001All right. Uh, call the meeting to order here at 8:03 a.m. We will move through. Try and make sure we're done by 9ine. Um just general things we want to cover is the sorry slides which there's a the deck Katie and John together dropped it in our folder for the warrant committee or next what's it Tuesday um Monday um so walk through that want to start talking about the uh revolving accounts and then also talk about our dates because we won't necessarily have any kind of um firm upcoming dates or general cadence but we'll see when we to meet again as finance committee. So with that, why don't we jump in first with the slides? Sure. Makes sense. >> I can pull them up here. Anything you want to just walk through them? Is there
002anything particular you want to like hit on or you all wanted feedback on? They seem to follow up. Okay. So, she's bouncing. >> Um, if we could just walk through them, I think that would be fair. Um, I when we get to kind of like the last section, I just wanted to make sure that it was clear that I'm still like updating some of the information that's in there. So, um, that's a piece that I'll continue to work on, but if we can just kind of walk through those, I think that would be helpful. >> Okay. So, um, >> can we update this? Is this just when you made it? >> That's probably when I just started feeling it. And then, so the agenda is very much based off of, um, the draft agenda that
003we had proposed with Warren Committee. I don't think there's anything that would be kind of a surprise. The one thing that I did add was the budget philosophy just based off of um the draft budget philosophy that has been shared with the subcommittee in the full school committee. That that was really important just um to continue to communicate that to the different boards and committees. Um so that's also included. That was not on the initial draft agenda. Um, and then just kind of walking down. So for the budget timeline, I'm not sure if there's any key dates that we want to just call out specifically on the slides. So what I did and what I did on a few of the different slides is I just provided a screenshot of our current budget timeline and
004then I can link the actual document so that when we share this presentation if if anyone wants to go in and actually like look at the document, save the document, whatever um use it as a reference point that they can do that. Um, but I don't know if there's any specific dates that we wanted to like call attention to. My thought on this would be calling attention to when we expect to have a, you know, a budget to be able to kind of present to them. I assume they want to know that. >> And then what are the touch points we're expecting to have with the warrant committee for the future? And then maybe like the also the end point like this is ultimately we're looking to have a budget settled by take a vote
005on it that whatever February Senate was. >> Um in my mind it's just maybe those four things or >> okay and I don't know if that we necessarily need to have those bullet pointed anywhere on here or when we share with committee I think we could share it again in the room so we can discuss this morning. to use this. >> I think we could leave this on here. It could maybe just be a verbal thing of like here here's the timeline in general. Here are some key dates. I'm like sure you all know which is like backwards planning from this February 7th date. We expect to have a first kind of budget together from school department side by the state. Here's where checkpoints we want to have with the committee. add to like the
006visual visualization and some of them know that we already have this calendar because we've been interacting with the chair and a couple of other folks but some of the other folks might not know that this this was already submitted to the budget you know coordination committee was voted so this is and then and they can see themselves as they click the link where they are on this one >> but I I agree um and also wondering as part of this interaction Monday night when do they want to start coming to our meetings >> that that's part of the touch points would be their connectedness with us they could be watching the meetings they could be going into to the budget finance page and kind of doing that kind of work but we want to make
007sure that we're off >> I guess could I add on to that um >> because I remember last year there were meetings where we had attendance but not participation. So, they were here just listening to what we're talking about versus are there meetings specifically that we would be scheduling to um answer questions or it's more of a that it's an agenda item. >> I I would recommend that they cross post themselves as a subcommittee to be at our meetings. So, we I would welcome them to ask questions. They don't have to >> sit in the audience. I think that if they're going to get up any we should engage or they would be on there gladly. >> Yeah. >> And that might drive a couple of agenda items that might be different than what we
008think we were going to talk about over the next few weeks. But >> it's helpful to get them on board. Uh >> so I I think we all have to cooperate on Monday night and say please come, you can come online, you can come here. >> Uh we want you to participate, ask any questions that you want and if it doesn't hinder our work, >> right? >> Sometimes you go off that in the community. Uh but I think I think starting to get starting the relationship and getting in the room will be helpful. Yeah, I think it's that last point that I wonder of I think within our timeline we've listed like starting to engage with the subcommittee uh within January >> maybe within the development time they might have a lot of questions or
009feedback but I think we're have a lot of questions feedback and like it's kind of continued to be this nebulous budget until >> I think until we kind of get a little more tight >> getting their feedback in something that was really much a working document >> might be distracted I think might be yeah distracting >> also I think if we're trying to keep in I know that you went through later and talking about the roles of the different groups. So I think ensuring that um that it'sable you know I mean because it's there would be comics commenting specifically on the budget as opposed to the budget development things and so making sure that whatever that timing is it's within the time frame of a of the of the budget that they're presenting >> as
