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Good morning. It is 8:05 on April 23rd. I am Kim Craraven. I will call the meeting of the North Middle Sex Regional School District Finance Subcommittee to order. Do a roll call of the members attending.

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Lisa Martin. >> Yes. >> Michael Bosier >> here. and I am Kim Craraven. And from the administration, we have Nancy Haynes,

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Dr. Kevin Cormier, Jeremy Hmon, and I thought that we had the superintendent. >> I'm on >> and Superintendent Morgan, and uh Robin Ivy. Um is there anybody that I have missed?

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Okay. >> Oh, yep. We have Dr. Baboa Reese is also on the call. >> I see him. Uh, now, uh, welcome. Uh, so the first order of business is the approval of the minutes from April 3rd. >> All right. I move that we approve the

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minutes from April 3rd, 2026. >> I will second. Right. So motion on the floor by Michael Bosier, second by Lisa Martin. Any discussion? >> No. No.

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>> All right. So, roll call vote. Michael Bosier. >> Yes. >> Lisa Martin. >> Kim Craven. I am a yes as well. Um, did we have anyone for public comment? Robin, >> let me check uh while we're here.

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No, I don't have anything. We have one attendee. Unless um they Randy, if you're interested in speaking, could you just raise your hand? If not, we can move on. Well, so I don't have anyone signed up

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and um Ry's in attendance and she's not speaking, so we can move on. >> Great. Um so let's move to the agenda items. Uh the first item on the agenda is the FY26 budget. Um thank you Nancy for um

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updating uh the item in the packet. If you could uh just give us a quick review of where we are at um with the remaining balances and any of the anticipated expenditures.

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Uh >> sure. Um can you hear me? Okay. Okay. Um, so I I'm looking right now at the FY26 appropriation by category report, which is the the high level. Uh, we still have funds uh remaining in the

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budget across most all sections. Um, administration, instructional support. Um, the areas that I'm really watching right now are the utilities. I went through them um quite closely this week um before I ran this and uh tried to

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make some adjustments. I still have some overages on heat especially um and some in the other areas of utilities. Uh but I I think um again I'm kind of thinking of waiting because uh to make any

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adjustments because I'm what I'm not clear on is all the projects that are pending and whether all those would be hitting um the FY26 budget for facilities. So he does have a number of POS outstanding um and I obviously short

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of going through every single one um I suspect that some might get closed out. So, because we're so close, I was thinking my approach would be to wait uh at least till um beginning of June to see where those projects come out because if some of that uh money is

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available, then I wouldn't need to move more money into those lines. Um if it's not, then we may want to do that towards the end of the fiscal year. Uh the other area um I'm keeping an eye on is

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um the insurance and retirement systems. And one of the uh things that we are able to do with that there there's no no need to um be concerned about it because I do have the uh authorization to use school choice funds to pay some of those health insurance costs if they don't

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level out to um and again I have $64,000 that I'm expecting to spend. If we don't spend the full 64,000 I may not even need to to make any adjustments there. Um I guess that's basically at uh right now it looks like a rate a little over

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two million uh closing out if if we have no other major changes or adjustments. This does not take into account any um prepayments that we have talked about and um you know again once we have that if if we are planning on doing any of

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that once we have that figured out we could we could uh review again. Okay. >> Anyone on the committee have any questions on this? >> Nope. >> Actually, I um Nancy, when you say the

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prepayments, do you have a list of what you're thinking of paying and doing or is it still in the works? >> Not specifically. Um there are things we can do. Um, and I I I know we talked about it in this meeting about maybe

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potentially some technology purchases. I don't know if that's going to actually occur or not. Um, I also could prepay tuitions if I wanted to do that or if we wanted to do that. Um, that's allowable actually to prepay and I've done that in

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the past. It's not my favorite thing because then you have a reconciling issue when you file your end ofear reports. You have to actually adjust those out. um because they have to match the year they're for. So those are the two areas I was thinking about. There's there's always a little uh bit of

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prepaying on some of the say memberships and things like that, but those are usually fairly small dollars. So I I mean I wasn't at this point I wasn't thinking we would move in that direction but um again I'm just bringing that up because it was discussed in other meetings.

