So, I'm calling the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. [snorts] um with a roll call vote. Um let's see. Um Jody, >> I'm here. Jessica,
Tara, >> yeah. >> Okay. All right. So, we have a quorum. Um, I wanted to note that this meeting is being recorded and if anyone wants to make an audio or video recording of this meeting, they should notify me at this
time. Um, all right. And we'll start with the pledge of allegiance. Um, does do you have a flag? Did someone bring a flag again? >> I can go grab it in two seconds. You want me to go grab it?
>> That was great. Thanks. I'm like looking around my room right now. Do not have one. It might have a shirt with a flag on it, but Okay. >> Oh, we see it, Jody. Here we go. All right.
>> Great effort. Nice work. >> All right. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. And
um we're going to start by going into our executive session. So, um, if I'll make the motion I'll make a motion to adjurnn to executive session per MGL chapter 38 section 21 cond to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for
negotiations with non union personnel cafeteria workers and assistant principal because the chair so declares and to comply with general law to approve exe executive session minutes of April 27th and May 30th, 2026 and to
return to open session. I second. >> Okay. >> Third. [clears throat] >> Okay. >> Jody seconded. And I I did the next one. >> Okay. So, Jod seconded. Okay. And then um we'll do a roll call vote. Terra.
>> Yes. >> Jod. >> Yes. >> And I am a yes. Um so we'll go to the executive session link and we'll come back here after. Okay. We have a quorum again. So, um our next um item on the agenda is the
consent agenda. So, um does anyone have anything they want held over for the consent agenda or is everyone okay with approving the entire consent agenda? >> I have some questions about not
necessarily like can I ask questions about specific documents before? So, with the I don't know if it's the close out or the financial details, right? But when you're reading it at the bottom, right, what's like left over on the budgets? Where does that money go?
>> That goes back to the town. >> Does that do we know if that goes in like the rainy day fund or like >> Yeah, it goes into free cash. >> It goes into cash. >> Oh, sorry. Jill was had her hand raised. Go ahead, Jill. >> Okay. there that we will be talking about the budget closeout um on the
agenda separately, >> right? It's not part of the consent agenda, but um is there anything on the consent agenda like the minutes or warrants or the budget that you know that the
monthly budget that >> No, my question was just about the close out but the Halifax closeout PDF is in there. Hold on. [clears throat] >> Is in the consent agenda, too. >> Great. Well, then we're going to go over um we're going over the closeout next. So,
>> we can >> No, we should probably if if it was accidentally put in the consent agenda, we should probably hold it because the intention was to talk about it separately. >> Okay. So, I'll make a motion to accept the consent agenda and hold on the
closeout financials for us to discuss next. Sarah, did you say second? You're muted. [laughter] >> Yep. I said second. Sorry. >> Great. No, no problem. Um, all right. We'll do a roll call. Jody, >> yes.
>> Tara, >> yes. >> And myself [snorts and clears throat] is a yes. So, all right. I'll turn the time over to Stephanie to discuss the close out for the financials. >> Yes. So, I just uploaded the close out.
I have like a two-pager for um the meeting uh agenda and I accidentally put the close out in the consent agenda. So I don't know to do better for next time. But in the folder or not in the folder
but in the consent agenda folder um the closeout is listed and um the final uh ending number is that Halifax is ending in a surplus and uh
there is $727,000 uh to give back essentially to the town of Halifax. Um, Jill, do Jill, do you want to explain the amount? >> Yes, please. Um, I think it's very important that this is an unusual amount
to be returning back to the town. You may recall that a couple years ago, we did a restructuring where uh for many many years, for decades, special education for students living in Halifax, K through 12 plus was being
paid for the town of Halifax. You may recall that when we restructured um we um also made the change that special education students who attend Silverlake schools would be paid for out of Silverl budget and Halifax elementary
would be paid by the town of Halifax for special education students and this is how it's legally supposed to be done but for many many decades it was not done that way. We get circuit breaker for students who are enrolled in Halifax
schools. And when the change occurred, um we qualified for circuit breaker for kids who were either already in the high school and middle school or were going to the high school and middle school. And that money couldn't go to Silver
Lake even though the kids were going to Silver Lake now and Silver Lake was now paying that bill. It had to stay with Halifax. And so we had probably more circuit breaker in the following years than we could actually um
use as we normally could have because we have fewer students who are being paid for in special education by Halifax solely. If that makes sense. And for those of us who lived it, it probably makes a lot more sense because it was something we
talked about on a regular regular basis. [snorts] The reality is is that you get a couple years to spread spend circuit breaker, but because Halifax is now only um able to use it circuit breaker for elementary
students and not students at the secondary level. We were able to apply probably more circuit breaker than we have in the past. And so, um, my understanding, and Stephanie can correct me if I'm wrong, we were able to apply circuit breaker to
whether it be tuition or transportation as the students that qualified probably more heavily than we would have in the past because we have a set amount of time that we have to use it in. So, it's not that you can't carry over circuit breaker, it's just that you've
only get so many years to carry it over. And it's not uncommon for schools to hold on to some circuit breakers so that they can um pay for unforeseen tuition challenges or transportation challenges. So we don't foresee this as being something that would continue in the
future. Um but it is something that we're you know pleased that we were able to um use so much of it to help pay for the items that we had budgeted for in special education in particular. And I'm sure that there are other smaller uh
changes and fluctuations, but I would based on my conversation with Stephanie today, that's probably the biggest reason why we have um that amount to return to the town. >> Did I say that correctly, Stephanie?