010opposed to the planning. So I think planning is helpful for them to hear >> if that's a way that they you know which they can do at any time. Anybody can do at any time but then really where is the where there's u where it's within the scope of the role of the war committee >> and the budget process. Nathan Oh, it came down. >> Yeah, Nathan obviously just jumped in whenever you >> Yeah. No, I I was going to make a point that someone else made so stepped out. Um yeah, I think right now we have it scheduled where essentially January is kind of when start bringing and then have with them. Um yeah, because the other piece is that you want to make sure we're also as we've talked about here like discussing
011here and bringing back to the other members too and making sure the other members are >> involved in that process prior to really having a long committee. But I totally agree like obviously it's public meeting having them here having them see the conversations gives them some context around the experts and then when we get you know maybe it's before the third meeting maybe don't think we need a third one by the second one we feel really good we can say like all right it's meeting board ask this push back >> so then just so I liked where you were about the dates that would be more specific because I think if you're looking at this, it brings us up through December. >> Um, and then I think part of the question might be to that
012end, when did they get involved? Like where's the piece of it? So if it were those key dates that you were talking about, even if it's not specific dates yet, but if it's like January, you know, where are we beginning to meet >> with a with them? >> Would it be helpful to to if we take the left part of the screen off and move that one over and do the second highlight? Yeah. >> And they can actually see the highlights in that thing. And I can always put like just an indicator next to kind of like the key maybe touch points with the warrant committee if there's a reference to them to some way on this side. >> Yeah. >> And that will be so November. So it's it says 30 or 31 but
013it's November 3. So it's kind of like a you are here. >> Yes. >> We are here and then we're going to do our work and then we're going to invite you in January and then you're back on the Okay. Perfect. Great. Uh next one. >> Um so the next slide is just a reference to the philosophy and priority statement. That is um the piece that I included that was not on the initial proposed agenda. And it really is just talking about the five priorities that we've identified as a leadership team um for the district for the school year and also the budget priorities uh that we've identified um and those are just listed out. And then again there's a link to the full uh budget philosophy and priority statement which is on the website.
014So if anyone has any questions they can go in they can read. We can also just say that um the budget philosophy and priority statement was discussed at the finance subcommittee in the full school committee. So, if anyone was interested in kind of the history of the dialogue around how we came to creating the priorities um and the work that went into identifying the priorities, then we can just let them know that there is certainly reportings of meetings and more information website. Katie, um, I think it would be useful on this slide to clarify, and correct me if I'm if I'm if I'm misunderstanding anything, but to clarify that there's a there's a kind of I don't know if this is the right word, but there's a kind of hierarchy here where the five priorities
015exist and they are driving strategy for the year in in the district and that the budget priorities are born out of those five priorities at least that's that's kind of how I how I think about it. Um, so yeah, so I was going to suggest clar like five district priorities or you know they're they're really teaching and learning priorities, but however we want to talk about them. And then there could even be like a visual representation here where we like write indent the budget priorities and have like a right angle arrow going down or something that just clarifies that that these are that the budget priorities are are a byproduct of the broader district priorities. Yeah, I think that's good good framing. I'll share with you that is good addition. >> Yeah, I I just
016want to pause to the website uh they'll it's the uh the budget website is up and running. the pages up and running and um Stephanie O'Keefe will begin to put it uh the budget block in the s'mores uh in the community uh newsletter that we send out, but also it will also be in every principal uh newsletter that goes out weekly. So, we're we're proactively reaching out letting people know where the website is, where they can get information, and when there's anything new added, she will put please see. So now it's we see the philosophy the Q1. So those things will be continually uh sent into people's inboxes just there on the website. So the next slide is that budget frequently asked questions. Um, so we had a document last year that was the original
017frequently asked questions and then later in the school year we had added to it to include questions that were specific to the overhead process to um the budget deficit that we were um working through as a part of fiscal year 25. So what we did for this year is we went through that document that already existed. There is a copy of that document on the budget page from last year and just tried to go through um and almost take out the questions that were really specific to >> the overhead process for the budget deficit. There was still a few questions just in general saying what is a budget deficit? Um, so that updated document, um, the full document is on the website, but I I know if people just kind of like examples of common
