Merrimack Valley School Board accepts finance report after questions about overtime and object 2722

The Merrimack Valley School Board on May 5 voted to accept its monthly finance report after staff described overspending in salary accounts and answered board questions about several budget objects.

Finance staff summarized the packet’s finance report and noted “there were over 2,500,” and that several function totals were overspent, with the presenter saying the overage was “primarily under salaries.” The presenter added that staff are planning hires and shifting assignments over the summer to manage workloads and reduce overtime.

Board members asked specific questions. A board member sought clarification about function 2620 and whether overtime and summer work drove the overage; the finance presenter said summer help and reassigning staff between jobs contributed and reiterated that salaries accounted for the bulk of the overspend. Another member asked about object 2722 and whether it covered insurance or telecommunications; the presenter said the 2722 line is currently labeled as telecommunications but actually covers out-of-district and transient transportation, including transportation for homeless students, and that the label will be corrected in next month’s report.

After questions, a motion to accept the finance report was made and seconded; members responded verbally in the affirmative and the motion carried. Earlier in the meeting the board also moved to approve the minutes from its previous meeting.

The board’s acceptance of the report does not itself change budget appropriations; staff said they would continue monitoring salaries and update the object titles and notes in future reports so members can track overspends more clearly. The next regular meeting will resume public business after an announced nonpublic session.