Lakeville-Freetown panel adopts $38.4 million FY2019 budget, includes $250,000 special-education stabilization allocation

The Lakeville-Freetown Regional School Committee voted to adopt a $38,398,474 fiscal 2019 operating budget on April 1, approving a plan that includes a $250,000 allocation for a special-education stabilization fund and the committee-led proposal to add $375,000 in school-choice revenue to the operating budget to help rebuild year-end reserves.

Superintendent Rick Medeiros presented the budget and framed it as a reflection of the district's priorities. "A budget's a reflection of our priorities," Medeiros said during the district's public hearing, noting the presentation responded to previously raised concerns while adding a stabilization measure aimed at the district's volatile special-education costs.

The budget as approved represents a 2.61 percent increase in total spending over FY2018; committee members noted that, if the committee's motion to shift school-choice revenue into the operating budget is included, the effective spending increase rises to about 3.55 percent. The package approved by the committee explicitly earmarks $250,000 as a special-education stabilization appropriation, included in the assessment figures provided to the two member towns.

Board member Derek Rasha proposed the committee use school-choice revenue to help rebuild the district's excess and deficiency balance (E&D) and to fund the budget's additional needs. "My proposal is that we reduce school choice funding that is being used as an offset to the towns," Rasha said, arguing the move would return the district toward longer-term fiscal stability after several years of drawing heavily on E&D for unanticipated special-education costs.

Other board members pressed for a clear plan to take the proposal to the two towns and make the case to taxpayers. Several members said they would support the move if the committee committed to an outreach and education effort before the towns’ warrants are finalized. "If we're going to do this, we need to get out there and educate people," one member said during debate, noting the June town meetings for both Lakeville and Freetown fall on the same date and will determine final town support.

The committee also built modest revenue projections into the budget — including a projected $375,000 from increased school-choice participation — and kept most staffing levels flat. Medeiros told the committee that special-education tuitions remain the most volatile line item and that the stabilization fund is intended to blunt that volatility.

After extended discussion, the committee took two votes on the budget: an initial procedural vote on the non-salary portion proposed by Rasha (motion passed), followed by a full vote on the complete FY2019 operating budget. The full budget motion passed; the committee clerk confirmed the measure met the applicable supermajority threshold during the voice vote and the chair declared the budget approved. The approved total spending figure remains $38,398,474 and is presented to the towns as the committee-approved FY2019 operating request.

Superintendent Medeiros said he will revise the public presentation slides and distribute the updated figures to the public and to town officials so officials and residents can review the exact assessment numbers ahead of town meetings.

The committee did not finalize the mechanics of how towns would fund the $250,000 stabilization allocation; members noted that towns may choose among standard local finance tools (free cash, stabilization or raising and appropriating funds) to provide the appropriation if they approve the committee's proposed articles. Medeiros and the finance director said they will meet with the boards of selectmen and finance committees in both towns to explain the budget and the stabilization proposal before the June votes.

The committee directed staff to provide more detailed breakdowns on special-education enrollments and cost drivers at the next meeting so the public and board members can better evaluate the stabilization proposal and the long-range plan for rebuilding E&D.