018I guess it's not common topics, but common questions um, are just included on the slide. So, if there's anything um else that you think may be helpful and in and the budget FAQ document is something that we did when we went to the warrant committee last year earlier in the year I think it was either October or November and that's a document that we had shared with them and um provided a copy of of the the last year's version with them. So um for those members of the war committee that were here share it may well be somewhat familiar to the full website. >> Okay. >> Uh this document also requests but ask questions. Okay. >> Oh, it's not public. >> Yeah. My only thought on this is when I'm thinking about the flow is
019I wonder if that comes later. Um, and we can talk about it. Um, because I think we're kind of going through here are the priorities. Then it goes through the pract like the process the practice the roles and responsibilities and then you're in more the leads of the around the budget and then there's the conver I think then it's more granular about the budget. I just >> um like you can keep going through it but as I was doing it that's the only one that it sort of felt out of sequence to me. Um, I think it's important to do it, but then I think that's where a lot of those questions would come. And I don't and I wonder if by going through this piece of it, like if we go through all of
020this and then get to those budget FAQ questions, if there's maybe something that as we're going through that process, then a question might come out of it. >> Sure, that makes sense. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean I hear that that's strong one way or the other on it. >> I only said we kind of go we go into more detail around like special education funding towards the end. >> Yeah. Um, and there might be other similar things that you're talking about that you pull out like >> just your thought is the slide five moves to slide 11 after >> the special. >> I almost wonder if it goes after slide nine. assist components at the school budget. >> I just think the slide 11 that table to me we can >> yeah keep working through
021it. >> Yeah. >> Um right next step like the flowchart. So the budgeting the best practice just talking about um we talked about this a lot last year just really what we are trying to institute here continue here is making sure that we're using best practice as we um work on creating our budget and also administering our budget. And so this just um this comes from the government finance officer association alliance for excellence in schools. Um and they outlined kind of like the five steps that all districts should follow. uh and I think very much these are the steps that we're looking at um for this year and that we've talked about in different meetings certainly at finance subcommittee but I think it's just nice to kind of have all the steps just clearly written
022out on this slide so just talking about the planning and preparing um setting our instructional priorities which is very much in our budget philosophy being able to pay for those priorities which ties into our budget priorities. Um the implementation of doing that work and um very very important is just ensuring the sustainability which is a piece of the conversations that we've talked about not only here but with the town administrator um and other towns. >> Could I make a suggestion? Could we then sorry I keep getting into the flow but I'm trying to think of like the story that we're telling. >> So do we flipflop the slide four and slide five because slide four like slide five that's the budgeting best practice >> and then here's what we did. >> Yes. >> The five
023district priorities and then that's exactly what we budgeting. So then it sets up the why >> and then that's what it looks like in our district. I think that makes a lot of sense because the four is more specific to the work we're doing here. It's almost like examples of this. >> Yeah, this is how we totally makes sense. >> So again, timeline, best practices, our philosophy and priorities responsibilities. So I think sometimes there's just um some confusion around what does the school committee do, what does the superintendent do, what does the business administrator do. So just providing more context around um specific roles and what their responsibility is. Um and also giving the context of this is coming from Massachusetts education reform. So um it's not something that is specific to Milton. It truly
024is a product of Massachusetts Ed form and this is the um framework that the entire state is using. So just talking about policy as it relates to school committee and then the work of the superintendent and just saying that budget really is a policy document. It should be reflecting the school of municipalities and the district's educational goals which is pieces of our budget policy. >> Should it um should we say here what our view is on what the role of the warrant committee is in the school budgeting process >> and what do you believe that to be Nathan? It's half and just No, because I think you might get five different opinions. >> Yeah. >> Well, that that's why I think maybe it might be worth >> it might be worth putting it on here
025and and making sure that that the that the 20 of us are on the same page about that. >> Um I mean I guess I I don't know I don't know what the what the what the role is on paper. I'm sure it's written down somewhere, but it's to, you know, ultimately to recommend to town meeting uh whether to approve or not this the school budget and to recommend, you know, um policy policy modifications or something along those lines. You know, I'm thinking about what is what is ultimately written in the warrant historically about the school budget. Um, but there's all this in between time, right, that we're that we're talking about spending with the warrant committee. And so I think it I think it could be could be useful to to, you know, it
