The Tewksbury School Committee approved and certified payroll for the pay period ending April 24, 2025, in the total amount of $1,636,400.93.

The motion to approve payroll was made and seconded; members present voted in favor in a roll-call recorded in the meeting: Mr. Moncada (aye), Mrs. Biagiani Smith (aye), Mrs. Anderson (aye) and the chair (aye). The payroll action carried unanimously.

District finance staff provided a quarterly budget update. The update said E-Rate federal funding applications for technology upgrades were approved at the federal level, and the district is seeking town-meeting approval of an Article 14 warrant item so the full project funding (town share plus E-Rate) would be in place. The district also reported a $650,000 expected increase to its FY25 budget tied to savings and transfers (including shared town savings on technology invoicing) that would be allocated primarily to special education accounts to cover cost overruns.

Finance staff said the district has applied for Circuit Breaker Extraordinary Relief and carried a candidate projection of $1,025,246 if the state awards the full amount; that revenue would reduce projected deficits and could roll into the district's circuit breaker revolving account. The official award from the state had not been received as of the meeting; the finance director said if the state funding does not come through the district could access the town reserve fund subject to approvals.

Finance staff described common unencumbered costs — substitutes, hourly payroll, retirement payouts, spring coaches and miscellaneous operating repairs — as drivers of the projection for unencumbered expenses. The committee asked clarifying questions about where the $650,000 would be allocated and about trends in substitute and aide costs.

No further formal budget votes were taken at the meeting; the committee will present a more detailed quarterly update at the next meeting.