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School committee approves grants, year‑end budget moves and district policies in roll‑call vote
Summary
At its meeting, the Chelsea School Committee approved a slate of grant acceptances, a year‑end budget transfer, authorization to prepay special‑education tuition, an out‑of‑state athletic trip and adopted the district bullying policy and student handbooks. The items passed by roll call, 8 in the affirmative and 1 member absent.
The Chelsea School Committee voted to approve a package of grant acceptances, year‑end budget adjustments and district policy adoptions during the meeting.
The committee approved accepting multiple private and public grants, authorized a prepayment of up to $2,500,000 for special‑education out‑of‑district tuition for fiscal year 2025–26, and approved a multi‑department year‑end budget transfer of $4,080,642.31 to reallocate funds across district accounts. The committee also approved an overnight out‑of‑state field trip for one student and two chaperones to attend the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Hayward Field, Oregon, June 18–20, and adopted the district bullying policy and the 2025–26 student handbooks.
The items were taken as a consent package and approved by roll call: 8 in the affirmative, 1 absent. "It's required by law that we review this every year," said Dr. Neville while explaining the annual bullying‑policy review before the committee adopted the plan.
The grants and gifts approved include (as read at the meeting): $5,000 from the Boston University Consortium Council; $23,630 from the 18 Foundation to support civic engagement at middle schools over three years; $70,800 from the 18 Foundation for the Investigating History program at middle schools over three years; $106,500 from the 18 Foundation for middle schools' open SCI ed over three years; $3,913.28 from the University of Massachusetts for SNAP outreach (FY2025); $52,700 from the Hestia Fund to support the Boston Children's Choir after‑school program and individual student success planning/navigator supports; $600 in Market Basket gift cards from Sonata Club of Chelsea; and hygiene product donations valued at $66,516 from Hope and Comfort. Committee members also authorized accepting an unspecified gift and approved routine field‑trip and personnel items listed on the agenda.
Committee members asked a small number of clarifying questions during the consent discussion. A member asked what the Hestia Fund grant would support; the superintendent's office said it funds the Boston Children’s Choir component and navigator/student success planning. Another member asked about the history of the special‑education prepaid tuition approach; staff said the district has used prepayments previously (first used in 2020) and that future use depends on budget forecasts and federal funding.
Votes at a glance (as reported at the meeting): - Consent package of grants/gifts and non‑capital routine items — approved (roll call: 8 yes, 1 absent) - Authorization to prepay up to $2,500,000 in special‑education out‑of‑district tuition for FY2025–26 — approved (included in the consent roll call) - Multi‑department year‑end budget transfer of $4,080,642.31 — approved (included in the consent roll call) - Overnight/out‑of‑state field trip (Chelsea High School student to Nike Outdoor Nationals, Hayward Field, OR, June 18–20) — approved (included in roll call) - Adoption of district bullying policy and plan for 2025–26 — approved (motion moved by Dr. Neville; included in roll call) - Adoption of district student handbooks for 2025–26 — approved (included in roll call)
The committee took the votes during the new‑business portion of the meeting by reading items into the record and conducting a single roll call for the consent items. The superintendent and staff answered brief procedural questions; no item was pulled for extended debate.
Looking ahead, staff said continued use of prepayments and some grant programs will depend on the district's upcoming budget forecast and federal funding levels.