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>> Are there any leases that we can pay with the extra or is that >> anything do? There are uh I would probably have to call and um there's a vehicle for

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facilities that's under a lease. Um there might be one small small lease tractor payment. Um I could look at that and get rid of that one. I think we're almost on the last year anyway. So yeah, I could look in that direction. >> There's definitely ways to do that. I

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just wanted to bring it up. Um if that's the direction everybody wants me to go, we can go ahead and and do some of that. Again, I think I'm worried a little bit about the slingshot effect, but again, that something like the lease wouldn't cause that issue at all. So, because it's are it's going to be paid no matter

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what. And um some of them are closer to the end of their lease cycles. Did you have any other questions, Lisa? >> No, I'm good. But Jeremy, I think, has his hand up now. I just wanted to add because it had come

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up before on the technology side. Uh if it shows that we have additional funds, I'm prepared to kind of move forward with a large portion of our projector refresh which we've been behind on. Uh the reason why I'm looking at the projector side primarily is to avoid the

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increasing costs for RAM and it is something that we're behind on and seeing failures without uh being faced with those additional costs. Uh and how far I go with that really just depends on how much funds we have available and I can pull that trigger

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pretty quickly. We also do have some uh licenses that are typically a July rollover that I could always purchase, you know, you know, pay for a month or two in advance. >> Thank you, Jeremy. Um I'll be

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blunt, I suppose. Um, I had hoped that after last meeting, um, we would have been hearing a plan for some of that for the FY26. Um, I thought we were pretty clear in

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our discussion that there was latitude in this budget here to do just that, to be creative with the things that were justifiable, things, Jeremy, as you had said, that had been put on the back burner for a bit. um with some of your

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technology purchases and we had talked very detailed about the escalation in cost of technology and to avoid some of that. Um specifically you had mentioned the RAM in our last meeting that this could have been an opportunity to

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purchase some of that now and if I recall correctly the anticipated remaining balances last time wasn't it 2.188 or thereabouts um and this is a little bit a little bit higher um I'd be

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looking at things like fuel can we you work with um any of the um you know sort of infrastructure things, the operations, maintenance, any of the things that are needs for for grounds,

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things that you we know that we purchase um even if they're small um the membership dues, things that can be purchased out of this budget that give you more flexibility. The one thing that, you know, I've been really reviewing and looking at is the

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amount left over in the teachers line item. And I'm sure that there's valid reasons around this, but I've listened to parents of members of this own committee saying that the classroom sizes are too big, but we're sitting on

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a fair amount of funds for the classroom and specialists for the teachers. And I'm just a little bit perplexed. If that funding is there, why isn't it why hasn't it been utilized? Is it the worry that it won't be there next year, but why aren't we using it to the benefit of

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the students now? And then making that case. Um, again, this is this is my first year in, so just kind of taking it all in. Um, but then reviewing the past and I feel

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like a bit that there's been this sort of savings mentality and with the exception of a few years, I'm seeing a pattern of the same amount kind of being held over year over year. And it's no secret that I'm making a case that we

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need to be lowering the assessment or turning back some funds. Um, I feel like last year to keep us out of an override position in Townsen, they did something that was perfectly um legal done in the past

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um but to the benefit of the schools, the detriment of the the municipality on the premise that it was needed by the schools and it wasn't needed. So here we sit with even more funds than anticipated. I said a few months ago I

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thought we were going to be at 1.6. Here we are at 2.2. Um it's looking better and better at the state. Few things that I think that we need to be doing. Not sure why it wasn't done from last meeting to this meeting. Is a

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really good plan on things that can be justified out of this year's budget spent to give you some uh latitude for next year's budget. and really thinking of a thoughtful way

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to be looking at a reduction in the municipalities. It's it's my impression that you know the towns are still struggling to be looking at uh a recap sheet in a town

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of 19,000 in free cash. Um that's a dangerous position when the schools which it's one budget looking at rolling over 2.2 um that just as a as a school committee member

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and chair of finance does not seem that it's equitable for us to be doing that. So, I'll stop chatting. And Jeremy, I see you still have your hand up. So, >> you're muted, Jeremy. >> You're muted.

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>> Thank you. Just to elaborate on my previous uh statement uh to kind of It doesn't speak to everything you said, but for my portion of it. So, I did spend some time and continuing to spend some time looking through some of the additional uh refreshes based on RAM.

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The problem I'm running into is that the memory is already up uh you know to a significant portion and I'm actually considering trying to hold some of the computer equipment for an additional year uh so that I'm not finding myself

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paying essentially twice the cost uh for those devices. And the projectors are something that I can pull the trigger on and uh could become a fairly large chunk of money, more than it might sound to say that we're replacing projectors. Uh cuz we do have them in every single

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classroom. And most of I'd say we're probably at about 50% of them are really due for a replacement at this point, including some that are in auditoriums, which are uh much more pricey. And actually, I have someone coming by today to take a look at the larger ones. uh in

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the high school that are due for refresh and are much more pricey uh devices to replace. Uh so that would allow us to replace those without facing additional fees that are based on the current uh problems with memory. Uh so I have been

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looking down those paths uh for that piece without having a clear number in mind. It allows some flexibility. Uh I'm also facing a little bit of a staffing shortage for this summer. So I'm keeping manpower ability to implement changes for the technology department side uh in

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mind. The manpower shortage being a temporary one due to uh family situations. >> Thanks Jeremy. the superintendent. >> Thank you. Um, just to let the committee know, uh, to add a little bit to what Jeremy was saying as well, and I try to

