[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6283751,"mediaKeyId","2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a","parentId",2586021,"title","Votes at a glance: finance committee actions on budgets, contracts, invoices and transportation","audioSeconds",4711,"startMs",129000,"endMs",4840000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a&start=129&end=4840","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a/thumbnail_129000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6283751/New-Hampshire/Votes-at-a-glance-finance-committee-actions-on-budgets-contracts-invoices-and-transportation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283751-17c837cab9f20ec29bdf19c6de6b9816/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190879&Signature=DM1RhPYYvZ0pmMYNX717m9I9Q3gyIGaQTwESrsSzjVrm9dsH~mKAg0Fu6pZMgOUIpTj~n69hcgb7li3NuA0~t1d07Pu~SUbYFGbbEbtwIoZrEcrTwmmpoRTInpOebMB1tGuLIzEROu9H3fF0ND0FiF~NYvMsFODUDPjOh1u~VaRNYDytjndqCinNtxxvFRCtZn3kOKhL-dtuhs5P7wPuHHe3K0cfuuv0hN9I8YK~Kq9FDxVbVRWUwVcSo08fwYSibaPUthHcqwVvrFRaGytSB45Jq~j4oQll3RjwEUfjGDczafYxVDE7EO2LiEMvmGDoBf1tde51DI7RNVOGQVeB9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Manchester School District NH","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Manchester School District Finance Committee recorded the following actions and votes during the meeting. Where the transcript recorded a named mover or seconder, that information is shown; most roll-call results were taken by voice and recorded as \"the ayes have it.\"

- Minutes: Committee approved the minutes by voice vote (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Gifts and donations: The committee approved two donations presented by Polly Golden: $50,000 from the New Hampshire Statewide Family Engagement Center to support family-engagement work across all 20 schools, and an anonymous $10,000 donation to support the Dallas Brass Band concert and Memorial High School band students. The motion to approve donations was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote.

- Financial reports and budgets: The committee approved the monthly financial reports presented by Karen DeFrancis, including general-fund expenditures, grant reports and an ESSER final-spending summary. The committee voted to forward the tax-cap–compliant FY26 general fund budget, the school food and nutrition budget, and the capital-improvement budget to the full Board of School Committee for final action (motion moved; seconded by Gwen Potter; outcome: approved by voice vote).

- City services invoices and manifest: The committee approved the city services invoices totaling $2,311,066.94 and the warrant/manifest for the month (accounts payable plus January payroll) totaling $20,798,596.99; both motions passed by voice vote.

- Endowment funds / scholarships: The committee accepted the annual scholarship spending request from the trustees of the trust funds totaling $145,500 (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved by voice vote).

- Specialized transportation procurement: The committee approved moving forward with the recommended specialized-transportation vendor proposals (Safe Wheels/Mr. Sees and Anewcom's Transportation) and directed staff to finalize contracts; the committee recorded the projected fiscal effect (a projected reduction in specialized-transportation costs between $2,025,373 and $4,613,126, or 21% to 51%, depending on routing assumptions). Motion passed by voice vote.

- ATU MOA: The committee approved a tentative memorandum of agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union to create School Bus Operator 1 (CDL) and School Bus Operator 2 (non-CDL) classifications, set the operator-2 wage at 85% of operator-1, and define assignment and guarantee rules. Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved by voice vote.

Ending: Most actions were approved by unanimous voice vote in committee and will be reflected in the full Board record where required. Staff will return finalized vendor contracts and any adjusted contract language to the committee/board for signature and implementation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Finance 02/19/25 ","oneSentenceSummary","The finance committee recorded unanimous voice approvals on a series of routine and substantive items: minutes, two donations, fiscal reports and warrants, the FY26 budgets (forwarded to the full board), transportation procurement changes, and an ATU MOA.","taxTitle","Manchester School District, School Districts, New Hampshire","taxId",76473,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6283756,"District projects big savings from specialized transportation RFPs; union MOA establishes new non-CDL operator class",450,3407000,3857000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a&start=3407&end=3857","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a/thumbnail_3407000.jpg","/articles/6283756/New-Hampshire/District-projects-big-savings-from-specialized-transportation-RFPs-union-MOA-establishes-new-non-CDL-operator-class","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283756-b601dfad4383a352b9db2474886e4c54/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190879&Signature=RSQtdZbwcTcIYQdXm-GkPzr9p9smpRz-cGyOcIYQPCLX7SU08nGoBZr7NNQbVxxam9DNDYqHlLOGNh7~hmztcAS4SV4GZHYSyvzauL2QW-CsKGBaRWncUgE3ZiMnhYGm18aLMOClSsfK4Gk8XL4VlI3wUTlSQp46IWuYl0VeDLjJzCtMSF86YwyI8Gj9OAypq76-d1fCJD~yv2Nmq422YYEgIE7bU43q~y3KMK6ML1s8V0o0f76d7x9eGrfO9GFWBkU2d04JrlDWzD9UkMVabQQtQ4H4-P5EQZ0Ne6ahjaIHAi2x~DkdcgwZf7SCDf4USpsfVQeBf-7DHbODk5nbzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Manchester School District presented proposals aimed at reducing specialized student-transportation costs and voted to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Amalgamated Transit Union to support expansion of in-house services.