026it is a it is a partnership in which we want to make sure that they understand and can endorse the school budget and so they have a chance to um poke and prod a little bit. I worry a little bit about us the the tone of us coming in and telling the warrant committee what their job is of like how that comes across. I think that is on the the chair of the warrant committee to wrangle his his crew and direct his committee forward um a bit. I mean I think we added the warrant committee here then in my opinion we would we should add like just general town information around like townwide budget process uh which would be you know involvement of the war committee, town meeting, the coordination with the select board and
027town administrator that gets into like the larger kind of what is the budget process look like at the and I think the war committee generally understands that process well and so um I don't know how effective use of time is but Yeah, I I guess the my initial reaction is just like us coming and saying like, "Hey, here's here's what our role is and here's what you can do." Um I think at times historically the war committee has kind of gotten out of their lane. I do just worry about the tenor. >> I am worried about that. Yes. Um maybe I should worry less about that. Um >> no, I mean it's it's it's more about how do you address it, when do you address it, and what positions you address it. I mean, >>
028um, do we proactively put it on the table or do we, >> you know, put our roles in and make sure that they're aware of how we're going about our work and then if in fact the proddding um, and the questioning goes over a line, then we can just hold that line at that point or remind folks of their roles, etc. But >> I'm not I'm not sure whether here is the time to >> um to have that discussion. They've also done they you know I know the the chair the war committee has done a lot this year on um more of a 101 even for them on sort of like their role the process how they um how they address um like comments around a warrant. So, I totally understand where Nathan is coming
029from, but I think maybe um have I think this might be a case of being more reactive is probably better if there's the need than to >> than to you know set that tone. If if that question comes up, then I think we're prepared to answer it. If somebody said, "Well, within this what's the role of the warrant committee?" then, you know, we would I would look to the chair to answer that and then we can weigh in on it. But I just I think to your point I'm not sure it it I I think I personally would rather lead with the assumption that um that it will be a collaborative positive relationship and that that everybody is sort of clear on the roles and then if there's the need to address it in another
030point do but this would be the opportunity if somebody had a question for them to bring it up. I just maybe that's their fault. >> I wonder if it's even just maybe a next like a next step slide. So like next steps are we're going to work and develop our budget. Then we are going to kind of bring a draft of this back to you to stress test this from like a you know just answer questions um financial like sustainability perspective. You know looking for you to kind of goals and push and finalize this. Ultimately, the warrant committee should be making sure that from a financial lens of what we are presenting as a budget align. I think the point you've made previously like if our budget request is aligned to the town's budget request
031overall and revenue projections, hopefully we'd expect more committee to have very few concerns. Um especially if we're being clear about how our any changes to our budget allocation is like a lot of programmatic decision department uh that that sequence as well with at the end you you go back to the timeline we're going to go up and do our work. >> Thank you for being here tonight. you have some questions. You know, we're as as we started here's the calendar of the work. Um we're, you know, we are hip deep in the work uh between now and winter recess and we'll be in front of you January. But again, we welcome you to come to any meeting to watch us get this work done. Blah blah blah. >> I think this is great. And and
032just to be clear, I'm I'm assuming best intentions on everyone's part. I I um in a highly collaborative volunteer-led environment with regular turnover, uh roles and responsibilities sort of >> are are frequently consistent even with best intentions. So I just was if Mark especially if you and Jay you feel like you all are on the same page and I I know the chair will communicate to his committee what the expectations are. I think it'll be fine. I think this next step idea is good one. Yeah, I think being clear on when we are expecting the warrant committee to be involved in this process and when not is I think say versus which is similar but a little bit different I think tonewise and like here's whether you you go um but I think it accomplishes
033the same so I think it's overall again good point uh sorry next one is the policy versus administration So this is just building on the previous slide around the roles and responsibilities. Um just kind of digging in more of the policy side or the school committee side versus the administration of the budget. I don't know if if we necessarily need this. It may just be kind of like a reference if they had more questions about kind of who does what within the school department. Um, >> so this this is your thinking around a 101 kind of thing, right? So where do you weigh in? What's the what's the baseline of the to Nathan's point, what's the baseline understanding of the >> you know, are they a veteran? Are they they have folks on the meeting
034on the committee? Uh the gentleman that's on the uh that's feels like educationally there's some pieces that they might need to do. >> I'm not sure if that this could be repetitive a little bit with the above slide, but >> yeah, that was my thought. I think I think these are good points. I just I think you accomplished them >> in the slide >> in the prior slide of >> again both both seem to be talking about again here's like the distinction between the administrative policy superintendent school committee. >> Um I kind of like the side by side Um just a visual maybe but then maybe it's just bringing in my key down here. >> Sure. Maybe I could just combine that too. >> Yeah, just make an even reference like this kind of the