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answer some of the questions that were posed. Um, the district is in need of of some heavier equipment. Um, and what we're trying to do is, uh, Dave Amari is working with the towns,

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uh, because the towns actually have that equipment. So, we're trying, he's trying to work on some type of partnership with the towns. So rather than the school district buying um equipment that the towns already have that they don't use on a daily basis to

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potentially work something out with the towns where the school district the school district can use the equipment for a for a cost for help with m maintaining the vehicles um and things of that nature. So that could be potentially something that could work

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out very well for the school district. So, um, he is working that angle and again, it's more or less trying to stay away from having to buy equipment that the towns already have and the school district possibly being able to help out the towns in other ways. So, he's

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working on that. Um, that may take some time um to work out, but it's something that he started working on about a week and a half ago. Um the other just two other quick things is um as far as a lease goes, I know we've talked about the turf field lease previously and

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paying that off early is a potential um way to potentially save down the line and take that off take that off of our roles. And then finally, um, with regard to staffing and why we always seem to have money in staffing, that that is a

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moving target. Um, all year long, we end up with vacancies. We we have people leave. We have people going out on leaves. Um, and we never know what we're going to have to hire someone at. Generally speaking, we could be hiring someone, you know, for $60,000 or we

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could be hiring someone for $100,000 depending on the vacancy and depending on the applicant pool. Uh the other problem with why it wasn't addressed this year with some of the class sizes is that we often times don't know where we stand with staffing and those figures

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until the late fall, early winter. And where kindergarten and seventh and eighth grade were our main problems this year, um adding a teacher to kindergarten, although it was possible, um was not something that not not a

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direction we chose to move in because at that point you were changing teachers on a five or a sixyear-old midway through the school year almost. Um which is not a good thing. So we tried to provide support in those classes. Um in seventh and eighth grade is is something that

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really is very difficult to address because you're looking at having to add multiple teachers which we could not have done. Um again it's adding a team and it's changing teachers for students. Uh it it really almost the midpoint of

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the school year. Uh so we always I think it's a good place to be that we do have some money. Um I don't think it's that way every single year. Um because sometimes um you know the salary line can get tight, but it is something that

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you know often times we're just not aware of the overage until it's almost too late to address it. Um much like many other things with this budget, we still don't know what we're actually are we going to get more money. I know the House is pushing for more money, but we don't know what the Senate and what the

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governor is going to do. So, it's a challenge, but that's just to speak to why we didn't address say the kindergarten problem. It it probably would have caused more issues um if we had done that than stay pat.

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>> Nancy, I see your hand up. I just want to respond to this. Now, I'm going to say something that I I advocate for my field and I don't know how this would work. Um, I leave it to you because you're the expert in your field. One of the things that I advocate in public

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safety is for police chiefs to look to overhire. And is that something that in the future we can look at? Um, and and I know people get certified for different grade levels where in policing, you just become a police officer and go through

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because it's similar that we're we're always trying to play catchup. It seems that the class size issue is going to be perpetual until it's solved, right? Is that can it be factored in earlier on as

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you learn what the class sizes are going to be? Now that you've reconfigured, right, moving forward, knowing what the the district looks like now with with Ashb closed, can we plan out more longer term so that the this

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teaching staff is in place to alleviate this in the future? I know that there's been changes that you are in sort of territory over the past few years. Can that be alleviated in the future?

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So, I I I do think that that moving forward um this is a direction that the finance committee would like us to go in. Again, I'm never going to say that the that having too much staff is a bad thing. However, um something that is being recognized by prospective

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employees um to North Middle Sex at this point is just based on our history of of having to make substantial budget reductions and staffing cuts. is is this job going to be here for more than a year? Um that is a significant concern

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of people that apply to North Middle Sex because they've seen you know a couple years ago we cut 25 staff. The year before that we cut 20 staff. I mean we've lost a significant number of staff over the last 5 years. So there is a fear. Um, and you know, on my end, I'm

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hopeful that the state will step in and will help us out at some point and we'll end up with a stabilized budget, something we can count on on an annual basis. Um, but it is a concern. And so even even this year if we were to you know put money into salaries

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um to potentially overhire there is going to be that concern of staff or people applying in the applicant pool saying is that job actually going to be here in FY28 or am I coming to North Middle Sex to help them out for one year when other districts have the same

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number of openings that we have and may not have the budget issues um or the funding issue that we have. I'm not going to say it's a budget issue. It's a funding issue from the state. Uh so so that's the only concern that I have and it has kind of reared its head over the

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past couple years whether it be uh teachers administration saying you know I want to make a commitment to you but is the commitment going to be there on my end. I don't know Gary if you want to add anything to that or >> No, I would definitely agree and I think

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what we're seeing is just the number we're getting very very few candidates applying for positions. Uh even less candidates that actually have the qualifications and the experience that we're looking for for those positions. So that that presents challenges even

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just you know and Brad talked about this earlier with the hiring we tend to have to hire at a higher rate because the people that do have the qualifications that we're required to have through DESIE um often come with a higher salary than what we sometimes anticipate or

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budget. we can appreciate that um being a limiting factor, but hopefully as time goes on, we don't have that issue. Um I know other schools are facing that too. Um

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but just I'd like to make sure that you feel that you have the latitude to be creative with making sure that those those gaps and staff are filled, especially when there's seemingly some budget there um for some flexibility.