Forrest Risdell, assistant superintendent for operations, described the results of an RFP for specialized transportation. He said the district currently serves roughly 1,060 students in specialized transportation (December 2024) and that most services were provided by a mix of contracted vendors, with Easterseals as the largest single outside provider.

Two responsive proposals would replace a portion of the current vendor pool, the presenter said. \"Proposal 1 was submitted by Safe Wheels in conjunction with Mr. Sees,\" the presenter reported, and \"Proposal 2 was submitted by Anewcom's Transportation as a single entity.\" The Safe Wheels/Mr. Sees proposal estimated serving about 300 students with a fleet up to 56 vehicles and a flat charge of $975 per route vehicle per day; Anewcom's proposed 15 vehicles with an hourly flat rate.

The presentation included comparative per-student figures. The presenter summarized: \"The current average daily cost per student served by the 10 specialized providers is $171.25. Projecting for year 26 costs utilizing the current proposals ... would bring the yearly cost to $4,856,999 or $7,444,752. The overall projected reduction will be 21% to 51% reduction.\" Those reduced ranges reflect different assumptions about how many runs vendors can combine and how much the district can absorb in-house over time.

Nut graf: The district said implementing the awarded vendor contracts and growing in-house capacity could sharply reduce specialized-transportation spending, a recurring multi-million-dollar line in the budget; the committee approved moving forward with the agreements and also approved union-level changes to enable use of non-CDL drivers for some runs.

Separately, the committee considered a tentative MOA with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) to create a new job classification and clarify assignment and guarantee rules as the district expands in-house services. Risdell said the MOA establishes two job classifications: \"school bus operator 1 CDL\" (existing drivers) and \"school bus operator 2 non CDL\" (a new job class). He said the wage for operator 2 would be 85% of the operator 1 CDL wage, reflecting the different licensure requirements. \"The wage for school bus operator 2 non CDL will be 85% of the wage for school bus operator 1 CDL,\" Risdell stated on the record.

The MOA also reestablishes a two-hour reporting guarantee for some work (distinct from a three-hour guarantee available to other operators) and sets seniority and route-pick procedures. The presentation said the two-hour guarantee would not be available to any operator who opts to accept district benefits; district staff said the agreement has no immediate negative fiscal impact and could yield savings as non-CDL operators are deployed for appropriate runs.

Committee members asked whether the planned vehicle purchases would include smaller vans for some routes; staff answered that the district is moving toward a mixed fleet and that additional presentations to the athletics committee and future facility/planning discussions will cover vehicle-sizing and operations.

Ending: The finance committee approved the transportation procurement approach and the MOA; staff said contracts would return to the committee/board for signatures and implementation steps, and the district will continue to onboard drivers and vehicles to realize projected savings.","The Manchester School District reported anticipated reductions of between 21% and 51% in specialized transportation costs if two vendor proposals are adopted and district capacity grows; the committee approved an MOA with the Amalgamated Transit Union to create a non-CDL operator classification and related work rules.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6283760,"Manchester panel advances tax-cap–compliant FY26 budget after district presentation",4593,258000,4851000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a&start=258&end=4851","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2586021-020c6a39e0badacdf5d88a5295563a9a/thumbnail_258000.jpg","/articles/6283760/New-Hampshire/Manchester-panel-advances-tax-capcompliant-FY26-budget-after-district-presentation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283760-54c4dbcc74f0c5fe2d0e76063e612236/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190879&Signature=AKKfwui8vy4-3Sb8F92aGkOAu~MWeZsUJqln7ATINXFxazFHT2fRyC0WZxNZX5Aqqwi3sYlRrAlT9ovlYnID~774ZMmWiMR9lF76M81f86hRpBd706JeZA4hKwdz0MVDFSa1kRztqW6l-K5ocY6gNBVeNR39w19BKjZaZjNx6DPsFNoQe6mn~0~1PIa2BeNJtUYfjIhuyFRq5E0U6UpaMGktRVIpoo87NW3TQjkPxqPzH12O~Bf0gyREkN~3eQxuXdw23bIS6TvWxBKKk0o3~1qzQbsMShHJdBvSD-8yvYo7l2BAGkh6CazNNX6dmzlkbfcCFWF0ZkOOWNmp1TBepQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Manchester School District finance committee on the evening of the meeting reviewed the district's tax-cap–compliant budget for fiscal year 2026 and voted to forward the general fund, school food and nutrition and capital improvement budgets to the full Board of School Committee for approval.