035budget. >> Okay. So this um is just more talking specifically about the budget and the makeup of the budget. Um um just a reference to the salaries. Um any fluctuations in revenue offsets or experiencing mandated expenses from inflation adjustments. Think of this as just kind of like a highlevel summary of kind of the pieces of the operating budget. Um, just in an attempt to familiarize them with some language that we talk about when we have conversations about the operating budget as it relates to revenue offsets, any mandated expenses that we may have. Um, I think inflation is something that similar to, you know, your household budget, that's something that we've all experienced over recent fiscal years. Um, and that just speaks to prompt 2 and a half. So having um a budget increase 2 and
036a half% year-over-year when inflation is increasing 7 to 8% is just kind of speaking to how um it's difficult to make sure that um we're keeping sustainability in our budgeting. >> Yep. I appreciate that context on the beginning too. Thank you. >> So, special education funding, right, I included this as a separate piece just because it is um a significant budget driver. Um so I do need to just update that percentage on this slide. Um I just wanted to provide more information around how special education expenses are funded. Um which includes the local funding, state funding and federal funding. And then um the next slide just gives history. It's really tiny. So I'll just see if I can modify that. So I was just trying to provide um some history around previous years in so
037the three major kind of categories under a special education. So tuition, transportation and contracted services showing that we had a total expense amount. Um and that total expense was funded in two different ways. It was funded by the local budget and then it was also funded by um some state funding through the circuit breaker program. So this is the slide I need to update. Um I just want to make sure that the numbers in there are accurate um and that they tie. So I'm going to work on that. I'll continue to work on that. But I just wanted to include it as kind of like an example of um some of the information that we could provide. I know that um in our conversations at the budget uh the larger budget committee meeting and my
038meeting with Jay, he's very interested in revolving the accounts. And I wonder if we when we're talking about special education funding um and the line the the the complicated process that is supporting the the the big picture cost of the local funding, the state funding, the IDA. Um I'm wondering if there's room for a discussion about how revolving accounts play a role in that. And um because I I think it's a hot top I'm trying to make it a hot topic right now >> because I know that that in our FY27 conversation we want to make deposits in some of accounts in general >> but specific to special education. >> Um that this is this is where we could go back. This is where you almost want to get uh anybody who wants to learn
039more about this because it makes up x percentage of our budget and wants to come in and have a meeting. You know, >> and I will gladly meet with you at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 3 or 10 or whatever and just come in and talk about that because this is a uh it's a complicated it's complicated every year for every city and town to understand. Um there's a lot of moving parts to it uh in every town and city and uh in Milton situation given the lack of revolving funding balances um it's even more of an important pivot point to have folks understand. Mhm. I think that's a piece that I struggled with too in looking at this presentation is like trying to provide just like this highle overview of there's a lot that
040goes into creating the budget and talking about like our philosophy and our kind of like that high level school committee or superintendent. the special education piece. It's hard for me to keep it high level because there's I think just that section could probably do 20 slides and it would be enough. >> Um, and so I don't know if there's a way to almost do to do a followup to this to say that like they will give you maybe two or three slides as context, but certainly they can. This is this also could be where we ask if the liaison from the war community to the school department would like to take the time >> to understand a couple of the complicated parts of the budget. This being one as an example that we would gladly
041meet with them, >> you know, during the day, come and meet. Let's go over like here's a really let's let's like shine a really clear light on this part of the budget so you understand it because it's going to get complicated this year. So this might be a way we just offer that as a a way to inform and educate not to have not to go back to the whole group but just to take let the subcommittee do their work and maybe do it that way. >> Yeah. I think that's a great idea, John. And I think that's also a potential opportunity point forward January >> wants to connect. Well, like we can't talk about next year's budget yet because we don't really have that line, but we need to give you information on >>
042Yeah. how these pieces work. >> I'd love to be able to provide that information too if there is like some sort of presentation or um slide deck to um be able to share that with CPAC. And I think just being able to like sometimes families have questions. >> Um, and so if there is an opportunity like if we're creating some sort of document to share with the subcommittee members, we could potentially share it in other ways as well. keep yeah I think when it feels like it's sort of pulled I understand like to your point and so when we look at that components of the school budget page one of the things that we tal talk about is um mandating expenses I don't I guess I don't know if we need to pull this out
