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Sudbury Select Board pursues mediation with schools after MOA concerns; town manager flags $143,000 budget exposure
Summary
The Select Board agreed to a joint meeting with school leadership to review the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the combined facilities director after the school committee raised concerns. Town manager Andy Sheehan said ending the MOA would shift roughly $143,000 in personnel costs to the town; the combined facilities director described operational obstacles to full implementation.
The Sudbury Select Board on Sept. 24 authorized Chair Jen Roberts to participate in a joint meeting with school‑system leadership and the town manager to try to resolve issues around the memorandum of agreement (MOA) that created a shared facilities director for the town and Sudbury Public Schools.
Town manager Andy Sheehan summarized the potential fiscal impact if the MOA were terminated: certain positions now funded through the school department would shift to the town payroll, a change Sheehan estimated at “a little over $143,000” annually. That figure reflects school‑paid shares of the facilities director and other staff (50% of the director’s salary, 50% of an administrative assistant, and 60% of an electrician) the town currently benefits from under the shared structure.
Sandra, the combined facilities director, told the board she created organizational standard‑operating procedures and a department plan but that key items remained in draft form and were not adopted by the superintendent, limiting her operational capacity. "I am honored to be the town and school's combined facility director… and there are lots of obstacles that could be easily not obstacles and facilitate the work," she said, describing restricted access to vendor records, work orders and building‑management systems.
Board members expressed support for a practical, operations‑focused meeting among the superintendent, town manager and chairs as a first step before any unilateral termination of the MOA. Several members urged caution about potential unintended consequences and asked that staff financial directors be involved in the discussions to clarify budget implications.
The board moved and passed a motion authorizing the chair to participate in a joint meeting with the school committee representative, the superintendent and the town manager to attempt to resolve the differences. Board members asked that the meeting produce clear guardrails and a public readout consistent with open‑meeting requirements.
What's next: The Select Board will coordinate with the School Committee and superintendent on meeting timing and staff participation. The board asked the town manager to propose guardrails and a process for reporting outcomes back to the full board in a manner consistent with open‑meeting law.
