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Town DPW to take over school fuel, power and vehicle expenses, superintendent says
Summary
Superintendent Mark Branca said the town will assume responsibility for school department fuel, power and vehicle expenses — a shift that lowers the district's buildings & grounds and transportation lines while raising administrative coordination with the town DPW.
Superintendent Mark Branca told the School Committee the town administrator and DPW leadership have agreed to take over school department fuel, power and vehicle expenses, including school buses and vehicle maintenance, in an effort to gain efficiencies and reduce duplicated procurement work.
"So any school vehicles that we have as well as the cost of the transportation vehicles...they'll take over fuel and power, all vehicle expenses," Branca said. He and town administrator Vierra developed the plan to centralize those cost centers under town DPW leadership, which the district expects to reduce its buildings & grounds and transportation line items in the FY27 operating budget. Committee members asked for clarifications on which supply lines remain with the district and how vehicle sourcing would be coordinated; staff emphasized the district will remain part of vehicle‑selection conversations and can advise the town when specialized knowledge is needed.
Branca described expected long‑term efficiencies (bulk purchasing, centralized bidding) but said the move should not materially change an individual taxpayer's bill in the short term. The committee will review related spreadsheet iterations in the full budget book at the next meeting.
