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School leaders present FY2027 budget and outline possible Bishop Conley purchase
Summary
Interim deputy superintendent Liz Legault and school finance staff presented the Fall River Public Schools FY2027 operating and transportation budgets and laid out a $29.8 million purchase plus roughly $20 million in renovation costs for Bishop Conley, saying it would centralize early-childhood services and relieve space constraints. Councilors pressed for more detail on indirect cost accounting, health-insurance stop-loss reimbursements, and staffing changes.
Interim Deputy Superintendent Liz Legault told the joint meeting that the Fall River Public Schools would present a FY2027 operating budget built on a 100% net school spending baseline and that district foundation enrollment had increased compared with prior years.
Kevin Almeida, the school finance presenter, said the district is proposing a $212,000,005.82 operating budget and a $13,000,008.50 transportation request. The presentation noted 23 proposed new positions (20 in the operating budget, three in revolving accounts) and identified pressure points including health insurance, transportation costs, and unfilled vacancies.
On health insurance, Almeida and council finance staff said claims — including unusually high prescription costs last year — were the main driver of a large recent year-on-year increase. Council members asked for an itemized breakdown; Almeida said stop-loss reimbursements and prescription-rebate accounting remain points in the indirect-cost discussions with the city and state officials.
Councilors repeatedly pressed the school team about the indirect cost agreement between the city and schools. Almeida said the agreement dates to 2017 (last modified in FY2018) and conversations to update the formula were ongoing; he suggested a target of finalizing changes by July but acknowledged the process had been slow.
Staff also explained a proposed reduction of 11 paraprofessional positions reflected program changes (the district has scaled down two foundational early-learning programs and consolidated paraprofessional roles into remaining classes). The school said some paraprofessional duties would be absorbed by newly funded special-education teacher positions or by outside vendors where hires remain difficult.
The meeting moved to an informational presentation about Bishop Conley, a 55-acre, 136,622-square-foot property the district is considering purchasing. The school described the asking price from the diocese as $29.8 million and estimated district renovation costs in the order of $20 million, and said the district would pursue state reimbursement programs (Massachusetts School Building Authority) and other grants (MassCEC, National Grid) that could offset most eligible capital expenses. The district said it anticipates placing 33 classrooms there next year under a lease, expanding early-childhood capacity and consolidating support services centrally.
Councilors asked for further documentation about financing options, the draft purchase-and-sale terms, and a clearer breakdown of which city or district funds would pay for renovations versus operating expenses. School staff said they would return with additional detail and noted the district has a one-year lease in place for classroom capacity in the near term.
Next steps: councilors asked the administration and school finance to provide the indirect cost agreement, a detailed breakdown of proposed new positions, and clarifications on stop-loss and prescription-rebate reimbursements before final appropriation votes.
