions or comments? >> Yeah, I'd just like to say I appreciate um you listening to the community feedback, John, um and finding a way to make this work uh for the district. Um, I know we, as you noted, we got a lot of feedback within the meetings as well as emails. And I think that it was also helpful to hold the budget forum this year and allow time for everybody to take in the comments and feedback that were given as opposed to using that as a night to vote as well, which, you know, just doesn't really give people the opportunity to have their comments um, heard and considered. So, I I think that that was um a good change this year so that everybody had the the few days since
025that meeting to to um take in feedback. So, I appreciate that. Um Mark, >> uh no, I just want to echo that. I I was appreciative we were able to kind of disconnect those two things, the public hearing and the vote, um and get more feedback. And so really appreciate all the feedback we've received throughout the process from from folks. Want to reemphasize that obviously, you know, I think it would be most most people uh I don't want to speak for everybody on this call, but certainly nobody was going into this budget cycle looking for um significant cuts to any positions and things like that. So appreciate the districts um leading us through this, making recommendations, adjusting course uh and taking feedback and responding to that. Um I you know it's disappointing we're losing potentially
026I should say losing the title one funds. I think the uh it's fair to say there's a possibility that the kind of conservative approach the state is telling us to take is is overblown and maybe we get we get some of those funds but it certainly isn't guaranteed and I John and Katie agree with kind of your your decision that we should move as if we're not going to get it. That's the more conservative approach and I think a prudent approach of you know could we live within this budget without those funds. Um so if I guess I will say my one you know hesitation here with kind of losing those funds and adding back a direct position all kind of under the 110 is obviously that you know that's a little bit above kind
027of what the 110 would be not a little bit but a good bit above. I certainly think y'all have shown throughout this year uh and Katie last year that kind of y'all know how to manage those funds and and find ways to adjust and you've been extremely communicative throughout this year to this board at least I feel um about kind of the ways in which you need to do that. Uh I know you know unfortunately Katie is uh departing us and so we'll need to bring kind of a new person in to really kind of understand those pieces of the budget. So, you know, I don't know if there's some I don't know what that timeline exactly looks like. And I know Nathan brought that up in our last meeting, but certainly wanting to be
028sure that, you know, if possible as we're making this transition into what might be a little bit of a tight budget given kind of these two competing priorities and what is left that, you know, we have ability for Katie to talk to the new person or, you know, in some way just make sure that kind of that information is passed along that like this is what what we are doing and we have a stronger transition. um certainly um you know put that person in a better position than than Katie was put in when when she walked in the door here. Um so that that's just my one hesitation with the with the proposal, but um again, I think based upon the the work of the past year and Katie's work over two years, um you
029know, I I trust the the department in this John, go ahead. >> I'm sorry to but I want to say uh to Mark's point when we met this afternoon and this morning related to budget with Katie and Kyler and I and and then with the full cabinet team uh as professional as Katie is, Katie has already explained how she's making notes in the spreadsheets and leaving all explicit messaging uh within the spreadsheets and otherwise for whomever takes her role over. Uh, I appreciate Katie's professionalism in doing that and all of her actions as she uh begins to close out FY26 uh in and make sure that we have FY27 built in a way that will work for students in the district. So, her professionalism and hard work in doing that in addition to just closing
030out the school year and planning FY27 is much appreciated. It's it's a lot of work to do that behind the scenes in order to make sure that that new person comes in with um with clear indications of what's been budgeted, why, and and where the dollars are that uh that are important for us to recognize and the expense uh pressure points as well. So, I just want to thank Katie um at this meeting for that. >> Thanks, uh Nathan. >> Thanks, Amanda. [clears throat] Um, similar to what Mark and Amanda shared, I'm I'm glad um well, I'm grateful that everyone that we listened and received so much input on the director of nursing role and appreciate John you processing all of that. Um, so I think, you know, I think it's it's a win for
