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Regional School District 19 committee approves quarterly financials; cafeteria fund runs a deficit
Summary
The finance committee approved the district’s quarterly financial statements for 12/31/2025. Staff reported healthy overall revenues, overages in extended school year and special-education transportation costs, a cafeteria fund deficit of roughly $40,000, and a robust health-insurance reserve.
Amanda, who led the meeting, presented the fiscal-quarter packet and told the committee: “Our revenues are looking fantastic at this point,” noting member-town assessments and tuition were on target and a vocational grant will come in slightly higher than expected.
The report identified two expenditure categories over budget. Amanda said extended school year costs were about $11,000 over budget and that special education and transportation spending is also over target; she added that special education costs reflect student needs and are not discretionary.
On the school cafeteria fund, Amanda reported the program operated at an approximate $40,000 deficit as of Dec. 31, 2025. She said the director of food services and administrative staff are charged to the cafeteria fund and that the fund cannot sustain those staffing costs long-term. “We really feel the director of food services position is going to need to be absorbed by both the Mansfield Board of Education and Region 19’s general operating budget,” Amanda said, and added that staff increased meal prices this year and will consider another increase next year.
Committee member Nick asked whether salaries and benefits could be moved to general operating; Amanda said the director’s position equates to about 1.4 full-time positions (the director plus roughly 40% of an administrative assistant) and that moving some portion of those salaries and benefits — including a family health-insurance plan that Amanda cited as costing about $30,000 — would reduce the cafeteria deficit but shift costs into general operating.
On insurance funds, Amanda said the district’s health insurance fund remains above the stated minimum reserve requirement of $2.1 million and was reported in meeting materials at roughly $3.8 million. Staff had budgeted to use $500,000 from the fund for fiscal year 2027 but had used about $439,000 to date; overall claims were reported up roughly 25.5% year over year due to multiple high-cost claimants.
Amanda also reviewed capital projects (no negative balances flagged) and noted the athletic-renovation debt payment ends this year, which will reduce debt service. She said staff will prepare a reimbursement request to the state for a security grant and record that grant on the capital-project list prior to fiscal-year close.
After discussion the committee approved the quarterly financial statements by unanimous voice vote following a motion from Tony and a second from Nick. The committee asked staff to return more detailed employee-facing information about how the health-fund savings affect employee premiums.
The meeting moved on to the auditor appointment and then adjourned.