>> Yeah. Uh that was said correctly. I was going to continue, but you know, Jill had her hand raised, so she basically hit the nail on the head and uh there's a lot of money like she mentioned um because of the years in circuit breaker. That's uh so
essentially there was money in the general ledger to cover the cost of special education, but because we had so much to spend in circuit breaker, that's why there's this surplus of funds. So, did we allocate all that we could
for this year? Like, or is there extra? We allocate extra here that maybe could have been held for a few more years or like what's the number of years that you can hold and roll over circuit breaker money and did we cap it and that's why there's so much? >> So, FY25
circuit breaker has to be spent down should have already been spent down or had to be spent down by June 30th. So, how circuit breaker works um it's a year delayed. So, the money that we're going
to be receiving in FY27, it's really FY26 funds and it's based on FY26 numbers. So, that was a delay during the pandemic and then um [clears throat] a lot of the other
things that happened across the town. That's why the budget was so much. Um, but FY25 circuit breaker is fully expensed and the deadline to expend that was uh June 30th and then moving forward
FY27 26 funds if there is any carryover money that money has to be spent down by next year. >> Okay? So, we spend it the same year that we receive it, but we receive the funds that we paid out last year.
>> Yes. >> Got it. [clears throat] >> And do you receive the circuit breaker reimbursement? Is that like a one-time thing or is it sent to the towns like periodically throughout the year? It's a it's a quarterly reimbursement uh
that's sent >> it's a quarterly reimbursement that's sent to the town based on the invoices that we submit. >> Got it. Okay. >> So that's how we're able to draw the money down.
>> And so do the towns get actually get the money or does the district get the money for all the schools? Um, so the town does get the money, but essentially the money is for the school. Um, Silver Lake is independent and we
operate as our own municipality, but because Halifax is in fact a town, they are the ones that get um the money, but the money is allocated for the school expenses. >> Are we still talking about the circuit breaker? Sorry, I um got dropped for a
second. And something I was going to say before I um dropped for a sec was that circuit breakers reimbursed after the fact. And that's how we ended up in this situation. if I don't know if that was explained because in the transition from
all of the special ed being assigned essentially to Halifax to the new restructure for the district where a lot of the special ed was assigned for prek like you know the preschool and then 7
through 12. I mean, um, so we used to have like we used to be responsible Halifax Elementary to pay for the special education of all the students that were from Halifax. And correct me if I'm wrong, Jill, but we used to and then but then with the restructuring, we
had to then assign the special ed funds then went to the district instead, but we were reimbursed for the time that we were paying for all of the Halifax students. And that's why we have the surplus now. >> Yes, I explained how it couldn't go to
Silver Lake as well. Even though those students were there in Silver Lake, >> the state would not allow the funds to follow those students. They that still belong to Halifax even though they had fewer students to spend it on. >> Right. So it's and it Yeah, because once
they belong to Silver Lake, they belong to Silver Lake. So, but I mean it's good news that we're returning this money to the town, but it does beg the question of what happens at the town meeting because >> essentially will this money becomes free
cash with the town. So, it's something that we need to negotiate with the town to see, you know, what we can do with that, you know, because I don't even know if we can use it for this upcoming year or if
it's free cash for the following year. I have that's something we have to talk to the town about. >> I think that we should definitely talk to them about it before the next annual town meeting. >> Um >> well, we have the town meeting in July, too.
