Millis committee debates modest athletics and bus fee increases to reduce revolving-fund deficits

Shailene Volpe, a district staff member presenting on athletics and transportation, told the Millis School Committee on April 7 that the athletics and transportation revolving funds are under pressure and recommended modest increases to fees to avoid repeated transfers from the general fund. "My calculation of our deficit at the end of the year is, $27,850," Volpe said, arguing the district should at minimum apply the cost-of-living adjustment to fees and consider phased increases to restore sustainability.

Volpe said participation in athletics fell from 610 to 529 participants between FY25 and the current year, and that two years of salary charges intended for revolving funds had instead been paid from the general fund. She proposed either a COLA-only increase or a larger phased increase (5% next year, 4% the following year) and suggested raising the family cap from four seasons to five seasons as another means to generate revenue. "If we increase the fees 5% next year, 4% the year after... maybe we only have to do it by the COLA," she said.

Committee members pressed for more granular numbers. A committee member asked Volpe to calculate the savings and impact if the family cap were changed to five seasons; Volpe said she would produce projections and consult with Mr. Finney, who holds enrollment and fee data. Committee members also asked how many riders are fee-waived or covered by family caps; Volpe said she had the numbers and would include them in the next report.

On transportation, Volpe reported the big-yellow-bus revolving account covers roughly 24% of transportation costs and that last year the district transferred about $16,000 from the general fund to cover a shortfall. She recommended a modest per-rider increase (about $13 per person and a $25 increase to the family cap for FY27 in her chart) and said early-registration discounts generate needed up-front revenue. "Right now, our revenue... is $25,000. That's all we've gotten because you get it through the summer," she said, noting early registration yields closer to $100,000.

Committee members expressed concern about burdening families and asked Volpe to return with: (1) projections showing the fiscal impact of the family-cap change; (2) counts of fee-waived and family-cap riders; and (3) comparisons to neighboring districts' structures and early-registration gaps. The committee did not vote on fee changes at the meeting; Volpe said she would prepare the requested analyses for a future session.

The committee asked staff to prioritize preserving the program as a self-sustaining service (paying JV and middle-school coaches from fees rather than the general fund) while minimizing added cost to families. Volpe noted options to narrow the early-registration discount gap to discourage last-minute registration but emphasized the need for predictable early revenue.