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School Committee asks to review Collins financial report and seek working-group access
Summary
The committee voted to request that the select board and town manager share the Collins report and involve school committee representatives in drafting any town financial policy; members favored review during the drafting process and suggested a joint working group with FinCom to protect school-committee authority over school finances.
The School Committee discussed a letter sent to the select board asking that school-committee members and the superintendent be included in drafting the town’s new financial policy and that the committee receive the Collins report and any draft policy before final votes.
Committee members said they want an opportunity to review the Collins findings and any policy recommendations during the drafting process — not only after a policy is finalized — because some elements could interact with the school committee’s budgeting authority. Several members suggested a tri‑board working group (FinCom, select board and school committee) so all town financial stakeholders can provide input.
The superintendent said his understanding from the town manager was that the Collins report would be shared with the school committee before any final action; he offered to distribute the report immediately upon reception and to assemble district staff to review the document for potential impacts. Members asked staff to monitor the process and to flag any proposed language that would constrain the school committee’s statutory role or interfere with budgeting timelines.
No final policy vote occurred; the committee expects to review the Collins report and consider forming or joining a working group when the report is delivered.
