All [Music] right, we will call the meeting to order here at 8:04 a.m. of the school
committee finance committee. Um we just so you know is on camera. We have a a member of the public here joining us observing. Um sorry you can say good morning. >> Good morning. >> Katie is not here. So we will skip past
the assistant superintendent reports. Um mostly want to jump down to the review of the budget timeline uh document and the committee coordination conversation that we started in past weeks. uh link of that budget calendar was in the
materials for this week's meeting. You scroll down to the third page. I can share my screen here. Um scroll down to the third page. That's where the agenda is.
Uh I'm sorry, the table is that I uh worked to update as I set out last week. Can you all see this? >> It's uh it's loading on my end at least. >> Sure is loading. Yep. Okay. >> Yep.
>> Yep. I can see it. >> Great. Okay. So, uh, took kind of what we discussed last time and the draft from the prior year, tried to update this as it relates to like the sequence of
meetings. Um, just did that kind of yesterday and this morning, so I'm sure none of you all had had a chance to walk through it. So I think what would be helpful is as we ultimately kind of want to align on the sequence of meetings and um checkpoints throughout the process
and then we want to be able to share that with the full school committee to get any feedback from them too in terms of when we're uh involving them. Um so it makes sense to y'all. We can kind of just walk through kind of item by item and just talk through if the sequence
kind of makes sense, if there's something that feels like it's missing within this um part. I I don't have meeting dates. Uh I just mostly try to kind of put things in order. There's some meeting dates that are just left in from last year's uh that I thought might
be useful as like checkpoints. Uh and then some meeting dates we do have finalized like the town administrator. But from a process perspective, does that make sense to you? Uh Amanda, Nathan, walk through it. >> Yeah, that sounds great, Mark. Thank you.
Um so I thought the the first thing we should try and u get from the school department uh is to a presentation kind of on what draft budget priorities they have for next year. What are the goals they are looking to kind of accomplish broadly speaking? Not necessarily
talking maybe position by position or program by program, but just kind of what what are the things that are going to drive the work they're doing that is already driving kind of the conversations they're doing internally potentially. um so that we can get feedback on if there are any priorities
we feel like they are missing uh or you know any priorities we are I I don't know want to push back on um and then that kind of using that as the foundation for obviously future budget presentations but but to me that's kind of the first thing I think we should ask
the school department for prior to just getting kind of a full draft budget and have them go through that whole process without hearing from us first. Um, is that I talked about a little bit, but I think >> Yeah. So, so, uh, I I think that's a
great idea and I'm wondering if the school committee in the subcommittee wants to hear that in depth from the school department or do you does the school committee members have ideas that they want to add as we go along? is do we want to have this be a parallel conversation or we present something in
general to you um and and then have you comment on it or do people already have ideas of what they would like to add? Um Katie and I have had conversations generally speaking that you know to start we would like to have a conversation about transportation
identify what needs we have that could be sorted by the budget for uh increased bus service. So that to me generally would be would priority would be making sure that we have at least one more bus and we put that in the way that makes sense for the for the community. Whether that needs to be two or not would be
decided when we go through the practice with the bus company. But uh so that would be a budget ad. Uh we're thinking about wanting to make sure that we have a full administrative team. So, if we made the two uh cabinet positions of assistant superintendent for teaching
and learning full-time and possibly the HR coordinator full-time, that would be something we'd want to discuss. And then generally speaking, uh, and without having talked to the principles fully yet, even though we've had some broader conversations, uh, I
did give them an update that we as a district would like to, uh, follow through on the, um, discussion at this table with coming up with what will need to be added to our revolving accounts uh, each fiscal year in order to create
a, you know, three to four year plan to make sure that all of our revolving ing accounts have sustainable balances that are appropriate with a budget of our size uh that provide and execute the way the revolving account should. So the big ones being transportation, athletics, uh
special out of district etc. just uh that will be a parallel conversation about u what we can have at this table about the minimums and the policy setting that we'd like to do in order to support that conversation and that that's the biggest framework that I'm kind of thinking through in my brain
that needs to be done uh for two to four year plan. >> Yeah, you're almost even just not to interrupt I guess but you're almost even getting into like sharing some of those budget priorities which I think is good. I I do think I mean from my perspective and then push back. I think it would be
helpful first to hear what y'all's priorities are because I do think you all see the vision more clearly like being on the ground and what kids need uh what this district needs. And so from my perspective, I'd love to hear kind of, you know, what you're kind of starting to share. And then from there,
us be able to provide, you know, ask questions on those, provide any push back and have that conversation on, you know, what what these things are, what might be missing again at the finance committee level. >> And then eventually, you know, I have down here, right, take that conversation and say like, all
right, we all feel like we understand and feel good about those priorities. Let's now take it to the full school committee um to have that kind of same conversation presentation at that public uh space and with the other committee members. Um well Nathan Amanda what
makes sense to you? Um if I could jump so Mark when you say that how does that differ from what is the first bullet point? Do you mean in the sense that this first bullet point would be the priorities have already
been winnowed down and you're looking to hear the conversation earlier or does this align with what you are saying >> by first bullet point? You mean this this right now? >> Yes. Yep. >> Yeah. No, I'm I'm saying that is the conversation, you know, and again we're having some of it now and it's not to
say that it's a sing necessarily a single meeting like I think we've talked about a couple of these things, right? just making sure that we we as a committee as the finance subcommittee feel kind of good in align on what the draft budget priorities are for next year. Hearing that from the department
and giving that giving any feedback to them >> and then you know a few meetings later and obviously we're skipping over a couple things uh is taking that same presentation to the full school committee. >> Yeah. >> No, I agree with that.
