Wareham committee approves FY25 transfer to cover unexpected out‑of‑district tuition
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Summary
The Wareham School Committee approved a final FY25 budget transfer to the collaborative tuition account after DESE assigned responsibility for an out‑of‑district student; the committee also approved warrants and accepted a $1,000 donation from Smithers Lab.
The Wareham School Committee on an evening vote approved a final FY25 budget transfer to cover an unexpected out‑of‑district collaborative tuition assignment from DESE.
Kristen, the district director of finance, told the committee the transfer is intended "to close out the FY25 budget." She said the district received late notice from DESE that Wareham—not Fall River—was responsible for an out‑of‑district student's tuition and that the district had to shift funds into the collaborative tuition account to pay that bill.
Kristen said the transfer pulls money from several underused lines, including district health services, special‑education contract services, home‑instruction lines and several facilities accounts. She noted the school committee contracted services line—budgeted at approximately $130,000 annually—primarily covers outside legal counsel for special‑education and other disputes, and that special‑education costs can be unpredictable from year to year.
A committee member asked who negotiates legal fees; Kristen said the contract predated her tenure and that law firms proposed prices when the district selected counsel. She also noted the town provides some HR services that the district funds through school choice, about $40,000 a year.
After discussion, a motion to accept the transfer passed with a recorded tally of 4 yes, 1 no, 0 abstentions. Kristen said she will report back at a future meeting with the finalized entries and a summary of FY25 closing balances.
Votes at a glance: • FY25 budget transfer to collaborative tuition account — Passed 4‑1‑0 (motion to accept; mover: Speaker 7; second: Speaker 2). The transfer was presented by Kristen, director of finance. (Provenance: discussion began SEG 082; motion recorded SEG 188–233.) • Bills and payroll warrants — Approved en masse 4‑0‑1. (Provenance: SEG 234–256.) • Gift: Smithers Lab $1,000 for transportation for after‑school/summer programs — Accepted unanimously 5‑0‑0. (Provenance: SEG 258–290.)
Why it matters: The transfer covers tuition for a student placed in an out‑of‑district collaborative program—a service the district does not provide in‑house—and illustrates how late DESE determinations can create last‑minute budget pressure for small districts. Committee members said they expect to monitor final FY25 account balances and return with a complete report at a subsequent meeting.
The committee also scheduled an Aug. 21 meeting that will include Sean Costello from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to discuss the superintendent search process.
