Groton-Dunstable budget committee holds tuition steady, weighs E&D use after state budget news

The Groton-Dunstable Regional School District Budget & Finance Committee voted Jan. 22 to recommend that the full school committee keep kindergarten tuition at the current level for the coming year and discussed firming up the budget after receiving updated state figures.

Sherry, district finance staff, said, “The governor did release her budget today,” and that the administration received an increase of $75 per pupil in Chapter 70 aid compared with the $30 per pupil figure used in the committee’s preliminary numbers. Sherry said that change represents roughly $100,000 more revenue than previously expected and that she would update assessment sheets to reflect the governor’s figures.

The committee’s discussion tied that update to other revenue lines: Sherry said charter-school reimbursements were slightly higher than budgeted and that transportation reimbursement was currently estimated at about 95 percent of costs — a figure she cautioned could change and which she estimated might represent about $185,000 more than the team had earlier assumed. The committee noted the district is in year four of a five-year transportation contract with the vendor identified in the transcript as “Dee.”

Why it matters: the committee must finalize and certify a budget in time for two town meetings and votes this spring. Committee members said a clearer revenue picture by mid-February is important so the district can present scenarios showing the difference between a level-services budget and a balanced budget that requires cuts.

The committee discussed timing and public engagement: members identified Feb. 12 as the date when the district’s draft budget book will be released and said the formal public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26, with certification to follow in March. Committee members stressed they want time for public comment between the budget release and certification so residents can review scenarios and ask questions.

Kindergarten tuition and guidance

The committee debated whether to continue the multi-year plan to reduce kindergarten tuition and whether to roll part of kindergarten costs into the general fund. Committee members said many parents have pressed for free full-day kindergarten, and several members said they support the long-term objective but are concerned about the district’s near-term fiscal position and community willingness to support higher overall budgets.

Sherry explained a proposal under which $125,000 of kindergarten-related salaries would move from the tuition revolving account into the general fund; she said that shift would reduce the tuition by about $1,000 under the assumptions discussed. Committee members noted multiple revenue and discount factors (multi-family discounts, scholarships, and students whose services are paid through special-education funding) that make the net dollar effect on tuition variable.

The committee voted in favor of a motion to recommend to the full school committee that the current kindergarten tuition remain at the same level for this year (the tuition was referred to in the meeting transcript as “42100”; the administration will recalculate and present the precise annual dollar figure to the full committee). The motion was moved and seconded; the meeting record shows Lacey and the Chair voting “yes” during the roll call recorded in the transcript. The committee agreed to forward the recommendation so the full school committee can consider and vote on revised guidance.

Excess & Deficiency (E&D) and facilities needs

Committee members debated how much E&D to use to balance the budget. The administration noted its guidance had used $500,000 of E&D to balance the current year and that a preliminary plan had considered reducing E&D use to $400,000 over time. The committee discussed maintaining E&D at $500,000 for the upcoming certified budget to preserve a cushion for maintenance and unanticipated needs.

A motion to maintain E&D use at $500,000 was moved and seconded during the meeting and drew discussion; the transcript does not record a final roll-call on that motion within the excerpt. The administration reminded the committee that certified E&D appropriations must be identified before the end of the fiscal year and that the last practicable date to notify the towns of E&D use for an expenditure would be about April 15. The administration also said the only near-term revenue certainty was the additional Chapter 70 funds just released by the governor, which will partially replenish E&D.

Members asked the administration to return with a prioritized list of facility projects tied to E&D requests. The administration said the district will prioritize mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) findings from the recent assessment and that an RFP for the building envelope had been canceled in favor of addressing the MEP issues first. The administration said it will provide a list of projects and cost estimates so the committee can decide whether and how much E&D to appropriate for maintenance and health-and-safety needs.

Other operational notes

Committee members and staff discussed kindergarten enrollment shifts from half-day to full-day, lowering demand for some buses: the committee recorded 8 kindergarten homerooms districtwide (two at one school and six at another), and one teacher’s last enrollment figure for part-time kindergarten was stated as 16 students, down from an initial 25–30 earlier in the year. The district uses MySchoolBucks for parent payments and offers incentives: a 10 percent multi-family discount and a 5 percent discount for families that pay the full year up front; credit-card processing fees are borne by families.

What’s next

The administration said it will update assessment sheets and draft slides reflecting the governor’s budget ahead of the next B&F meeting and will provide the committee with scenarios showing the differences between a level-services budget and a balanced budget that requires cuts. Committee members asked that the administration provide clearer line-item impacts and a timeline so the public and both towns’ officials have time to review options before town meetings in April.