Yeah. I think being I think having that lens in sooner is better. You know, kind of understanding the priorities and why. Um and I also think um the areas that John had referenced on
transportation, um any roles that would be looking to be moved to full-time, um the revolving accounts, I think those are those are all points um those are big budget areas that I think it would be important for us to have an
understanding of and recognize where they are in the priority list. Um, so that's nice to hear those pulled out. >> Yeah, I just want to name that we don't we don't have like discussion a bunch of priorities as part of the agenda itself. And so like I want to be mindful of that from a
just agenda that get too much into the weeds of actually the discussion. Um, I agree with you. Um, >> I I'll name that with that. I'm somewhat concerned about timeline in that I don't think our next meeting after this week
is the 15th. That meeting is already kind of tagged for the town administrator. I don't think the town administrator I mean I think the town administrator's presentation is going to take up our whole meeting. I don't think we're going to have a lot of other time to discuss.
Uh, so I'm just naming kind of on our like every twoe cadence. some of these things are going to start to feel like we don't have enough time and we will, you know, it's something we discussed earlier. We'll like naturally need to move to kind of potentially meeting more frequently in order to get these things done.
So, this somewhat bleeds into a later agenda item in terms of next meetings and things like that. But, uh, and you know, maybe we'll have enough time today. I'm just not confident we will. Um, just raising that I I think we might want to meet next week,
>> try and get this done. >> Mark, just a quick comment. I I agree with you and Amanda that starting hearing the hearing the management team's priorities first makes sense. Um, I guess we're hearing from the town administrator next week and I I I don't
recall if that's is is that a meeting about revenue projections? Yeah, in two weeks it's about revenue and expense. >> Okay. >> Um he's going to cover both. So he he said he will cover what they're expecting to get in and then you know what increases they are seeing kind of
from the town side related to health insurance as a big one of the common things that that will eat up some of that revenue. And I assume that conversation be able to share some expected percent increase available to kind of town departments broadly.
So, I guess to me that's an important first conversation because it will inform the degree to which there's flexibility or constraints in next year's budget. Um, and I don't know, John, if you have if that's the first time we're all going to be hearing this or if you're if you're having any um
early insights into those revenue projections just from your your co-working with with Nick. Um but it it feels like we need to we need to get through that first before we can think about what the priorities are. And then as we hear about priorities, what would
be helpful for me is to also have a conversation about just like philosophically um you know I I have been thinking about next year as another kind of like hold tight budget year. Um especially with
our reserve funds in the state that they are. Um, but maybe we can just norm around as a group philosophically where we think that that what we think that budget year is going to feel like. And then John, the priorities you named um
align with with what I think are important. And again, we don't have to get into the details, but when we do talk about it, I think another thing that I would appreciate is just um how how you're thinking about prioritizing those when we have to make a choice on how to spend the marginal dollar. Um, is
that going to reserve funds or is that going to fund, you know, a build out of the management team or is that going to fund transportation? Um, I think I know what I think there, but but I but um it'll be I think I think it'll be helpful to to hear your
perspective on that as well. >> Okay. >> Yeah, Nathan, I totally agree with that. I guess the place I'd push back on, I think that conversation is important to have even before understanding revenue and expenses. I think obviously if revenue comes in high and expenses for
the town come in low and the percent increase in schools can see is larger then that opens up possibility of doing more within our priorities or accomplishing more priorities. But I mean I think we can say hey here are the priorities. I totally agree that we need to have a conversation about how we are
ranking those priorities, right? Like what are the things we absolutely need to do first and then what are the things we want to do second and third less from and and have a discussion of is this something that we think is you know important enough to cut in other areas
in order to cover because I agree with you. I I don't I'm not right now anticipating that we're going to get some increase that will really kind of open us up financially to expand services. I think we're going to need to if we are expanding in one place, we'll
likely need to contract in another. Um but I think having that kind of I think we can and I think it's helpful to have some of that conversation even before revenue and expense forecasts and then you know once we have the revenue and expense forecast on 1015 that is going to you know drastically kind of um
inform you know kind of how we're further talking about it. It does make me wonder if if we're trying to have this and then we had the town administrator if we you know again the next one I had was kind of talk about the draft budget priorities at the full
school committee. Um you know we >> what I was thinking Mark if we can squeeze in a meeting next week then we could do that. I just didn't know if we if we'd be able to to chat again before we heard from the town administrator. >> Yeah. Yeah. I guess my my hope would be
maybe we could squeeze in a meeting next week to try and have this conversation. We could even then and again Amanda and John push back on me um at the 108 uh school committee meeting have a brief presentation share
out of kind of these priorities. people have just talked about them at finance. Um but like you know share kind of these are some of the things we are discussing and thinking about to get school f I mean the full school committee feedback and then obviously we'll the following
