Milton finance subcommittee reviews state funding update and proposed fee changes for FY26

The Milton Public Schools Finance Subcommittee met to review an update on FY25 state funding and to discuss proposed changes to the FY26 fee schedule, including transportation, summer-school enrichment, middle- and high-school clubs, applied music lessons, auditorium rentals and logistics for Pierce orientation.

The discussion opened with a state funding update. A subcommittee speaker summarized current figures, saying the state budget under consideration was roughly $5.05 billion for the current year with about $190 million proposed for the next year; the speaker said a 75 percent funding assumption would require about $58 million to fully fund the identified program, and that the precise amount from Hilton (an identified funding source in the discussion) was “not specified.” Staff said circuit-breaker adjustments historically appear in fourth-quarter payments and that a formal notification could come late in the year.

Why it matters: changes in state allocations and circuit-breaker adjustments affect the district’s revenue outlook and could change how much of proposed fee or program costs the district must cover.

On the FY26 fee schedule, subcommittee members described a range of targeted updates rather than a comprehensive overhaul. Transportation fees had been previously voted and remain reflected in the draft. Summer-school and enrichment program fees received modest adjustments. The subcommittee reported a small change to middle-school club fees, from $37.50 to $40. High-school club fees were proposed to remain unchanged overall, though members discussed adding a drama production fee and a family cap for theater events. One member said they would propose a modest additional change for high-school clubs at the next meeting.

Applied music lessons and the broader music program were a focal point. Staff reported that instructor pay and the program’s fees have not been adjusted in several years. The draft shows a $45 registration fee charged per session; staff said there are two sessions per year. Staff and Rebecca Damiani (referenced as a staff contact) will compare comparable programs and return with a recommendation on whether to increase the per-lesson rate or the registration fee, and whether to adjust instructor pay to align with market rates.

Facility rentals also drew attention. Staff noted the high-school auditorium rental rate for the town was changed in the draft to $680,000; one participant called that figure inappropriate. Several members requested clarification of how rental fees are quoted (for example, whether stated fees represent hourly or per-event rates), and staff said they would confirm and update the draft.

Members discussed Pierce orientation and whether to eliminate or reduce family fees by hosting sessions during the school day. Staff said they are working with MFE and other partners to fund transportation for the school-day model; under the revised plan, buses funded through MFE would reduce overall costs compared with the district’s previous model. Staff estimated prior investments in the older model approached about $100,000, and said the new approach is both less expensive and better aligned with in-school staffing.

Next steps: staff said they will circulate a finalized draft of the FY26 fee schedule and the Q3 FY25 budget report to subcommittee members before the next meeting. The subcommittee planned to meet Wednesday to finalize a recommendation; that recommendation will go to the full School Committee for formal approval or rejection.

Administrative actions: during the same session the subcommittee said it had voted to approve minutes from a prior meeting; a date for finalizing those minutes was not specified. The group then took a motion to adjourn and conducted a roll-call vote that recorded at least three affirmative votes and the meeting was adjourned.

The subcommittee did not adopt final fee changes at this meeting; members treated the draft as tentative pending the staff follow-ups and a formal vote at the Wednesday meeting and subsequent School Committee action.