Superintendent presents FY2019 preliminary budget, proposes special education stabilization fund and separate capital articles

Superintendent Madera presented the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee with a preliminary FY2019 budget on Jan. 24 and urged the committee and both towns to consider three separate warrant articles in addition to the operating budget: (1) to establish a special education stabilization fund, (2) to fund an initial balance for that fund as a one‑time contribution, and (3) to finance a replacement maintenance/plow truck for the district.

Madera said the superintendent’s budget is “eager” to begin the process and described it as “cautiously optimistic,” while noting it was built on conservative state‑aid assumptions. The preliminary total spending request is $38,258,474, an increase of $815,635 (2.18 percent) over FY2018, Madera said. He told the committee he had structured the submission so the operational assessment increase to each town would meet the towns’ 2.5 percent target; the combined operational assessment increase equals that town target, but the preliminary package also includes the one‑time special education contribution, which increases each town’s total assessment in the presentation.

Why it matters: Madera and staff framed the special education stabilization fund as a tool to manage large, unforeseen special‑education tuition and placement costs that have repeatedly required mid‑year transfers or other adjustments. The superintendent said the fund would be limited to special‑education uses and require both school committee and…