week we'll get kind of information from the town administrator on the actual reality of the financial picture for the town. Uh and then that you know will kind of inform further conversations we have internally. Um,
does that the goal for kind of next week somewhat make sense? >> Um, yeah, I'd be be up for that. I just want to confirm on my calendar, but let's assume that that would work for me. So, we have a leadership meeting on
Tuesday of next week where we can go over the the the larger philosophy of how we're approaching the budget >> in some larger priority chunks. Not not costing out those pieces, but just big picture. >> Yeah. >> Um cost, not cost areas, but what we
want to prioritize in terms of how we're looking at FY27. And I would also say that not only FY27 but actually the next three years and that's more so for the revolving con technical pieces of the priority uh areas for the financial
pieces versus the the uh service delivery pieces. >> Um I am not available in the morning on the 8th next Wednesday. Uh, and and I'm wondering if we could have that finance meeting be prior to the school committee meeting if people were available or at
some other time Monday or Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon. Uh, not sure what folks availability is and I apologize. I have a commitment that I can't cannot do next. >> Yeah. No, that's totally fine. And and I do like the idea of having us
give you the broad philosophy and the big chunk priority areas that we're going to discuss in detail so the school committee can weigh in on if that's the right direction or not. >> And I'm assuming the school committee would reserve the right to kind of, you know, repoint that direction as we get
more detailed, ask deeper questions as we get more detailed. >> Okay. just to kind of I think we can before we leave we can try and figure out um what the meeting if we can find common time next week. Um >> and can I just pause for a minute just
with Amanda on the call as well? >> Yes. Given that this is the beginning of the budget season where we might be meeting more often as a subcommittee >> in and maner and I plan the the uh agendas for each meeting and we kind of have I have the chart the calendar
actually which you're all shared on that we can just keep looking at but I'm I'm assuming that we should just hold uh a chunk of time on the agenda every two weeks or every school committee meeting for by June >> through June through January you know just like let's just make sure that we
include that in our understanding of what the night's going to look like. So, when we're trying to balance the agenda for the week that we just assume a half hour, it could be 10 minutes one week, but it could be an hour the next week depending on what the process where we are in the process. But I just wanted to say that out loud planning purposes.
>> Yep. No, I think that makes sense. Sorry about that. Yeah, I think that makes sense. >> Uh, all right. Uh so we'll talk about those present those full school committee again have the town administrator. Uh we have the a general timeline on here uh which is somewhat
disconnected from the budget priorities but an initial um meeting presentation to the warrant committee full committee. I think this came out of something we've talked about, but gentlemen, you talked to the chair of the warrant committee about this and he was on board with again doing similar what we did last
year at some point in this fall going full warrant committee giving kind of school budget 101. Um Katie did provide a draft agenda that I think was you know somewhat aligned with uh what we discussed. So that's also in
the folder of materials. just just look at that real quick. Um, you want me to cover budget timeline of process, uh, share the budget FAQ and go over some of those that information, discuss budgeting best practices, what are the different roles and
responsibilities in terms of school budget. Um, and then what are the components of it and then talk specifically about special education. So that is her proposed agenda. want to
make sure this looks okay with y'all and then if it does we can share that with the board committee chair and try and schedule the a date. We have a placeholder for 10:31 but essentially just at some point late October early
November wanted to get in front of them. >> Can I Yeah, please. Um so when we talk about special education funding sources are we talking trying to um explain circuit breaker and other
pieces? I just my only question around that is we're not doing that for other areas for other kind of you know state or federal funding that we get. So, um I'm just
just so we understand that. I mean, and I know that it also aligns with that, you know, the reserve fun, you know, the special education reserve fund. Um because that could be another source of funding. But I guess I'm just wondering the intention around this one
piece if it's simply circuit breaker others and then um maybe why? So, so thank you for asking the question. The the intent was to discuss uh the the the major
revolving accounts underneath the components of the school budget, gross expense, uh revenue offset, etc. So, we can certainly rephrase that as uh revolving account uh balances in and resources, not just call out uh special
education funding sources. Inside that conversation though, what we want to do um Amanda is educate the educate the warrant committee on the ins and outs of the revolving accounts, especially the ins and outs of circuit breaker and uh
the revolving accounts that are connected to circuit breaker so they fully understand them in advance of the discussions about budget in general because it's such a complex um revolving account that that has a lot volatility. So, we want to kind of give them the
what we used to call the circuit breaker 101 kind of education. So, uh but embedding it underneath the revolving account discussion, I think might be the the better way to to frame. >> Yeah. I I wonder if um and and
you can all share if this sounds like too in the weeds or too inside baseball, but I feel like when um Danielle came and explained at the end of last year the the reasons for the volatility or or the not
necessarily volatility, the reasons why um the special education um budget can change with respect to, you know, students being referred for special education services, you know, what are the contracted services that we have? I don't know if there's it doesn't
necessarily have to be that level of detail, but if there because that is the one area of the budget that is more that it is variable and can change depending on the number of students referred or students who enter the district, etc.