031our district for next year. I I just um and John and Katie, Mark, feel free to others what what you know, feel free to argue with me about about what I'm about to say, but I think I think it's also important to set expectations for folks who are paying attention to this conversation, which is number one, this it's not like you all went out and found $140,000 we didn't know we had in order to pay for we're going to have to finance this somehow. Um, and we don't have the money just laying around. So, this will come from May just like eliminating the director of nursing role would have been a sacrifice. We are going to have to sacrifice something that is currently in our budget in order to finance this. Maybe we'll luck out
032and there will be an easy way to to do it. You know, some attrition where the back fill is cheaper. Some things like that happen. it'll probably be a hundred different things that add up to 10 and whatever that this costs. Um so I think it's just important to say that that this this doesn't come this comes at a cost and then um you know all indicators are that next year will also be a tight budget um and we'll we'll be going through a process like this again. It is possible. Um, so I don't want to I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer. Um, but I just I I want everyone watching to understand that um that given the the structural deficiencies of our budget um we're able to make this work this year, but
033I think I think the future is uncertain. >> Thanks, Nathan. Hannah. Um I also have similar concerns um for future years. I think you know if if we we did if there are ways to that we were able to maneuver this budget so that we had a little bit more flexibility going into next year because I think we'll be in a similar boat uh with reductions possibly. And uh that does concern me because I know again I know uh people um [clears throat] feel passionate about um positions that impact them and all positions are important but I think um really um I wish we also had an opportunity here. I know time is um of the essence, but I wish we had an opportunity to kind of see what kind of changes we could have
034made possibly and other solutions and creative ways of doing this um so that we had a little bit more flexibility going into next year. I think um I'm also very nervous that we'll be in a similar situation as we're kind of just trying to make it through this year and then you know let's see how next year goes. Um, so that does raise a lot of concern for me. So, um, you know, I I guess we can continue to talk about it and look at it over the summer and, um, see what we can do. But, um, you know, I think, um, positions are always hard to lose. But, uh, I think if there are ways we can kind of figure it out, it would be I would recommend that we look at it going
035for future um, if there were creative ways of doing it. So, um, but I appreciate all the work that went into it to kind of, uh, get us to this point. Um, I know it's not easy and I appreciate, um, all the feedback from the community that we've received. It's always good to get perspectives, um, on things. Um, but yeah, um, definitely just kind of wanted to, you know, hope we can kind of continue that discussion this um, over the next few months on how to look at and get ahead of this for next year. Thank you, Anna. >> Lizzie, >> thanks. Yeah, I I echo um and appreciate a lot of these comments um from my colleagues. I think um John appreciate the work that's gone into this final recommendation for us to vote
036on tonight. Um the past couple months have been obviously, as we all know, very difficult journey to get to this point. I think our goal all along has been to um stay vigilant and disciplined and also you know arrive at that sweet spot as sort of a positive way to spin it but you know the best we could do in the circumstances that we have. Um I I feel like this is that um and I agree we need to stay really um careful um and just um continue with these practices that we've put in place. Um so I um I I do appreciate all the community feedback that we've received throughout this whole process. It has made a difference. Um, and I'm glad that I think what we have to vote on tonight is, you
037know, the best um, compromise that I think um, we could arrive at, you know, with the competing priorities that we are all facing um, in terms of the pressures. Um, so thank you. Thank you again, Katie, and John, Carla, and your whole team for, you know, being nimble and staying focused to bring us this recommendation. >> Thanks, Lizzie. Anyone else? >> Uh, go ahead, John. Just just before we vote, I just want to, you know, we always look around and see what's happening in other districts to make sure that, you know, can we do anything different or better and what's working in other districts and and what we're really seeing in uh across the districts, especially the districts that we would like to compare ourselves to for quality of uh outcomes and and great places
038to live with good educational systems. Uh a lot of districts are having a hard time financially right now. And I think that I'm very very thankful to live in uh a town and also work in a town where uh the community steps up and supports an override for the school district and all the other departments in the town. Uh towns like Brookline are millions of dollars short, maybe 200 teachers being reduced. The town of Newton, city of Newton is also looking to reduce their budget. They have troubles in the year that we're in right now as well as next year. and even somewhere like Lexington. All again high performing districts all looking to find that balance between financial uh stability uh and also quality service of delivery from from our educators to our to our