>> Yeah, that's what I mean. Okay. because they're going to want to know where somebody's going to have I feel like somebody from the school committee should be able to get up and explain where this why we have this excess and why we're giving this back cuz I think that our budget is going to be in
question from the town, right? Why do we have all this? Um, so I definitely think it's important that one of us from the school committee is able to get up there and like articulate exactly where this money came from and why it's extra and where we're giving it back. And then if
we can like why know like one person maybe or whomever can meet or talk to the town or the finance committee or something to figure out before that meeting what we can what we can do if we can do anything with this money I think would be really good so we know the answers to the questions and what we
should be asking for um at that annual town meeting. >> Right. [clears throat] No, I think that's a good idea. >> Especially after the last town meeting and then watching a lot of the different
meetings that everybody was, you know, really I think was wanting to have um a little bit more explanation and transparency with our numbers. So, I think it's important to try to give that to the town and to the different um boards because
>> Well, it's true, but also keep in mind that the numbers were all incorrect on the warrant and so the transparency really wasn't our issue. >> No, I get that. But I'm I totally agree, but I feel like with this large number of a surplus, it's going to be questioned again.
>> Oh, 100%. And I Oh, and Jill will be at the town meeting. Correct, Jill? >> When is the town meeting? I believe it's it's not the 28th. That's when we have Is it the 29th? >> The 29th. >> Yeah. July 29th,
>> which I'm happy to speak to it. >> Yes. >> Um >> I will be there. But >> as you know, if you need me to speak, I need to be recognized and asked to speak because I'm not a a citizen. >> But I can do that, right? As a
>> you can. And also hopefully they'll set up the the sound so that we can hear. Um the first night of town meeting was difficult but the second night of town meeting was much much better. >> Oh that's good. [clears throat] Yeah. So my plan would be to get
together with the I'll let the selectman know and also talk to the finance committee about this surplus and so it's not I mean a surprise now it's public. we've talked about in this meeting, but I'll make sure that they know and
possibly we could discuss it at the meeting on the 28th that we have when we're appointing. we can have them add that to their agenda and obviously we'd have communication before that but um we could finalize in a public forum
like in and share more there but also with the citizens at town meeting and I'm happy to go up and speak to this and also invite Jill for any clarification that's needed. >> So I think that's a good idea. I think that's a good idea too, especially since
I know like at one of the meetings the board of selectman were like hoping to hear from Dr. Pru there too. So I think that if we do invite her up maybe that will um I mean can every anybody could right could invite you up Dr. P.
>> You have to be recognized to speak. So if you're not a citizen that's why they have a sit in a separate section. >> Yeah. >> You have to be invited by the moderator, right? Like I could make a request of the moderator to bring Jill up. >> Oh, I see. Okay. >> So,
>> but I do think it would be helpful align if if you speak and then um ask the moderator to be recognized with with you, Dr. Pru, as like another, you know, um representative of the entire school system. I think that would be really smart.
>> Well, then they'd have the chair and the superintendent and >> Correct. >> Stephanie, are you going to be there as well? >> Yeah. >> So, even better. Are you a res >> Stephanie? >> H >> Are you a resident on Halifax? >> No.