that um that I wonder if there's a a level of education on that. Like again, I said again, not going into the depth that Danielle went into, but that might be helpful for people because just because just because I think that is the the
portion of the budget that has changed. I don't know. I'm just I don't know how other people feel about that, but I think that that was that question has come up year over year um with the warrant committee and with other you know and with others within the community to understand the why around
around that piece. >> We can certainly work those um anticipated questions into the into the slides. I don't know if I'd bring Danielle I I feel confident that I could speak to those. >> Yeah. uh in but I'd get a sense from Danielle what you presented last time if
people felt that that was a good uh framing of the subject but um and and it reminds me that this might be one of maybe um uh one of several meetings that we would want to have. We might want to unpack this more fully in more detail
with the three liaison from the warrant committee. uh this might be the the wide brush that we want to give everybody in the war committee to to hold on to and understand and think about and if they have questions they might be able to go through the liaison and we could actually sit and really have deeper conversations with them that are harder
to have I think in those larger groups because of the sensitivity around some of the work uh related to this. So, um, so I I'm I'm in my brain I'm just trying to think of what we'd like to give everybody >> and that we might and then what >> would we like to give to the smaller
group that we might be able to have, you know, more detailed conversations that aren't um aren't always best had in larger groups on on the camera. >> Yeah, I agree. I And it might just even be simply something under the budget FAQ. Um,
>> sure. And because I agree it can get it can be sensitive and there and it also there's a lot to take in but maybe there is something within that around why have we seen variability in the special education
um funding or why has that been an area you know that might just there might just be an easy way to answer that that has to do with you know referrals or we these are services that we're required to provide to students. Something along
those lines. I think that just might be helpful without going into a whole lot of detail. >> Agreed. We we can be ready for those questions or we can proactively try to answer as many as we can within the the slides. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. I I I agree with that sense of like doing like your point, Amanda, of
the information Danielle shared I thought was very good. And so doing some like very quick broad overview of of that um makes sense and then within the context of kind of the other funding sources as we're mostly it seems like Katie's goal here is like discuss the
different kind of funding sources that in that inform the budget um but providing that extra color around um special education expenses um you know briefly um makes sense and yeah I think
even at that saying, you know, I think a goal coming out of that meeting too should be, you know, if there are things the warrant committee as a whole really wants to know more about. Great. They should tell their, you know, their subcommittee people that that's what they want them to
investigate. They're going to have questions on that so the subcommittee folks can come and to your point, yeah, >> learn more and get more in depth with those kinds of three people >> um and bring it back. I think I've been watching the warrant committee's work this year and I think their the way in which they've had experts
come back and present on warrant articles and expertise has been in my opinion like quite impressive. They've done a I think really much better job than I've seen in years past of having those experts come back and present and speak very knowledgeably uh about different things. So hopefully that that
rolls over into what those three selected people do uh for the school budget. And just to pause because the the questions that usually come up are partly what you suggested Amanda how does this happen right there's a how
does this team meeting process yield these results or how do referrals get made and where are those decisions made and people need to be familiarized with the kind of the student team meeting uh side of that how you know and what services are we offering in schools and why can't we offer more and how do we
you know plan for that that's one section ction. But then just the technical part of this from a financial standpoint, how does how does federal u money impact this? How does state reimbursement impact this? What does this mean for a local town's operation
budget and why stabilization accounts are important? So there's a financial technical side of this I think that they need to understand and then there's just this how does special education work and why these expenses go up and down every year. So, >> um, I'll kind of walk through anticipated questions in those two
spaces >> because they need to know both >> that they're curious about how why are there so many kids and what does that mean and those are the sensitive questions that really you have to deal with delicately with the audience but the financial technical pieces of it is are also things that they need to learn
about. There are ins and outs that they need to be aware of the different revenue sources in how they can be brought from year to year and what can't be brought year to year. How is circuit breaker actually formulated? When do you get it? What does it represent? It's a reimbursement versus a grant versus a um
and I just think that that would be helpful for them to understand too. The ins and outs technically of the money is important. >> Okay. Um just be mindful of time. Want to keep moving through this. other things on the agenda that we don't have that we think would be important for
that presentation. Okay, great. Well, then the next steps will be I will share this uh with the warrant committee chair. Um I'll CC y'all on it. So, I'll just kind of email it over to
them and we'll see if they come back and have any feedback on this agenda and want us to cover other things or clarify something. Uh, and then we will work to schedule a time to present. Um, I again we'll include y'all on that. I I
don't think all the entire finance committee needs to attend, so you don't need to feel pressured to do that, but we'll figure out kind of which of us want to show up and can show up based upon kind of the available dates with the one. So makes sense.
Uh great back over. All right. So that is that. Um we talked about this uh presentation by the school department. So I did this uh on projected revenue
and expense forecast for the school. So, I don't know if this makes sense, John, and maybe this is a question we want to wait for Katie, but I was essentially thinking like before we have a final, we are going to get revenue projection expense um and revenue forecast from the town, right? That of like what they're
expecting to get to the schools. I don't know if there's also something you all can share around this to me maybe is connected to kind of the level service presentation we had last year but maybe it's not a full level service budget of just like what you know what are you all anticipating the
costs of kind of rolling things over like what are the revenue I don't know um pinch points between kind of projected revenue and expenses to say hey we a level service budget is going to cost us 5% you all over the town saying we're getting 3% so that's
automatically creating this $200,000 gap. Well, whatever the number is just to save things, but um you know, I think after getting the information from the town administrator and kind of for again a continued discussion of I think to Nathan's point kind of the budget
priorities to say okay well now you know these are our priorities here's now the reality within the school side. What does that mean around like as we've discussed those priorities and things like that? Does that does that resonate with folks? Is that clear?
Is this is this essentially just a draft budget and I'm overpicking this? I mean, what um I'm not sure that that's sort of what it would feel like a draft budget. And
I guess I'm I'm not sure about that step um and how that would differ from from a uh like a preliminary budget presentation.
