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Finance Committee presses Swampscott schools on special-education costs, revolving funds and enrollment during joint budget review
Summary
In a joint March 26 session, School Committee staff and the Finance Committee discussed the district—s reduced 3.25% budget request, special-education tuition volatility, use of revolving funds (including Nahant tuition balances), and assumptions about outside funding including a small anticipated cut to Title I.
School district staff and Finance Committee members met jointly on March 26 for an extended review of the Swampscott Public Schools—proposed budget. The session focused on where the district sees financial risk, how it budgets for variable costs such as out-of-district special-education tuition, and choices about drawing on revolving funds to smooth year-to-year budget requests.
Finance Committee member Eric opened the discussion by describing the committee—s core concern: "We recognize that most of it is under a collective bargaining agreement," and that many cost lines are difficult to forecast precisely. He asked staff to explain the methodology behind budget entries and how the district calibrated risk.
Cheryl and Jason (district administrators) said the presented budget reflects a deliberate reduction: the original request near 3.96% was trimmed to 3.25% after reviewing positions and program costs. Cheryl listed possible reductions that may be delayed or left unfunded if necessary, including a middle-school health teacher and an additional SMS teacher. She emphasized that staffing and program decisions will be adjusted in July when enrollment data is firmer.
Special education: Mr. Raymond explained that private-placement tuition increases varied and that collaborative-program costs came in higher than predicted. He told the committee the district budgeted using historical trends and current placements and noted a single new out-of-district student can change tuition costs by roughly 7 percent: "one student could...make that number fluctuate by about 7%," he said. Staff noted the circuit-breaker reimbursement mechanism exists for unusually large mid-year cost spikes.
Grants and federal funds: Cheryl said most state and federal grants were budgeted at prior-year levels but that the district had just received DESE guidance to expect only 85 percent of Title I funding this year, translating to an approximate $15,000 reduction to the budgeted amount.
Revolving funds and Nahant tuition: The committee examined the Nahant tuition revolving fund, which ended FY25 with about $574,000; staff said the budgeted draws reduce that balance to preserve the town—s operating request in a tight financial year. Cheryl explained the trade-off: drawing more from revolving balances lowers near-term town appropriations but can create future-year shortfalls. She advised keeping a modest reserve (the district ended FY25 at roughly 4 percent of operating budget across revolving funds) to protect against volatility.
Programs and enrollment: Staff reported enrollment is trending up post-COVID in Swampscott, a contrast with declining enrollment in many districts, and highlighted MTSS-driven score improvements in K—6 reading and math. District leaders said career-pathway programs (business/finance and advanced manufacturing) have helped keep students in-district and that staff are exploring a TV/media and design pathway. They also warned that changes at Essex Technical High School can affect town costs: Essex Tech now runs a lottery with a 28-seat minimum; if Swampscott fills its allocation, the town—s cost could rise by about $100,000.
Next steps: Staff agreed to provide the Finance Committee with detailed gross-versus-net cost-center figures and follow up on special-education reserve projections. Both committees agreed to continue the dialogue as the district refines enrollment and grant information ahead of final budget decisions.