>> Okay. >> So, we could recommend both of you come up. >> Yeah. >> Nothing to hide here. We'll [clears throat] [laughter] >> also like in the town meeting. I think that I don't know who who would do this
in our committee or Mr. Prrena or uh Dr. approve, but I feel like I think, you know, it's going to be suggested or put forward that some more money come to the school from free cash. And I think that it's really important for the school
committee to come up with some type of a explanation or how we would use this money. like, okay, if the town does allocate 200,000 or whatever the amount of money is, which I'm sure between now and then, you know, talking to the town and the
seeing what's going to be discussed for the agenda, we would know more. But, um, I think that it's like the responsibility or the the school committee to say if you guys if the town doesn't vote to allocate this money to us, this is what we're going to spend it on. I know we don't have to do that, but I think that as a part of the community,
we should do that. on Jill. >> My recommendation would be to go back to the priority list um in terms of the cuts that were made and try to restore staff, particularly um staff that could help lower class sizes and some of our
larger class size grades. >> Yeah. >> Yeah, that would be excellent. But I do think that we need we need to say that and kind of be prepared, you know what I mean, to say that at the town meeting when it's addressed or even just bring it up if it's not addressed because I
don't know sometimes I feel like we didn't answer the right questions but we weren't asked the question. So part of the problem is we're still under net school spending which is really where the argument was laying
but then the override didn't pass. So I mean the problem is there's so many facets to it and it's hard to explain everything and even after being on school committee for 5 years I'm still learning obviously you know. >> Yeah. So, I mean, we do the best we can,
but like and also not knowing but I mean sort of my concern besides my biggest concern is staff cuts, but then my next concern is net school spending. But, I mean, I don't think we'd ever get the town to agree to get us to net
school spending. But, I do agree that, you know, if we could bring back as much staff as we possibly could, that that would be ideal. And so, kind of having a number to maybe bring back um at least the staff would
be really helpful. >> I agree. >> Yes, Jill. We would also I would also add one of our concerns will remain on maintenance of effort because as we spend less on special education if we
fail to meet maintenance of effort um we lose grant funding and so that would that could impact our special education grants and I'm not just referring to circuit breaker I mean like 240 um
>> well didn't happen to us when we did the cuts two years ago. >> Yes. >> So, I just want to just keep that at the forefront of people's minds when people act shocked that we've lost staffing because I mean we've lost uh funding or grants. It's
it's because we're not spending enough in certain areas to qualify for those grants. >> And is that what and I'm sorry I didn't catch the terminology maintenance >> maintenance of effort >> maintenance of effort. So that's when we're required to spend a certain amount
of money in each different category. And if we're not doing that, that's where we start to lose the the grant money. >> Think of it I I mean I'm I'm not an expert. I Heather would be a better person to ask on this, but in and and Stephanie, please correct me if I if I
misspeak, but my understanding is is that you're expected to spend at least as much as you did last year on special education. And when you fail to do that, you're not you're not maintaining your effort towards supporting those students, I think, is the best way I
could describe it in layman's terms. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Any other comments or >> So, what was the We need to do a vote to send that money back to the town, correct? You need to vote the close out as
presented um with the intention of returning the funds to the town of Halifax. >> I'm so sorry. Can I ask one more question >> about this? So Stephanie, looking at this what you um prepared for us, the
vendors and the incumbrances, are these just additional expenses that we're going to incur um that we're paying for for last year's money? which is why it's negative. >> Yes. So, these are expenses that are
encumbered and haven't um been fully received by the budget yet. So, they were rolled over into the next fiscal year so we can pay off these bills cuz there were services or products that we received in 2026, FY26, but just haven't
been able to pay off that final balance. >> Oh, okay. And so now we would be able to pay off the balance of what we owe with this extra money that we have. >> Um, no, this is already encumbered. So the amount is um before the extra money.
This is >> okay. >> That amount is minus. >> Okay. So I see. So pre-closing. So the 741 is not the extra. The 671 is the extra. >> I'm sorry. I'm not sure where you are.
671 part one. on page two. >> Yeah. Yeah, exactly. [clears throat] >> Okay. Thank you for explaining that. I just want to make sure I understood that right. >> No worries. >> Well, and it is noted that
well the the the vocational ed. I just wonder what the amount would be without the cir this circuit breaker fund just to do you have that broken out so that we could
explain you know that the budget was not you know before these funds does that make sense >> yeah so I do have sorry I do have a breakdown as to what was spent this year
in circuit breaker. Um, and also the 240 grant. Um, and there was, you know, like Dr. Pru said, there was a lot of money left over in circuit breaker. So, even with the FY 26 circuit
breaker funds, we were able to prepay tuitions for FY27 in special education. So, I mean that just goes to show like you know the amount of money that's left over it's we're just unable to like absorb it honestly.