But that could just be >> Well, >> is it more of like a is it more of a >> um not a heads up, but a this is the way that things are looking? Is it more of kind of like a
is is that the idea behind it? >> Yes. Uh I know you're trying to jump in. I think I think so. I think it's more before we say like I think in a draft budget presentation let's say there's a again based on revenue forecast it's the $200,000 cut you know again random
number I'm making up I would think in a draft budget presentation say okay it's $200,000 here's our draft of what we are proposing to cut in order to you know cover that $200,000 and I don't I don't know if you know that maybe we just want
to hear that ultimately but I don't know if there's a worthwhile convers conversation to have first on again here is the reality of what it's looking like. Let's go back to our priorities and to make sure we're all clear on what this reality means related to the priorities. Um you know what it could
mean, what it's looking like it might mean related to this before the school department then kind of creates a you know a cut list or a programmatic list and and comes back to us and we have a whole lot of feedback on it. I mostly I guess it'd be a question for y'all of
like is that a helpful checkpoint? >> Yeah. >> Or not and by making an extra step. >> So, so my my thinking is that there's the budget work and there's the uh priorities and there's the philosophical approach to the budget priorities
and then there's a couple of variables within the budget in the revenue expense conversation which is essentially negotiations being an expense uh issue we have to be mindful of. that's a variable and also from a town school's perspective insurance. >> So those are the variables inside
>> where I think that this may be helpful to discuss or at least kind of lay forward is then there's the school committee and the school department strategy >> of how we are introducing our budget conversation to the community and to the town. This is what it would cost us to roll over.
>> This is the limits that we're we're working with, i.e. the revenue and that um uh Nick is going to propose to uh say that they the town can afford and that this is how the school is approaching that. So if we were to roll everybody
over, we would be X. Uh if we were to stay within our limits, we're going to be X minus in order to meet that demand. And I'm not sure whether or not we want to use that as a strategy of framing >> for the public. Do you know what I mean? Mhm. >> Um
I the the reason why I bring it up is there is a strategy of presenting this to the public that makes sense to familiarize them with the context of the last couple years, especially the override money, how this works. >> Uh having been at the PTO presidents in
the MF the last couple days, where did all that where did that nine and a half million go? I mean the MF some gentleman who's very very >> uh you know well educated said do you get all that money at once where is the n where's the nine million is it in a bank account some you know what I mean so like so we we might want to think
about how we frame this work and I'm not saying that we have to decide it today but I think part of the framing is coming up with some sort of if we rolled everybody over let's get familiar with those you know those terms that we used to use this is what the increase would be and that's 7%. And that wouldn't that
that's not going to cut mustard this year. We have a 10% or we have a we have a 5% limit or the revenue suggested we can only avoid x%. So we're I'm not sure whether we use that step or not but I think if we do it's probably going to be part of a strategic layout of the work
versus just having the discussion. I think we should think of it strategically. I John I agree with that and the way I I was thinking about it just to add on to that um is you know so so if if at the
point we're talking about we have talked about sort of what our financial philosophy slash strategy is for next year. we understand what the what the management team's priorities are and and
how those are prioritized and then we'll have revenue and expense forecasts from the town administrator. I think I think we're not prepared for a draft budget at that stage, but I think what we should move on to is some
modeling that applies our prioritization and strategy to the forecast and says, and and John, I I think I think this is along the lines of what you were saying is, okay, um here here's the money we think we're going to have. Here's what
we said our priorities are. Here are and let's say it's 200,000 under or good news, it's 200,000 over. Here's um here are the different choice points that come up for us along the way. We said transportation is our number one priority. Okay, we're not we don't we
didn't get extra money to fund the bus. So in order to fund that bus, here are the three possible choices we could make. Um or surprise, we have extra money. We said funding the reserve funds was our number one priority. So here's what we're going to do with that and and here's what it allows us. Here's some
other choices that it potentially allows us to make. and then we can debate those different pathways and ideally land on a path that then informs a first draft budget. And John, I really appreciate the also
just the I think it's a good moment to integrate completely agree with you to integrate um some of our some of our recent history and decisions around the override um and remind ourselves and the public about about what is what we
committed to and what's possible. >> Right. Yeah. So I it's it's like level service expense projections be revenue projections and then yeah modeling impact of kind of priority funding priorities. Yeah, that uh I'm
gonna want to hear you say that a couple of times, Nathan, because it really resonates and I think that it actually um really creates a a really nice set of logical steps of introducing the work with familiar terms, coming up with the
reality of where we are and that modeling some of these impacts in choices. That is the school committee's role to debate in front of the public so they know >> that you did bring it up. you did have hard conversations about it. We did end up where we are after debate and
discussion and that's why the budget draft one eventually comes out in a way that's shaped by the department and by the school committee and quite frankly by anybody who uh wants to come from the community and and give their opinion on it. And in my conversations with
families this thus far in the year related to transportations and other things, I'm saying out loud, come to a school committee meeting and tell people what you want. that's what the that's what the the forum is for. So, if it's uh you're upset about the buses, come and talk about that. That that you need
to come and do that. And um and so uh that I think that that that'll just make for a more robust conversation in a more comprehensive agreement uh at the end of the process for people. And I offered this with the PTO presidents to go out to any PTO meeting and begin to do this
during this budget season at any point in the season to talk to their constituents in their buildings at their PTO meetings as well. Amanda, does that framing make sense to you in terms of the >> It does. And I I like the idea of
um setting up the conversation to your point sooner with the community and bringing people through the through the thought process and the prioritizing of the budget. Um,
I think it's helpful for people to, to your point, John, to hear us discuss it and understand the rationale for why things are and aren't on the budget at some point eventually. So we'll have that conversation within
this group and then it makes sense to then carry that conversation, share that conversation to the full school committee to have it both more public and get the other school committee members insights uh and feedback on kind of what
these the modeling impacts are. Um so then kind of we at some point need to start up the the school war committee, school subcommittee and our team on
maybe some of these same thing or just like generally you know I I guess the question here in my mind is at what point do we really start meeting the warrant committee subcommittee on our budget? I don't think it's appropriate
to start sharing stuff with them before obviously we talk about it but also before we were able to share that with full school committee. Um uh but maybe this is actually too early a step because we're still kind of just modeling stuff out and maybe we want to
wait until after kind of we have our first budget documents. >> That was a question I had and wanted to throw out to y'all. Um, >> I think we'll need I think we'll need through December to make sure that we have a document that we all feel has
been discussed and embedded at the table. That's that's a quote draft one. I think January would be working that through it's October one, so working that through the next three months uh and having it ready for
presentation as a draft one budget in January be upload. Is that what you're saying? It's more just when we like Yeah. When do we involve the warrant committee? I have down here warrant committee, school subcommittee, right? Once we have kind of a draft budget, we meet with them on the draft budget. >> Yeah.
