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Millis school leaders present FY27 budget to FinCom, flag rising special‑education costs and falling school‑choice revenue
Summary
School officials told the Finance Committee the proposed FY27 school budget increases about 4%, citing rising special‑education needs, higher out‑of‑district tuition and declining school‑choice revenue that previously funded positions. The presentation included enrollment trends, circuit‑breaker mechanics, and several targeted staffing restorations.
Bob Laney and Shelene Vulpi presented the Millis public schools' proposed FY27 budget to the Finance Committee on April 1, outlining priorities, enrollment trends and key cost drivers.
Laney said the administration aims to “support the highest quality educational programs and services,” preserve core services and address staffing to reduce large class sizes where possible. He told the committee Millis continues to see rising special‑education and high‑needs populations: “10.4% of our kids come from homes where English is not the first language,” he said, and noted that the district’s high‑needs group rose from 34.9% to 37.4% of students year‑over‑year.
Why it matters: special‑education costs are a primary driver of the district’s budget pressure. Laney said out‑of‑district tuition is a large line item and that circuit‑breaker reimbursement—state aid that offsets high‑cost special‑education placements—operates on a threshold and lagged reimbursement schedule. He gave the FY26 circuit‑breaker threshold as $53,431 and described the mechanics: the district pays the threshold amount per student, and the state reimburses a percentage (Laney cited 75%) of eligible costs above that threshold in the following fiscal year.
School choice and other revenues: Laney said school choice has been an important revenue source, providing about $290,000 last year, but choice enrollment and receipts have declined since FY21. “Choice funds have been a lifeline for our schools,” he said, adding that shrinking choice income forced the district to shift positions formerly funded by choice into the operating budget.
Enrollment and program impacts: The presentation showed total in‑district enrollment trending down from 2017 and now roughly stable; the district counts about 1,169 students (not including 22 out‑of‑district pupils). Laney discussed class‑size variability (second and third grades and one sixth‑grade cohort were singled out as unusually large) and said some staffing adjustments—for example converting 0.8 FTE positions to 1.0—are included in the proposed 4% budget.
Vocational placements and debt assessments: Laney reviewed placements at Tri‑County and North Aggie (roughly 39 students at Tri‑County and 11 at the Aggie this year) and explained that Tri‑County assessments include a debt/capital component that affects per‑pupil costs. A selectboard member, Craig Schultz, challenged part of the explanation about how the capital/debt assessment is prorated and asked staff to verify the calculation.
The ask and next steps: Laney said the proposed school budget represents a roughly 4% increase with salaries up about 3.7% and includes rolling 1.5 FTE from an expiring one‑time Student Opportunity Act grant into the operating budget. He and Shelene said they would supply requested data (exact IEP counts and clarifying figures on Tri‑County assessments) to the committee ahead of FinCom’s recommendations and town meeting.