043to your point >> completely is that within that >> you know that's here are the here are the elements within certain areas is to your point there are fluctuations as well. Some are due um like their revenue offsets but then there's also um the flu there are other areas where there's fluctuation due to impacts on like service delivery or like I don't want to go into all of that but I think I just I think there's this balance between recognizing that special education is a big part of the budget. It has it has had a big impact on our budget because of the fluidity or the variability in it. But um pulling it out completely separate feels >> weird. >> And we're all walking the balance of trying not to identify any one group of
044folks in and then connecting them to this budget expense >> in a way that some folks seem negative. This this is a hard balance, right? we're trying to it is and it just happens to be that much harder here because of the >> the lack of revolving account access to be able to modify it without >> uh with a lot more ease from a financial perspective. Um and and I guess in the smaller groups I'd rather either in this group or in a group that's even smaller get into that kind of dialogue and >> because what my goal would be would be to try to educate the small group so when bigger meetings they don't ask those questions that no one wants to ask them >> right >> because that's kind of what happens you
045know I mean >> so how do we balance that I think is >> uh how do we balance where when and what under what what meetings do we do it uh in and how do we make sure they educated so the larger meetings go better >> right so I like the way you're framing it around the revolment notes because then it it talks about the funding >> um >> and not about the expenses >> right and then you can get more detail it's not that anything is being hidden but this is just one element of many >> that impacts the budget so to your point smaller if there are more specific questions about some of that. Um I do think there um there's a place Kate where I don't know like I do think it's
046important to recognize um local state and federal funding >> um or or and maybe that's goes into an FAQ like how is like where does where what are funding sources for the budget? >> Sure. something like that and pulling that you then that can be out there so that it's not just about >> special ed. So I I think I'm just trying to be sensitive to not just having this >> Yeah, I agree. >> piece that's been an outlier be >> so ju just a comment on Amanda. I agree with you and I wonder if um and sorry Katie I think I interrupted you. I'll just I'll be quick. Um I think I don't know what kind of you know I don't I don't have every piece of benchmarking data in my head right now
047but I think it is also important for these things to to normalize this like Milton is not I'm sure Milton is facing some unique factors here number one being the fact that our reserve funds are drained but in terms of special education being a significant and somewhat unpredictable part of our budget like that is what every district faces. Um the special education funding is not unique to Milton. It is how every district works. I think normalizing that for the warrant committee. So it's not about some choices that we're making here that are driving to this or something unique about our students. It is um it is it's a structure that that every district is is um managing. Yeah, I agree, Nathan. I'm just trying to think of the uh access point to that conversation. It
048could be through revolving accounts. It could be through funding revenue sources. Um, you know, we have we have revolving accounts and stabilization funds in town, municipal, and school budgets in order to help navigate variable uh pieces of our budget related to expenses. uh and it's set up in a way where the state says the best practice for municipalities is to take the state funding and have it in a deposit one year ahead of time. It's a reimbursement that you should always be acting in a way where you have one year's worth of this money. It feels like it might be able to access it through a revolving account type, >> you know, I mean and and when you use like you know the desi actually Katie who did you go through is it Sullivan? What's
049his name? um you know whatever his department is his guidance we use his guidance all the time so your point rooting things in uh state guidance rooting things in uh how the state supports all districts in this kind of unique function of uh supporting the budget uh with this kind of variable uh we are just like everybody else we're managing it just like everybody else we're utilizing the funds just like everybody else and um and and you know we're the best practices piece basically we're trying to incorporate those best practices. We should >> Yeah, I like that, John. >> Right. I I agree with a lot of that. Um I make a a proposal here. I think for this we take the special education cost percent. We want to include that. We could just include
050that as kind of a line under what context you already had here, Katie, around mandated expenses, which again I think is a part of the budget. I think it's something people ask just put it in there. Uh if we want to and I like John your thoughts I was proposing >> this >> instead of the special like >> this slide away. just here all the things and obviously if you talk about the special education fund and >> start to break her then I agree with you that this is probably not >> I don't I don't even know if you made that sample about special education because then I think it does get into well so we say salary so our special education salary is that do you know what I think it >> I think
051it kind of opens more questions. I think that there are >> mandated expenses. You know, if you you say what they are, I think then when we get into specifically the budget, that's when you see the percentage. But again, if we're not I just we're not calling out the percentage of anything else other than usually driver. I don't >> and when we say mandated expenses could we not to nitpick this here but we we always just talk about we all have bills and the majority of our budget is paying bills and we have to pay these bills transportation is one of those bills you know uh out of district tuition but like so is utilities so like there see you know what I mean so how far do we go with that kind of comma