>> Does it makes do do we think it makes sense to start talking to them earlier than that about these kind of modeling things or or not? I think point you've made is they obviously can come to these meetings, they can ask questions along the way. Yep.
>> Uh just about our process, but is there some type of like and so if they need something they obviously can ask for it and we might have other touch points in here, but the point in time at which we want to involve them and we like need their feedback. I think definitely is on the budget side like once we have a
draft budget. Is there anything before that we as a group think we need? >> Go ahead, John. I I would only say that in my conversation with Jay, they are going to dedicate three members of the warrant committee to be liaison. I was speaking to Mark Bart prior to the
meeting. um and uh who are experienced war committee members and so I would like to think that they would be attending and reporting back a little bit and and also not to say this in a way at all is um
the warrant committee talking about the war committee's role in this budgeting process in connection with the school committee budget the school department budget um yeah I I'll just hold my comment from I I think that I think it would be really
helpful for us to do our initial presentation with the warrant committee develop relationships with the three liaison and maybe that can evolve as we begin that relationship with the three leaison because if that's going well you know in the way that I think that Jay has it planned out uh which I think will
be great for them to get updates along the way we may be able to to move that formal meeting with them down the calendar a little bit so that might be a a see how we go thing. >> Okay. I propose then we kind of strike through
this. We again obviously we'll have touch points before that but know we'll have a presentation with them later on on our draft budget. Uh great. Um this is another piece of just the new budget coordination committee when we kind of how do they
fit in here? Where are their place? And so I was struggling with kind of exact we're obviously meeting on a monthly basis. So I think for the standpoint of our document, it's more like at what point in time do we want to make sure we're getting some information in front of them and some feedback from that group.
There's times where they might want stuff from us that you know we'll obviously share. Um but that that was the lens in which I was trying to think about this is and so you know I would think at some point we we want to bring with them like hey this is our projected level service expenses.
Um, and so I bet language here to say, hey, yeah, the town administrator is going to project 5% increase. Our level service budget is 5%. And so that that aligns great. We're all kind of feeling good about this. Um,
or, you know, or not. My my sense is we want to make sure we do that. Yeah, Amanda. Um, re I recognize that this is a new committee. So um
it so um trying to understand sort of the roles and responsibilities of the committee sort of what their what the purview is of the of of the members. And so would this be
are these presentations similarly from Nick and from us that is more of a an I don't know how else to put it an FYI like this is this is the this is the budget projection this you know all of the things that you just said
um and is it just that there's there's not necessarily feedback or a role on changing things or addressing ing priorities or anything. Do you know what am I saying the right thing? So this information sharing versus things would change based on that
discussion. >> Yeah. I'm not even proposing necessarily that we're sharing at that meeting like here are our budget priorities. Um, I think it's more just like this is again the piece in my mind that came up last year very clearly is
>> there's a certain amount of revenue that the town is going to get, right? And then there's some stuff that they, you know, they have little ability to kind of control. I mean they have some ability to control but like um benefits and kind of shared service costs like that just kind of go into a bucket and and then the rest is like okay what
percent is going to libraries schools police fire DPW and there is within that some it's not black and white right there's some kind of negotiation of like it's a three it could be three and a half% for the police this year because they need this extra thing for you know
mediation um kind of costs or I I don't know like that That's I think the conversation I mostly see this committee as taking the place of what we had last year within this counter which is like the conversation with the select board obviously never happened last year of like trying to make the select board
aware of these are the budget pressures we are seeing and so if at a certain point the school committee wants to come back and say town administrator said we have 3% but we need 4% right or we need three and a half%. when that has happened the past couple years on the school budget where the town
administrator said X and we've come back and said nope we need Y. Um and so I think we need to just have a touch point in time in which we are like trying to share that and so the town administrator will share their what they think they are willing to kind of able to give us