Superintendent (title listed in the meeting as Superintendent) opened the presentation by outlining the budget's enrollment assumption and strategic priorities. \"The budget we are presenting this evening is designed with an enrollment of approximately 11,865 students,\" the superintendent said during the presentation.

Karen DeFrancis, executive director of finance, walked the committee through the tax-cap calculation provided by the city finance director and the revenue and expenditure projections. DeFrancis said the three-year Consumer Price Index average produced a tax-cap figure of 4.27% for FY26 and that applying that cap to current tax collections would yield about $5.14 million in additional revenue. \"That would bring the fiscal year 26 tax cap compliant budget to $246,050,206,\" DeFrancis said.

Nut graf: The budget package presented is designed to remain within the state-local tax cap while absorbing planned salary increases, restoring positions funded temporarily by federal ESSER grants, and funding capital priorities. It relies on a mix of recurring revenue increases (notably state adequacy aid) and one-time uses of expendable trusts.

DeFrancis explained revenues and major drivers of the $11.5 million net increase the district proposes for FY26: approximately $5.1 million from the local tax cap increase, an estimated $6.4 million in other revenue increases (including an estimated per-pupil adequacy aid increase and extraordinary needs grants), and offsets including reduced one-time funding draws. The presentation notes the district's adequacy aid estimate for FY26 was $108,192,796 (an increase from the FY25 estimate of roughly $96.5 million), but DeFrancis cautioned those state estimates are based on October 1 enrollment and could change after the final counts.

On expenditures, the budget primarily funds existing positions and contractual salary increases. DeFrancis said the salary line increases by $10.7 million overall, reflecting cost-of-living adjustments, step increases, longevity pay, replacement of retirements and vacancies, and the reclassification of certain positions (notably bus drivers and newly hired registered behavior technicians) from contracted services to district salary lines. She said benefit costs were modeled with a 7% health-insurance increase and noted pension costs rose because of higher total payroll.

Committee members asked for detail on the use of expendable trusts. DeFrancis said the district closed FY24 with roughly $28.6 million in expendable trust balances and recommended using $4.5 million from the Teaching and Learning Trust in FY26 (a 50% reduction in planned one-time draws versus the prior year). She said the projected post-transaction balance would be about $22.5 million, representing about 9.5% of the then-current appropriation.

Committee members also discussed class-size policy and per-pupil spending. The superintendent and staff noted average class sizes by grade and that district per-pupil spending (presented as $17,733) remains below the state average cited in the presentation ($21,545). The superintendent framed the budget around three priorities he described as \"educational programming, staffing, and learning environments.\"

The presentation included a review of how ESSER (federal pandemic) funds were used; finance staff provided a summary showing ESSER expenditures on HVAC and other capital projects, staffing, and supports and noted the district spent the bulk of ESSER funds while preserving programmatic gains where possible.

After questions and discussion about fiscal sustainability, bond schedules and trust balances, committee Chair Baines called for a motion. The finance committee voted to approve the tax-cap–compliant general fund budget, the school food and nutrition budget and the capital-improvements budget and to move those budgets to the full Board of School Committee for consideration.

Ending: The full Board of School Committee will receive the recommended FY26 packages for final action as part of the district's statutory appropriation process; the finance committee and staff said they will continue to track enrollment, final state adequacy aid numbers and any late-year state or federal changes that could require an adjustment to appropriations.","The Manchester School District presented a tax-cap–compliant FY2026 budget that relies on a 4.27% tax-cap increase and $4.5 million from expendable trusts. The finance committee voted to move the general fund, school food and nutrition, and capital improvement budgets to the full Board of School Committee for final approval.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: finance committee actions on budgets, contracts, invoices and transportation

District projects big savings from specialized transportation RFPs; union MOA establishes new non-CDL operator class

Manchester panel advances tax-cap–compliant FY26 budget after district presentation