>> No, that makes sense. But I guess my question is is if we didn't have these circuit breaker funds, how much would we be returning to the town? [clears throat] >> Much less. >> Yeah, I know. Well, that's what I'm just wondering. So, we can explain that our
budget was appropriate. That's basically want to be able to explain that our budget was appropriate for last year and it was hand. >> Oh, sorry, >> Stephanie. Do you have a total of how much circuit breaker was spent this year in Halifax? >> For um circuit breaker and how I don't
have the total I have the total amount which includes the prepaids for next year. So the um in total for this year and also the prepaids for next year um 713,28.96 was prepaid in tuition and for transportation this year alone
um was $322,33967. So, um, about, you know, close to a million dollars, a little bit over a million and circuit breaker alone, not including what was
expended in the 240 grant. Um, for instance, in FY26, nothing has been charged yet for the 240 grant. So, that just goes to show it's just like so much money. So, I think perhaps we def we probably
wouldn't have been able to give anything back to the town. Um >> All right. No, that's just helpful to know because I'm I want to have as much information as I possibly can going into this town meeting. >> Yeah, Laur was the final override
allocation about 375. Was that that was that that amount for the school this past year? Was it 375,000 or more than that? >> The final or what? I'm sorry. >> For the for the over I'm saying like okay the override we needed 375 but now
we're giving 740 back. Lauren, I appreciate you saying like really needing to be thoughtful in explaining that because you know a community member's ears might be confused on this matter um of why
we're giving so much back. >> Well, that's why we're asking >> Yeah, sorry. Go ahead. >> No, but now you know we're giving 740 back, but then we were saying we needed 375. it it it is um you know I think
this really needs to be thoughtfully explained um in July. So um >> well I think one of the ways we can explain it too is that it can only be applied to certain to special ed. Yeah. >> So that's really like it's
reimbursements and it's all just so the best thing for the school to do is to give the money back to the town so that it can be applied and help us in the future. So you know like um
some people return the circuit breaker money to the state. So, you know, like um we uh so just explaining that, you know, that this money can only be used certain ways, but so at this point, our only option would be return it to the
town or return it to the state. So, or not return, give it to the town or return it to the state. Sorry. Go ahead, Stephanie. >> So, so this money is going to be turned into free cash. So, the money will go back to the town. The town then has to come up with their um expenditures if
there's any overages and all the other departments and then in total that money will go back to the state. The state will then certify the money that's going back from Halifax, take off a percentage and then what is left from the percentage that's taken off that is then
returned back to the town. So sometime in February between February to April, it was a little late this year for the town of Halifax, but they then will receive um the certification of what is left over which will be returned back to the town and then that will go into free
cash. It's similar to the way END works for Silver Lake. >> So this likely won't be available until next year, >> right? >> Yeah. And then the town administrator has full
authority to say how the money is spent. >> Yeah. >> But yeah, I mean my biggest concern being like, "Oh, you found all this money." It's not found, >> right? >> It's money that was there all along and we're just handling it according to the educational law and how we're supposed
to. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And I mean, we're fortunate that we were able to get all that circuit breaker money and reimbursements, but it's all unusual with the switch to how the district is run now versus how
it was. So, I feel like we can have a pretty good explanation and say it wasn't found. we knew it was there, but until we know what we're able to still use and you did the prepaids, which helps with
next year's budget, that um you know that it wasn't found money, it wasn't unknown. It wasn't mismanagement. It was just how circuit breaker funds work with the unusual changes to our district.
So, any other questions or No, thank you for explaining it all. >> Um, all right. Uh, so I will make a motion to accept the close out as presented and return the funds in
the amount of $727,892.93 to the town of Halifax. >> I second the motion. Do you want me to say the exact amount? >> You don't need to. No, that's fine. I'll do a roll call vote. Tara. >> Uh, yes. >> Jody, >> yes. >> And I'm a yes.
Okay. Um, our dates to remember teacher inservice is August 31st. Our next school committee meeting is August 31st. And there's also a teacher inservice on September 1st. And the first day of school is September 2nd. Labor Day is
late this year. Labor Day is September 7th. And there's an early release on September 24th for K. Well, yeah, for the whole school, for the whole district. Um, and I will take a motion to adjourn.
>> I motion to adjurnn. >> Okay. >> Wait, Lauren, can I bring up my idea that I had? >> Um, we [clears throat] presented it to me too late to put it on the agenda, so I'll put it on the agenda for next time >> in in August. Perfect. Okay, great. So, oh,
>> are we doing reports today or no? Were those not on the agenda? I didn't see it. >> Not on the agenda. Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, >> I will leave you all in suspense on what my idea is. >> I know. It's really exciting. >> Stay tuned. Come back. [laughter] >> Stay tuned.
>> All right. So, I think we had a motion in a second on adjourning or Right. Okay. And um uh we'll do a roll call. Tara. >> Uh yes. >> Um Jody, >> yes. And I'm a Yes. So, [clears throat] thanks everybody. >> Thanks everybody.
>> Thank you. >> Have a great night. >> Have a good night. >> See you soon. >> Bye. >> Good night. >> Take care. >> Bye. >> Bye. [music]