and we'll come back and say great that aligns or nope that's going to be a problem and can we talk about that you know like we want to raise this with you and put this on the select board's um radar that this is going to be a place where we're going to need to have further conversations to hopefully
ultimately align on a a coordinated town budget. >> So, so we're meeting with that group this Friday, Amanda, and I think it might be helpful for us to kind of hear from the let that conversation evolve a little bit because that conversation a month ago seemed to be very high level
multi-year view of what the town needs to discuss from a financial planning perspective, which I think should be the role of the committee. And then there were some folks in that committee who wanted to get down to the budget to actual nitty-gritty kind of let's see everything line by
line which I don't think is the would be a good use of the time of that large group of people because that's happening at the district level department level across the the town. Um so so I think it'll be interesting to find out maybe that might take shape on Friday. We might get a better sense of what they
want to be informed on. And I also want to say on behalf of Katie and I and and even this group is that our goal in a perfect world, we're creating a a body of work and a strategy of of presenting
it uh presenting that work in front of people, getting comments from people and and having that story go to every committee that we go to. >> We shouldn't create a new story for every committee. We should be creating our own pathway of how we're going to create this budget from the philosophy
to the drafts to the modeling against the the revenue that we believe the town can provide us and what that means at reduction in ad that we have >> and then that's what our draft one budget will be. So, I know it's not the
reality sometimes when we do get pulled to be, you know, I need I need to answer these three questions, but the the the real I I always like to start with this. Let's let's control our work. Let's move our work and let's let's get out and talk about what we're doing and why. And
hopefully those that presentation of that strategy will resonate and answer the questions from the different stakeholders which are right now warrant committee budget coordination committee to whatever extent the select board in in the public. >> Yeah. Okay. I'm not hearing kind of
strong feelings about this. I agree with you. I think it's it's a new committee trying to feel. I I do think the the issue I have seen the last couple years that I was trying to solve for is is that place of kind of the for back of lack of a better phrase like negotiation
between the schools and the town around you know additional revenue uh and where kind of you know additional revenue is going to support because the past two years we have not started from a place of alignment on this is what the town's willing to give us and this is what the
schools need. It's we have wanted we wanted more and ultimately got more two years ago and then last year we had to push the town on the need for an override uh which ultimately they got to but then again we still weren't aligned on the number quite and had to negotiate on that. So that that's just a constant
negotiation again for lack of a better phrase between our role and the select board's role >> and our job is ultimately it's the town administrator's budget that goes to town meetings. So our job is to try and convince the select board um as much as we can uh and also hear whatever push
back and feedback they have. So again, we can take that out. I I do want to be slightly mindful of time. Uh and I know I think um Nathan, if he's still on, uh has a hard stop uh at 9. um somebody.
>> So, can we um you know, the rest of this we can kind of talk about maybe a little bit next week and and keep going through it. Um can we talk about the calendar for next week and people's availability? Uh for the 7th, it sounds like Tuesday
or the 8th after later in the day on the 8th. >> Yes, I I can do later in the day on the 8th. Um, if we want to do a remote call, we can we can I can have it anytime after noon time
leading up to the school committee if you want to do an hour before with just this group in this office and then walk into school committee at 7:00. We could also do something like that if you wanted. >> That works for me. I I could meet prior to school committee.
Yeah, same. So 6 o'clock on Wednesday. >> So 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Okay. >> Yeah, that would work. >> Okay. >> Um >> could could I ask just a question on
this and it might be a followup. Um, I guess where I'm not clear now is historically we prior to last year there was a a budget finance subcommittee for the
select board that would align with the school committee. I I'm I feel like I'm missing that element like where that comes in and has this because I think that was to your point
Mark um for that conversation that you were talking about before like where you would come back and talk about if there are budget pain points or you know similarly with the need for the override those conversations were happening on parallel paths and we didn't really connect
um and I don't know where that's coming in now be because I don't necessarily and and this is where I'm trying to understand as it's being formed the role of the um the budget coordination committee.