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Um I don't know how um the rest of the committee feels on sort of making this an imperative that this really gets looked at like we are almost in May. We've we don't have a lot of time to

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enact on this really you know the end of the school year is going to be here really quickly. Um, I don't know how we feel about setting a budget finance meeting in the next few weeks again to to get this going. Not that we will be

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dictating what happens. Obviously, you know, the budget is yours, superintendent, but from a policy perspective, I don't want the school to be sitting on all this money when this could open the doors for one, some

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stability with our municipalities and some opportunity for the district next year. So, Mike, I feel like I feel like thoughts are going through your head there. >> Were you getting prepared to say something? No, no, just just listen. Just listen.

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>> No, I thought Mike I saw sometimes when Mike starts moving his chair his his thoughts are going. I see him going back and forth. I'm think I'm thinking about I'm thinking about uh the whole thing and you know the the challenge of of you know one of the things that I think some people sort of forget is that like the

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district is at heart an employer like you know it employs a lot of people and you know that Brad talking about people being concerned that like their job like if they come on and get hired at in the district that the job might not be there

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next year and so that's a factor in people's decision- making when it comes to whether they want to work for the district. And so, like, I think that that balancing that with the desire to both be fully staffed and have all the

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staff we need, but also not place an undue burden on the municipalities, like it's a it's a it's a balancing act that's very sort of tricky. It it seems like there's a lot of there's a lot of moving parts. There's the the state and their sort of like the moving target of

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how much money we're going to get from the state. the moving target of like how like there's a lot of things that are sort of moving targets at this point and you know we don't want to ever put ourselves in a position where we've spent too much and now we're we have a

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shortfall somewhere but we also don't want to spend too little and have a big you know overage at the end of the year. So I think that you know again finding places to be creative is is good but at the same time you know there's a limit

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to sort of the creativity that you can employ based on you know how much based on sort of the reality of of the situation and and you know what you know what can actually be done um in terms of

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in terms of hiring people and filling those filling those gaps but not spending too much And like you said, also the the variability in the salaries based on who you actually get for those positions, >> right? And it's from my perspective,

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it's a very carefully calculated balancing act. and that if if there's the ability to alleviate some of the overcrowding issues, especially in the

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early foundational years, that that would be a benefit to the district overall. If we can decrease those class size for the younger grades, that seems to be, you know, very realistic in reach for us

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with the budget that we have. Is it for all grades? Perhaps not. Is that unfortunate? Yes. But we can only do so much. Is it realistic that we can catch Jeremy up on some of the technology purchases that he's delayed? Yes, I

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think that's realistic. Do I think it's realistic that we can help the towns out a little bit? I do think it's realistic. Do I think it's, you know, this um, you know, flip of the switch to make the budget holes? No. But I know, you know, for towns and we're facing an override. While our,

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you know, police department administration is not in this case, our police themselves are very much underpaid. um not just for you know our area but the state and the region and we are

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losing them. It's costing the town a lot of money. We have to stop that revolving door. Um so there's there's a lot of balancing going on and if that override doesn't pass um it's going to be very

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difficult for the budget in town. Even with the override the the budget is is not good. you know, we're taking out social services in in the town. We're taking out some of the things that make the town what it is. You know, there was some talk of potentially recreation

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going. That's something that is a benefit to the kids. It's a benefit, you know, it's child care. It it's, you know, I think it's $6 an hour for the recreation program. It's something that will reverberate if those types of programs

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go away. and we have the ability to change that. Um, you know, I think right now it's it's all in the budget, but those are are difficult things and we are part and parcel of those decision-m processes. Lisa,

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>> um I just wanted to add um having been with this committee for a few years, um I they're a very cautious group and I know that Jeremy is very methodical in his approach to what he

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buys for the district. Um, and so I can see why the group is hesitant to make make those purchases right now. Um, so and I know Nancy and Kevin and Brad do

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the same things cuz Brad has told me that his wife doesn't get mad at him for being cheap and things. So, we need to be careful and I think in businesses sometimes they

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wait until the end to purchase things to make sure the money is there. And I know that we see that the money is there, but I think the group is just being very cautious before they get that okay to purchase all those items. Um, they just want to make sure that

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it's the right decision for the district. I I appreciate that. >> However, waiting till the very end in this case is detrimentalities

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in their totality. And I I always hate to say it's not fair, but it's not fair. We are not in the school side of the budgeting process going to hit a crisis that is now going

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to impact us at $2.2 million. We were not going to hit a crisis that was going to hit us at 1.6. if we did, it's bigger than us and it's bigger than all of our municipal budgets from my lens is that you know we when I was

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expecting based on my look at other budgets and again this is my first year I was comfortable with us moving forward at one point and now we're even higher than last time we looked we're at 2.29 29.

