Finance subcommittee flags health insurance and service contracts as primary drivers of district deficit

The district’s finance subcommittee reported to the school committee on March 10 that several expense lines have moved into the negative and that the current budget shortfall is driven primarily by indirect costs and rising health insurance expenses.

"The finance committee met on March 4," Mr. Le Frenier reported, noting that gas line items for buildings are now negative because of increased usage and cost this fiscal year. He said the police/fire-detail line was in the negative in part because of details associated with the high school auditorium renovations, and that plowing and sanding costs also exceeded budgeted amounts after multiple storms in February.

Mr. Le Frenier said the committee identified health insurance costs as a major contributor to the projected deficit; other cited cost drivers included custodial contracts, transportation and Chromebooks. Committee members did not take an immediate budget vote at the meeting but reviewed expense reports and discussed next steps for monitoring and addressing overruns.

In a separate facilities report, Mr. Schwartz told the committee that the high school auditorium mechanical work and painting are complete and that electronics and the sound system had been finished in time for a scheduled high school play; he said the committee discussed snow removal, sanding and salting costs for the season and reported a figure the district provided for that line item.