Um it doesn't seem like those are the conversations that would necessarily happen at that level. So I just I'm trying to understand how we work with the select board finance subcommittee
>> more directly because this it feels like that budget coordination committee is where you would then share the conversations that those two subcommittees have had as opposed to that's the only place where the conversation is happening because that one feels more informative where the
other is or the role is different, I guess. Um, >> no. So, I I disagree in that I I think the entire purpose of the budget coordination committee was that we weren't having the conversation with select board. We need to have a more structured place to do that. That is the
place to do it. In addition to that, bringing in the warrant committee to be a part of those conversations given their role mostly. That is kind of the FYI. But that again this is the the place in which we are talking about kind of the the two goals and I think John's
right in that it was kind of still up for discussion but the two goals being discussion of the current year budget right where are we sitting kind of within the current year budget what are people what are the towns seeing what are the schools seeing talk about this that's why I mentioned previously that like the town administrator's presentation to us on 1015 may be
something that he's going to give either before or after that also at the budget coordination committee I assume there will be some redundancy. Um, but we'll talk about the current year budget pressures, concerns. Um, and then also kind of that broader kind of five-year
picture. Um, but I I think the goal is that that is the space to do it. If we are finding that that is not the space where it is happening, then I agree with the point that we need to talk to the finance committee of the select board to figure out a place to make that happen because those conversations have to
happen. Uh, Nathan, >> I I agree with you, Mark. I I think the the sense I'm getting though is this year like I we're meeting on Friday, the budget coordination committee, I imagine
that's going to be another meeting of trying to figure out our exact purpose and how how the mechanics of this committee is going to is going to actually work. like talking about what we're talking about here, which leaves us with two more 1-hour meetings of that
committee before, you know, November and December, and then we're into January where I think we're talking about budget hearings. >> Um, so I I I could imagine this committee serving the purpose you're describing next year. I I am not sure
that this committee, just given its starting point, is going to be fully capable of of doing that this budget year. >> Maybe I'll be proof wrong. It just seems like that's that's kind of where we're at. >> Yeah. So, I I think we're on the same page that we need to have coordination
with the select board. >> We're we're on the same page of that. And so, I think the we'll we'll talk about this just talk about this at the fin the Friday meeting uh with the budget coordination committee. And depending on how that goes, I can also have a side conversation with the finance uh chair for the select board uh
Megan and talk about like if there are other touch points that you know we can schedule at certain places that are outside of that committee. It's certainly there's nothing that prevents this like school committee finance committees from meeting separately um outside of the budget coordination. So um to to that point that y'all are
raising, but let's let's we'll see how it goes Friday. we can bring that information. Nathan and I can bring that information back at our next finance committee meeting um and talk about it and certainly if this group kind of is is concerned about that coordination I will I'll talk with Megan and we will
figure out u other opportunities to to connect. uh >> one of one of the recommendations may be and and I I will be have been meeting with Nick um uh parallel to all this work as well, but it might be and sometimes it's helpful to have the head
of the school committee, the head of the warrant committee, and the select board chair with Nick and myself just meet because if they're asking the same questions at their meetings and we're all trying to figure this out kind of in this kind of uh independent, let's just get the three heads of these committees
together in a Mhm. >> on a you know on a Thursday morning, have a cup of coffee and talk about how do we want to work this through the varying groups that we have out there. We all want to do this work once and um and what's the cadence of meetings that we might want to have and what are the meeting structures that are already in
place that we can use or do we need any other meeting structure to make it work. So it it might be helpful to do that that that I've had pre previous experience with that and that's kind of where you can can get some work done in a way that can coordinate some of this
um more directly would be my uh one recommendation. >> I think that would be helpful. >> And is who's the head of the board? Benzol Benzel is the >> So it would be Ben J.
uh Amanda and then Nick and I >> I'm always happy to sign Amanda up to do some more things if she doesn't she doesn't >> Yeah. No, no, I think that would be helpful. >> Um great. All right. Uh I know it's 9:03. So, uh in the interest of that time, we have our meeting scheduled for
next week uh 1086 to 7. From there, we will um talk about budget priorities. Um, I think we'll also kind of just maybe finish walking through if Amanda and Nathan, you don't mind just kind of reading the rest of the the timeline.
You know, I put like dirt draft budget readings um just like how many times do we discuss it and before bringing back to the school committee and that that back and forth process nailing nailing that out. So, take a look at it. We can talk about it. Hopefully that process goes a little bit quicker. But the goal
for next week, >> no, this is really helpful though. I think it's the conversation is needed. So, >> yeah. >> So, deliverables for next Wednesday at 6, Katie and I are big picture philosophy. Um, the beginning of this prioritization of how we're going to go
about implementing that philosophy, the the potential ins and outs that we want to make sure that well, not even ins and outs, the priority areas that we want to focus on for the next fiscal year. and then um maybe even having a a rollover kind of framing of that as well as part
of it. I just want to make sure I give her >> some good feedback to be given. Does that make sense from what I think Nate kind of started that whole modeling thing? But the beginning of it is our philosophy on how we're going to approach the budget. How we're going to look at the priority areas that we want to that are initially in front of us
that we want to solve >> and how we're going to have to model those ins and outs versus what the revenue projection and expense projections start to look like. We'll begin to model those out against the reality of what we have for financials. >> Yeah. But no modeling next
>> sounds good. >> Um and then uh so again 108 that's what we're doing. 10:15 town administrator reports. 10:29 is the revolving accounts discussion. Um that that's what Katie said kind of our last meeting. That might be a good time um that would have
information to talk about revolving accounts kind of policies, what levels we want to have in those. >> So we can have that. I think we can talk at a meeting next week or the 15th too as we kind of look through this timeline and start to try and fill in dates. Um,
>> we we have to include the Q1 in that in that time zone as well. >> Yes, >> that might be depending on how long it goes. We might have something ready for people at least to have you look at it in being closed, but then comment on the 29th, but we normally would present
at to this party in October and then the full school committee, the second school committee meeting, which I think is 10:22. >> Okay. >> So, I I'll keep that as a side note. What do we What do we want to add that is All right. Uh, I'll also just go through
this and based upon kind of us wanting to have a final vote on the school's budgets on at the end of January, >> I will put placeholder dates here to just say what what does that mean in terms of these meeting cadences? When how often when would we need to kind of
have these conversations based upon current school committee meetings? And um >> yeah, so I'll try and fill that in if you have that. >> That's great. >> Uh, great. Anything else to discuss? If not, I will uh take a motion to
adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Uh is there a second? >> Second. >> Um we need to do a roll call vote because we are hybrid. Um all in favor Amanda. >> Yes. >> Nathan, >> yes.
>> Yes. We are adjourned. Thank you everybody. Thank you. [Music]