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We have the ability, you know, my ask has has been for a month now to to kick back to the municipalities 250. We've since then got two 220 back from the collaborative. We're looking at

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another 260. We're looking at pretty significant amount with transportation and we're another over 100,000 than last time. Um, so, um, all I can say is I'm disappointed that

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there's not a plan. Um, I think I've been clear as one person on this committee is take the opportunity to do well by the school, technology, what's needed, and let's do better for our community. That's just my perspective.

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Nancy, >> yes. Uh so I just wanted to remind uh the group that this particular year had the shift of the buildings from Swan Cookook and Spalding and grade level shifts. Um there was a tremendous shift in staffing. Um people moving based on

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seniority different moving to different towns. Um I don't know what the total number was in front of me but it was a it was a lot more than typical. So this particular year was a a major reset. Um we were budgeting this year in 20 in February of

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25 um uh and we hadn't even um had hadn't even done the moves yet. So we had to make estimates sort of on the worst case scenario. So I think from that

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perspective just keep that in mind for this year was a little unusual. The other thing that occurred in 20 fall of 2024 um is that we received the refund from Minute Manoba of a half a million dollars. So that just rolled into END right at the end of the year. Um again,

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we use that we're using the END to supplement this budget. So that'll go back to if if the monies don't get spent, it goes back to END which is available for appropriation um by the town. So it'll won't be until the next certification which will be this probably late fall or the be you know

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spring um or late winter uh when that's appropriated. I mean there's two things at play here really the fiscal 26 and where we end the year and then the budget for 27. You will not see the same issues in 2027 with staffing because we're rolling the actual positions that

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are in those place placements. Um there could be shifts if somebody leaves or comes back or or um a new person's hired. Those kind of things do happen every year, but the actual major shift that we saw last year will not be happening. So it should be a lot uh more

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succinct, I guess, is the right word, but there shouldn't be as much movement um going into FY27. Um so I'm, you know, I'm flexible with it. One of the things that I just want to make sure the committee is aware of if we're going to do say projectors or

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any one of these initiatives, we have to move money within the budget. There's no money in those that section in the entirety to do that. So, we'd be pre-spending, you know, let's call it, I don't know, $250,000 or whatever the number is that Jeremy comes up with um

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without a budget transfer. So, I I I'm not saying that um we shouldn't do that. I'm I'll leave that up to I guess the superintendent and the group. Um but we do need to do that to be able to move the money so that it's in the right areas.

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>> Yes. Um the two things is yes I I understand that this definite shift with the changes in the buildings. Um and that's why I said to Brad, you know, moving forward hopefully there's a way that the

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the staffing can kind of get ironed out. Um I anticipate that you know the the sort of upheaval of the past few years will kind of dissipate and on that transfer I know that that has to be done. That's why I have really thought

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that after our discussion at the last meeting there would have been more thoughtful discussion and not not a formal proposal but hey this is what it costs this is what we need. so that we'd be discussing

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some of that based on what had been found out so that we could be moving towards that. Um I feel like this was like sort of a missed meeting to get some of that information. Um I thought we you know we're pretty clear that that

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was an opportunity for you all um you know to give some of that information to us. So, you know, maybe we need to be very specific like go do your homework and come back to us in a week or so with

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these numbers so that we can make this happen. Um, you know, I I I remember saying a specific number like 588 and I think Kenan had asked a number and I said I don't think we need to give the specific number but like this is a number I'm

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thinking of and I think Kenan said something like 500 and I said you know it's the superintendent's budget. We don't have to be prescriptive just descriptive if I'm remembering the conversation correctly. So like let's let's get this

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done. bring bring us something so that we can make it happen. Like I see your hand out. >> Yeah. I mean from my perspective I mean it sounds like there is a plan which is basically spend you know as much money

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as we can like basically it sounds I'm a little bit confused about like so there is the outlines of a plan like okay we can spend some extra money on technology to take up some of this un unanticipated like you know extra money in the budget

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or not like unspent money in the budget I guess is the best way to put it. So the the question isn't like what's the plan? The question is what's the specific dollar amount? And I think that that's maybe where like if if we want if we want action taken then we need to

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really be firm okay like spend spend this much on e on technology stuff or up to this much and then what remains you know will still carry over and everything to next year. But like I I