039students. So uh it doesn't make us feel any better that there's other folks out there who are having a hard time. But what it does put in context is that in uncertain times being thoughtful with our fiscal planning um and making sure that we're able to move forward step by step in a way that's good for kids but also make sure that we're not overextending ourselves in any way until we can really be assured that financial support is there consistently uh may be the approach and certainly the approach that that I would like to do in a in a very open and transparent way and then when there are concerns from the public try to respond as best we can and bring things back where we can in order to support students. So, as as
040hard as the last month and a half or two months have been with this news and this shift, uh I do agree with Lizzie. I think we're in a better spot. We've had good conversation and now it's time to uh vote the budget, make our plans for the summer, and get ready for the school year of uh 2026 27 as we finish out a good positive year this year. So, I appreciate everybody's patience and hard work and thoughtfulness during this process. Uh, and I appreciate the feedback from families, not only at PTO meetings and at community meetings that I've held, uh, PTO president meetings and such, but also the emails, uh, and telephone calls. So, and look forward to executing this budget in a way that works for the students in Milton. >> Thank you,
041John. Anyone else? Okay. If not, then um I will make a motion. Um I hope I'm going to do this correctly. I make a motion to approve the FY27 budget in the amount of 75,613,973. Do I have that number? Just double check. Yes. Great. I got the nod from Katie. Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Thank you, Mark. We'll do a roll call vote. Mark, >> yes. >> Ba, >> yes. >> Anna, >> yes. >> Lizzy, >> yes. And I'm a yes. >> Great. Thank you all. >> Oh, Nathan, sorry. >> Oh, yeah. I'm a yes. >> Thank you. All right. It's unanimous. Thank you, everyone. That's approved. Appreciate all of the hard work. Um the final item and I don't know Mark we can we talked about this briefly but we
042have uh I don't know that we would review the presentation but we could discuss briefly the presentation for the warrant committee tomorrow night if there's anything that we want to address here or >> um yeah just for uh folks the I can drop a link to the draft the draft is still I think in the last Wednesday finance subcommittee folder uh so I can take a link drop that into tonight's folder if that's easier for folks. But essentially, we, you know, John, Katie, I've done a little bit of it, just updated the draft based upon some of the feedback that um we discussed at last Wednesday's meeting. Again, uh if you would like to kind of download it, send any final kind of notes, thoughts, concerns, um as kind of we've done in years past,
043please send those over. The meeting's tomorrow night at 7 o'clock. Um and so we're just looking to refine it. We'll need to make obviously some some updates with uh some of the changes that were discussed tonight but otherwise that meeting is on. I also just want to say one thing that is tangentally it's just related to the budget which is a clarification. I sent you all via email but just want to say it at a public meeting around some of the conversation we had related to the select board and the $500,000 free cash discussion. We had said at this meeting at our Wednesday meeting something along the language of that the select board had voted on how they were going to utilize the funds where they were going to put it. That's not the case.
044It I don't want to speak totally for the select board, but it seems like they had a discussion at their finance committee meeting. I don't know if they voted or just came to some agreement, but anyways, they shared that update at the meeting, but there was no vote taken. They haven't taken any vote really, I think, on most any pieces of the the budget or the the warrant for the upcoming town meeting just yet. So, I did want to publicly uh make that correction. >> Thanks, Mark. The other thing, and I'll clarify it with Jay, he um said that our portion of the agenda might not happen until 7:30 tomorrow night, but I will get clarification from him on that. They had something beforehand, but he was trying to move it. It would be be
045great if we could go at 7, but um if it's 7:30, uh I will just send an update that we should all be on at 7, but just be prepared that it might not start until 7:30. Um is there anything else? Did anybody have any questions or comments about the warrant committee meeting? No. All right, that concludes all of the agenda items. Um our next meeting is March 25th, but we um we don't have anything here to review for that upcoming meeting. So if that if nobody has anything else, I will take a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Thank you, Lizzie. And we'll do a roll call vote. Nathan, >> yes. >> Mark, >> yes. Bo, >> yes. >> Hannah, >> yes. >> Lizzy, >> yes. >> And I'm a yes.
046Meeting is adjourned. Thank you everyone. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> [music] [music]