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Finance committee recommends $6 million stabilization transfer for school transportation amid concerns about cost controls
Summary
The committee recommended transferring $6 million from the stabilization fund to cover school transportation costs. Officials said the funding is needed to avoid a deeper deficit, while councilors pressed the schools for detailed invoices, procurement actions and progress on cost containment.
The Brockton Finance Committee on Feb. 3 recommended favorably a $6 million transfer from the city—s stabilization fund to cover school transportation expenses this fiscal year.
CFO Troy Clarkson told the committee the money was placed in stabilization earlier in the budget cycle specifically for this purpose and said approving the transfer is needed to avoid a larger deficit: “Transportation costs are a city responsibility. So for us to not fund when we have funds available would knowingly create an additional deficit,” Clarkson said. He added the schools have taken steps toward accountability and that the city is in frequent contact with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Revenue.
Committee members pressed for specifics about outstanding invoices, encumbrances and steps the school department has taken to reduce costs. TJ Plant of Open Architects, who is serving as a school liaison, said the department has negotiated letters of agreement with private special-education transportation providers that now include written scope and fees and that some cost savings have been realized. Plant said there was about $400,000 remaining in certain lines prior to the transfer and that an estimated $4.1 million in additional vendor need was reported by the transportation director to cover the rest of the year; he pledged to refine the figures.
Councilors repeatedly urged the school department to issue open competitive bids for special-education transportation, to standardize payment terms and to address recurring operational issues such as driver licensing, driver vetting and route encumbrances. Several councilors said the city needs clearer projections of per-day transportation costs and outstanding invoices; CFO Clarkson and TJ Plant agreed to provide more precise, line-item figures and to work on blanket-encumbrance processes with the city auditor.
The committee voted to recommend favorably. Members said they would press for follow-up reports and documentation from the school department and finance staff before the full council acts on the transfer.