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don't see there being a need to like go through a whole process of like coming up with this like proposal plan for how to spend some extra money. I think we we that there is a plan. It's just a matter of saying, "Okay, go ahead and just do it." Like go do do the do the projector

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refresh up to X basically and then however many projectors you can buy with that much money. because it sounds like there's essentially an like I don't know what the number would be but like if you refreshed all the projectors that needed to be refreshed at this point it would probably be a lot of money like more

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like more money than would be prudent to spend. So essentially it's a okay what's the limit? How much how much do we want to be spent on this technology refresh stuff? spend up to that much and then we're good. Like that we've we've used some of that extra money and we're not

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going to carry a bunch extra over to END that we weren't anticipating carrying over. So, I know let's, you know, let's pick a number and just say to say to to Jeremy, you know, spend up to this much on projectors and that will that will

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bring down that that that, you know, that that will spend up some of that money that we need to spend essentially. >> Yeah. And I think you know that was the sort of latitude that we gave is that

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the it is the superintendent's budget and that we all felt comfortable with that you know 1 1.5ish I think number to carry over to next year. So that gives

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you where's my math people? Um was 5.88 plus whatever the difference is now. So now we're up to you know 6 650. Help me out Nancy and Kevin with the math there.

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So So it's it's almost 700 now, right? 800 >> whatever that delta is that can responsibly be used and

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maybe it's 300 maybe it's four that I leave to the administration but I just want a really good plan and to come back so that we can do the transfer and get it done. Lisa, >> I think that's the plan um to go forward with what you just said, Kim, is allow

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the administration to put their plan forward. We get the transfers done um at one of the next meetings. And it may be the you may have the May meeting, it could be at the organizational meeting to do the transfer, but with new members

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coming on, you may want to schedule another meeting in May to have that transfer complete. >> Yeah. But that will be up to the new committee to how that's done. >> Yeah. And the other thing is I really want consideration of

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lowering the assessment this year um by another 250 to the municipalities. I'm I'm not going to let that go. >> Well, and are we on are we discussing the FY27 budget now or are we still on the 26? >> We're moving into the FY27.

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>> Okay. So on that and I agree with you, but I do think that the district has to hold because it's just the House numbers and I hate to >> um but the Senate has not come through

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with their numbers because >> and I I'll put it down as that we we already know we have the collaborative money back at 220. we can spare the 30. And I know it's it's might sound like a

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shell game and and we get that money back and it's different numbers, but we already got back 220 over what we knew we had when we set the budget. And so from my perspective, we got that 220. We can spare the 30. We're we don't know

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what the Senate is going to lay down, but we know that we're getting more money. That's my perspective. And at this juncture, the town needs it more than us. We know we're getting other money. And just let let the towns go into town meeting knowing that they have that money. We

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know we're getting other money. Do we know the exact figure? No. But we have more money than what we had when we set the budget. I can't see your face, so I can't >> I know. And I I had to shut it off because of um my internet's acting up.

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>> Yeah, mine did too for some reason. >> And I understand giving the money. I do. But the timing of all of this is difficult because of how the elections fall and how meeting fall.

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It's so close. >> Understood. But we have 220,000 more than we had when we set the budget. and and to to not give back 250 when we

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got 220 more. 30,000 is nothing in the school's budget. So then um I mean we'd have to decide if you wanted to call uh like an

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emergency school committee meeting next week if you're wanting to drop it before town meeting. >> Yes. Keep in mind that three there will be three new members on the board and some may have not had experience

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with the budget and you have to get a budget to pass by 2/3 majority. >> So I mean and that is a possibility but that means everyone has to get sworn in and people at least six members have to

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show up to the meeting and vote yes. It's it's a roll of the dice. I would prefer to do our due diligence than not try. and and and and I'll I'll be perfectly frank as to why

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last year at town meeting in Townsen to keep the schools out of the override mess in Townsen because we needed the money on the school side. That move that we made legal done before

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bold, not very popular, but we didn't use the money, right? I did it for the benefit of the schools. We didn't use the money. So on the other side of that, I feel

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like I'm going to do everything on this side to make it whole again. And it's not even making it whole. It's not even close to the same amount. That's how strongly I feel about it. I'm going to advocate for the school all

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day long, but I'm also going to try to do the right thing by the towns as well. And that's understood, Kim. I I totally understand it. It's just the timing and the new people that I'm really concerned about because people could come in and

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abstain from a vote >> and you need those need six people. You need at least the not you know you really want everyone to show up for that meeting and we don't know everyone's schedule next week. I mean Robin could place one out for

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current members. >> And I'm going to I'm going to say this loud and clear too. At the last meeting, I did ask you to move the finance report up. We would have had this discussion a week ago, right? At regular school committee, I

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didn't I didn't have the opportunity to. >> So, unfortunately, we're on Thursday, so we don't have time before elections to get the whole school committee together. >> We do not. So, what we can do is next

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Thursday we could schedule another meeting and hope that people can make it to that meeting at 6:00 and you can at least get the members that are currently on the board to see if they can come next Thursday. >> Let me ask this question, Robin. Um,

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if we schedule it for Monday afternoon, elections will not have closed. So, it's still this committee. Yes. >> So, you want to do Monday afternoon, Lisa? >> To me, that looks like a bad look that

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you're trying to rush something in. >> I was going to have the same comment. I was going to say, if this were to do anything other than in like like people will like it because it's decreasing the assessment, but if it were anything else, it would seem like lame ducks trying to sneak something through at the last second.