052comma comma because a lot of a lot of our stuff is fixed and we have to do um salaries are fixed and we have to do it unless we want to be too seen on the folks we have. >> Yeah, I think it gets into like this bigger kind of chunkier conversation. >> Yeah. When I think of mandated I think the law we can't we can't choose not to do these things. I mean I guess the law said technically have to have heat in buildings laws to your point it gets a little bit but >> um yeah >> I'm just thinking of putting that as an example under that bullet when I think of mandated expenses I'm thinking of mass law I'm thinking of even like our um in some instances our collective bargaining agreements
053um So I don't know if um I could always just reference like you know I know there's general transportation there is >> absolutely for special education so I could almost just like list those out. Um >> okay >> I I think the question would be what why like what's the importance of so I think like if I'm thinking about that and say for example you had to make adjustments to the budget these are areas that we can't >> adjust correct >> right so it's I think it's the why are we sharing this and so if it's in budget development. You know, here are there are areas that are are are are what's the word? Flexible. Not that's not the right word. >> Under our discretion. >> And then there are others that are not. >>
054And so I think knowing that >> so you can't say, well, we just won't do X, >> right? It's not an option. >> No. And so I think if it so that's why if you're like if you were talking about that then if you not that we have to go to this level but for me it would be like okay then what percentage of our budget is that you know I mean I think that's where that is. I wouldn't we don't have to do that now but I think it I think the point is as we're developing a budget there are areas that we can't touch. Um, so I don't know if there's another way or and maybe that says that, but maybe that's narratively. >> Yeah. So, can I say that another way? I
055think that I think all the items are on the um >> when we think about the budget, what discretion the school committee and the administration has over the budget um that that that they can have influence over the changes. We want to just make sure that you understand that these big chunks are always there for our staff to to work around that that aren't discretionary. And you know we have you know we have built-in expenses that we have to pay regardless. Those are things like we know there are mandated expenses that we have to uh pay and we have to provide by law. Um and then you should always know that our our budget uh is 80% staffing. So if if if in fact these big chunks gets to the point where we need to
056make adjustments, we can adjust salary a little bit. We can adjust some of our non-sarying expenses, but there's certain things we can't adjust. So, we're we're not living in the 72 million, hey, what do we want to do at 72 million budget question? We're really talking about what do you want to do with this kind of a market question and it it just kind of puts it a little bit in perspective. >> Yeah. >> For them, this is these questions eventually come up. >> These these are January, February questions that I think wants to warm the plate on and give some uh understanding of so we can point back to it. Hope we hold on to the information from next Monday, January. Okay. So, I'll do some word snipping time out of here. some work
057on this slide, but then we'll delete uh slide nine. Yeah, I was going to pause this group for a minute. I have to go to a meeting. I apologize. Um Tom McCarthy was going to 115 to talk about the capital request so folks can have it ready for whatever meeting to vote if that's okay. That would be helpful. You want him in person >> come to finance for the >> 115. Yeah. So, we'll be talking about discussion next meeting dates and agendas. on the agenda 115 could be um um capital requests for facilities. Um and also as I had indicated earlier, I would like to introduce some potential shifts in budget expenditures for FY26 related to student achievement data that we have and how we would like to support action steps for this school year
058uh that I would like to address in that time as well. Okay. So, thank you very much for that. >> Uh, all right. Just to wrap up the slides. So, from the accounts, then we go into the FAQ. Good feedback like you might have other questions. Here's another resource with a bunch of things we did not get on session. And here we are in next steps from our end and the involvement committee can bring to close questions. Any other thoughts or things that folks feel are missing? >> I don't have anything else. This looks good. >> Thank you, Katie. >> Thank you for that feedback. I think it was really helpful. >> Can we um hold on for this >> presenting wise? >> Yeah, I was going to ask. >> Yeah. Um you the chair,
059you want you go in there, you'll introduce us, kick us off? >> Yes. >> Hand it over to you or I guess maybe you want to connect with John any kind of framing statement beforehand and then he'll walk through the slides >> with questions. Guess mostly be left to it's like school department stuff will answer school committee staff figure out which >> that sounds good. >> Uh Nathan Jside are are you going to join us? You going to school building? >> Well, I don't know. Maybe we can chat about I mean I can we can check in with >> Sean. I don't know what's on the agenda for the school building committee meeting. >> Yeah. >> Um if there's if if the meeting remains and there's a meaningful agenda, I can I can go to
060that one and you can go to this one. >> Okay, >> sounds good. Um, we did not get to talk about the revolving uh, broadly speaking is it do you from a process perspective? Katie, you looking to kind of have like a general discussion and get thoughts and ideas from this group for drafting some type of kind of draft plan. Is that is that what would be helpful most? Um, I think it was maybe even coming up with a draft financial I don't know if we can call it a policy like I'm not sure if it would be a formalized school committee policy because then that would almost be a combination policy subcommittee and finance subcommittee but coming up that um financial practice that we would utilize as a district and as it relates to