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Yeah. So, I would not recommend that. >> You want to schedule something uh at the end of next week when your new board will be elected in and um

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you know, and we have time to post it. So, you can have the meeting on Thursday. >> You have to have the well and then it has to be the organizational meeting as well >> because you're not organized as a board. I was I was thinking you were going to have another finance committee meeting,

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but you're talking full school committee meeting. >> Yes. >> That has to budget. >> Lisa, can we do it at the organizational meeting? >> That would be May 4th, but you have an

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hour before that time. >> Yeah. You have to organize everyone. >> Okay. So, so it really is a timing issue, >> right? But if we if we did schedule one for Thursday or Friday next week, it

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would be possible to at least consider the issue and maybe even and and have a vote on it as long as at least six of the members are able to attend and then we can have the issue. We can have the vote and then we can at least say that this was this was taken up and voted on.

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And then you know that way you know the issue will have at least been addressed one way or the other and you know the the committee will make whatever decision it makes at that time with you know whatever new members are present and you know they they'll

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they'll have to get caught up to speed really fast before or they may just abstain from the vote if they're new and have no idea what's going on but and and decide to abstain. But, you know, that'll be that'll be what happens. I know Kenan cannot do Thursday

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mornings. So it have to be one is going to be an even >> finance or is it a full school committee? Correct. >> Well, it has to be right if we're going to >> Right. If you're going to do a budget full >> Yeah.

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>> So it would it would it would be an evening meeting. Um >> Okay. >> Yeah. actually want to do Wednesday evening. >> Wednesday. >> That would be up to you and Mike. I can

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schedule it for Wednesday and send it out or we can schedule it for Wednesday and send it out to the rest of the group. >> Yeah. And just a full disclosure, not that any of this has to do, but I just want to let everyone know I'm on vacation beginning Thursday afternoon. I

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have a hard stop. So, um it just makes me nervous all this these moving parts. So, if I have as much information as you can give me, then I'll do my absolute best to have all of this taken care of before I leave. Um you know, we have the

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organizational meeting that has ballots. There's lots of moving pieces with that meeting and then whatever happens with your meeting on Wednesday, there may be some things that need to I need to take care of after the meeting. Um uh because I'm off on Thursday

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30th. >> So if we if we just have this one agenda item, >> but you need to reorganize. So, so you organize and then other so you organize and then have that one agenda item other

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than organizing you know organizational stuff and then budget vote to reduce the assessment >> right and that might that might help you you can still have your meeting on the 4th um because there are items that have to be taken care of I'm sorry I don't

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have that folder in front of me um so that would just alleviate so you could you could do your organizational meeting um next Wednesday. Um, and then take care of this item here. And then that could be what's on that agenda. And then

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if you so choose to continue, you can continue with your regular meeting on the 4th, which is schedules for an hour. There are some things that have to have to happen that day, which you'll give you more time to get it done. So, the other thing to point out too is

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these are ballot votes taken and it would probably have to be an in-person meeting. >> Yeah, we have done it um online before, but an in-person meeting is uh especially for your organizational meeting is be I consider best practice

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for you all. Just to be clear, are we talking about the 29th? >> Yes. That is it a Wednesday? >> Yes. Oh, no. >> Yeah. >> Oh, sorry. >> Yes. >> Yes. Wednesday. >> I was looking at April. Yes. 29th.

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>> Just a heads up that Kevin um I can't make the 29th. I don't believe at this point. I'll see if I can make an adjustment to that. But >> I'm good. I can be there. >> Kim, you and Mike have to make the

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decision here. >> Hey, I'm fine. I'm fine with the 29th. >> Yeah, I'm fine with the 29th. >> All right. So, it sounds like we'll have a we'll have a meeting on the 29th where we'll do the organizational meeting and

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vote on this one this one budget change and then our May our May 4th meeting will just be kind of a kind of a regular meeting but short essentially. Is that does that make does that summarize what what we're going to be

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doing? >> I would never I would never say school committee and short same sentence but shorter. Yeah. And and potentially, you know, obviously it's up to uh the committee um the board, but that meeting

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is scheduled now in person. You could that could become uh a virtual meeting. >> Exactly. >> Okay. So, Lisa, do you want me to take responsibility um for emailing all the candidates?