061the revolving accounts and then just talking So I think the first step would just be kind of a general overview of the revolving accounts that we have, what the current balance is and then in the future what we would like to establish as our practice in retaining the balance. There's also a piece of it too that will be connected to the fee discussion. So I think that's another piece that would be re relevant when we talk about transportation, you know, different pieces of the budget. So I would imagine that it's g it will have to be a multi- iterative conversation because there's going to be a lot of pieces around the revolving funds that we should >> discuss and then that is going to um kind of that practice that we talk about here will
062drive what is built into the budget for fiscal year 27. So it would be helpful to have those conversations before we are presenting them initial job. >> Would you come with >> sort of a >> I can come with the information. So there's there was definitely documentation that I can provide um I can provide the list of revolving accounts and the current balances. There's also kind of a grid that says what the allowable costs are for each one of the revolving accounts as defined by the state. So I can provide that and then I can see if there's any draft financial kind of policy or practice documents that I can provide and we can go through and try to modify at least so we have kind of like a framework. >> Yeah, obviously we have
063a list of all the accounts through the things like that. Some of them >> some of them are self-sustaining. >> Yeah, the advanced placement count there some of the accounts that are less less pressing start first with the circuit breaker. I think we generally know memorialize that in some type of um process from there about the other ones around busing, athletics, community schools, facilities that you were saying kind of work through. Yeah. any structure or thoughts you have on that one one by one. All right. Well, I apologize that didn't fit into today's Never enough time here. Um uh budget coordination committee reports. Uh there isn't has been no meeting since our last meeting. We are meeting this Friday. Um so we will get an update next time we meet. Uh vote on meeting minutes.
064Send those out Monday night. Have plenty of time uh to review these. Are we ready to vote on these? Do we need want to push it till next week? >> I'm ready. Okay. Is there a motion? >> Could we break it in two? Because I'm not last week. >> Oh, yeah. For22. >> So, it would be All right. I will make the motion to approve the meeting minutes for September 3rd, 2025, September 17, 2025, October 1st, 2025, October 8th, 2025, and October 15, 2025. Second. >> Great. All in favor? >> Uh, yeah. Nathan >> or roll call. Yeah. Yes. >> And I'm Yes. See some items. All right. Now, I'll make a motion to approve the meeting notes for October 22nd, 2025. Second. >> Uh, all in favor? >> Yes. >> I'm a yes. >>
065All right. Great. Thank you. Sorry. Uh, discuss the next meeting. So, we just talked about next Wednesday except work for everybody. Try to get out of here pretty quick. So, next Wednesday we'll talk about capital requests and the presentation on the shift and the FY20 FY26 expenditures. Um, we obviously still have revolving funds discussion we want to have at some point. We do have on an upcoming meeting the 19th of kind of the first reading of this wrap budget. That timeline still work aside. Okay. So I guess the question is do we want to meet on the 12th to talk about the revolving funds? Do we feel like we want to push that till after the first reading of the draft budget? Mindful fact we've been going on a big quick cadence here meeting every
066week. Uh, I'm on the 12th. You're saying we can either we can talk about the revolving accounts or we can wait until after the draft budget is completed. >> Yeah, we could do it on the 26th or the 3rd. The next line after the after the 19th, our next check-in is December 10th for the budget. So, we'll give them feedback on the 19th. that discussion >> is the advantage of waiting because the draft budget may be flowing funds into the revolving accounts or is it more is it are the two things not interlin >> they're not quite interlin I mean they like things around uh the the buses right uh or and also how much are we trying to invest within these revolving funds like how much are we trying to put back into the
067circuit breaker to meet the goals we have for the revolving funds that's obviously one of our top priorities I feel like having a framework for the budget would be helpful. >> I think it >> all right. I just was trying to be mindful of how much we're taking up your time. >> No, no. I think it would be helpful to get to be able to talk about it, provide some context and get feedback before we've >> Yeah. >> because it they are >> very much connected. So it seems like the revolving funds we most want to talk about on the well that would be circuit breaker maybe Medicaid >> and um transportation. >> Yeah. And I think when I think of the fees are definitely separate but when I think like transportation athletics building rental
068um it's a similar like mechanic that we would build into that practice. So we could only stretch those together. >> So you're thinking more about the practice and the >> not specifically within not specifically each one. It's the practice overall science. >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Great. So that will be on the 12th. The 19th will be budget. We can talk as we approach that if we want to keep up this cadence and lead on well the 26th we won't meet 46. Um all right sounds good. Uh anything else we should discuss? If not I will take a motion to adjurnn. Uh second a second. Nathan. Oh >> okay good. >> All in favor roll call. Nathan. Yes, >> madam. >> Yes, >> madam. Yes. So, we are journed. >> Thank you. >> Thanks
069everyone. Bye.