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Yes, that would probably be the best bet. >> Just letting them know that we might have a meeting the Wednesday after they get elected >> and that they have to be like to even take part in the meeting. They need to be sworn in. >> Sworn in. >> Mhm.

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>> Yeah. and and I'll reach out to the town clerks and um on Monday when I'm scheduling or Friday um I don't even know what day it is today, but Friday when I'm scheduling all of this, I'll reach out to the town clerks and let

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them know that we are we have a school committee meeting with an important vote that's happening. So, we need our the candidates sworn in uh as soon as possible. >> Uh if I may, couple of requests along those lines. If we're going to have a

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meeting on the 29th, in order for them to have district accounts and whatnot, I will need their basic information at minimum, full names for any new c new members, uh, which it looks like we should have at least one new member as

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well as a personal email address at minimum. There is other information I'll need eventually, but that's the minimum I need to get accounts set up and sent out to them in time for the meeting. Uh, I also wanted to ask if there's an important vote as part of this and

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they're going to be in person, is there a need for a hybrid meeting setup? In which case, I'll need to know uh where we're going to be and I may need to rearrange my schedule to see if I can be there.

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>> Um, I think we'll have to see if there needs to be um hybrid. Are you planning it to be online currently right now, Kim? And are you going to do the organizational meeting online?

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So, can I ask the organizational meeting is it just the chair or do all the committees need to be set? Um historically we've everything um is taken care of that you f you first um

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elect a uh chair promp and then from there all the the chairs of the subcommittee or well no the subcommittees are set and then I think it is now that the the the subcommittees will elect their own chair. Um but

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generally that is done at that at the organizational meeting along with um um taking the vote so that I'll be the secretary and the treasurer uh generally we have done that meeting in uh

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virtually in the past. Um I mean the other alternative is you could temporarily have a chair. Um, the committee could vote temporarily to have a chair and then move to do all appointments at the May 4th meeting for

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committees. That could be a vote that you could take and it'd wrap that meeting up quickly. >> Um, cuz I think like we go in and you um have a promp, >> I think it's called. >> What do you think, Mike?

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>> Yeah, that seems fine to me. And then and then we do we do do the bulk of the work of the organizational meeting at the May 4th meeting. We do like the the minimum to get us up and running for the main committee on the 29th.

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>> Well, and then you could keep and then I'm thinking that you could keep it online and you wouldn't have to have Jeremy set up the room or anything because you're just electing a promp. >> Yeah, that that that also makes sense. Yeah. And then it is nice that you have

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your organizational meeting in person so that new members that are elected >> Exactly. you can meet them face to face. Um >> Okay. >> So we have >> So we have the we have a very >> 5:30 online.

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>> So was it 5 5:30 you said? >> Yeah. Just do 5:30 online. >> Yeah. Yeah. So 5:30 on the 29th. >> The 29th. >> Okay. >> And that would also give new members

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ability to check out what committees they want to be on over the weekend and move forward on that >> instead of having to decide in a day. >> Exactly. Or on the spot. >> Yep. Uh, with it being online, I'll just emphasize further though, I will need

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their basic information for anyone new >> very quickly so that Robin can get them the Zoom information. >> Yeah, Jeremy, I'll work with the town clerks, like I said, on Friday. Um, I will let the town clerks know that we have this meeting coming up and I will

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request all of their information so that I have it for our files. Um, and then I'll share that with you on Friday. And then you and I, you know, as we normally do, we'll work closely to make sure that everything's set for the for the meeting. >> That'll work. Thank you.

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>> You're welcome. Right. Um, if there's not anything else on the FY27 budget, is there any um new information for the solar panels? No, I have no update on that. I'm still waiting for the town to respond um to

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get the attorneys linked up. Okay. Um I can reach out to her today. Um I know Robin, your hands up. >> Yeah. I just wanted to make the committee aware that we received a

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letter that um Lisa Martin forwarded to the full committee from the town of Ashby um and where I received that this morning. I popped it into the uh committee packet in the FY27 folder. I think they were in the letter was um

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requesting a reduction. So, I just wanted you to be all aware that that letter is in the folder. >> Okay. Um, and then public comment. Um, Rene, I know you're still on. Is there anything that you want to say in public comment?

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I don't think I don't think she can talk. So, Robin, I don't know. >> I did I allowed her uh permissions to talk. Um, and I don't and nobody signed up since we've been online. >> Okay. All right. So then I would entertain a motion to close.

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>> All right. Move that we adjourn. >> I second. >> Call vote. Um motion is Michael Bossier. Second by Lisa Martin. Roll call. Michael Bossier. >> Yes. >> Second by Lisa Martin.

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>> Yes. >> And Kim Craven. I am in favor as well. Thank you everyone.