HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-07 Finance Committee Minutes TOWN OF NORTH ANDOVER
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
Meeting Date March 7, 2017
Meeting Location: School Administration Building, 566 Main Street
Bill Callahan, BC, Chairman X Sasha Weinreich, SW X
Jennifer Goldman, JG, Vice Chair X Divya Bhatnagar, DB X
Karin Blake, KB X Angela Ciofolo, AC
Thomas Ringler, TR
Chris Nobile, CN X
Timothy Tschirhart, TT X
Liz Gerron, LG X
Note: All FINCOM votes are subject to change upon receipt of new information.
Note: Documents used in this meeting are listed in Document Table, herein.
Non Finance Committee Members in attendance
Jennifer Price (Price), Superintendent
James Mealey(Mealey), Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations
Call to order 6:45
BC: We want to welcome Jennifer Price and Jim Mealy to present the FYI
Discussion starts on or about 6:45 pm/000:23 on video time
School Department FY 2018 Operating Buduet and FY 2017 Buduet Update
Reference North Andover School District FYI Budget Presentation
Price: Thank You for having us, we will do a quick overview of the Strategic Plan and Budget
Directive that was developed in the fall.
Price: Stated that there are 3 objectives to the Strategic Plan.
1. To ensure equal access for all students that they are provided with an excellent education
2. Hire and develop excellent educators
3. To provide a consistent curriculum
Price: we have 11 initiatives under that.
Price: Spoke of the class sizes and how the goal is to reduce the percentage of classes of K-5 by
10%by FYI 9.
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Price stated that the average class size in the state is 19.6 ours is 23.51.
Price: I am going to turn it over to Jim Mealey
Mealey: We like to show all sources of funding. Mealey presented a slide to the committee
(North Andover School Department Total Funding All Sources FY15-17). The slide showed the
last 3 years' numbers and for FY17 (current year) we are at$66,564,734 (4.14%).
Mealey: went on to the next slide showing a pie chart and graphically where the money is
budgeted and how it is broken down by categories showing percentages.
Mealey: Commented that the General Fund makes up about 68%.
Mealey: spoke of the indirect cost (health&retirement) that make up about 20%.
Mealey and Price: Spoke of grants and how they were down this year.
Mealey, Price and the Finance Committee spoke of longevity, salaries, experience of the teachers
and trends among the teachers.
Mealey: Then spoke of the low turnover with teachers, and stated that this is a positive thing.
Mealey: continued to show slides, and spoke of the "Overall Financial Picture"that included the
FY17 Budget, Cost of Level Services, Kindergarten Grant, Proposed Increase, Solar Savings,
and reserves for proposed total of a 4% increase for the FYI operating budget.
Price: Speaking on the topic of Proposed Increases, Price spoke of how the $105,000 did not
come from the State this year. They use this money mostly to pay for teacher's assistance Price
went on to say that she felt that it is incredibly important to have kindergarten teacher's assistant.
Price: Spoke of the Payroll and Accounts payable positions. Price then commented on the
importance of having a Math Coach.
Price: also spoke of getting back to having High School leadership. Price spoke of how important
this was for such a high functioning high school.
Price: Commented that the reality is that she could put at least 10 more people in the Reading
Intervention Program. Price stated that whatever money is left will go towards reading support.
The goal and the most important thing is to have the students by the Yd grade reading at that
grade level, that is the most important educational outcome.
Price: Those are the proposed increases.
Price and Mealey: Continued to go through the slides with the Committee.
Price: Commented that we may need to access up to $250,000 for the Special Education
Stabilization Fund.
Price Spoke on Reserves and other important changes, such as Solar Savings, Curriculum Fund
and Model Classroom (from current technology budget).
Price: Stated looking forward in the future we need a total of about 18 additional classes to meet
the States average class size and also taking into consideration the new children coming into the
town.
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Adjournment 7:35 PM
CN: made a motion to adjourn
TT: Second the motion
All in favor to adjourn
Document Table
* Capital Improvement Plan FY 2018-2022
* Town Manager's Recommended Budget Book Fiscal Year 2018.
* Finance Committee letter signup sheet
** Finance Committee Minutes February 15, 2017
* Proposed FY18 Finance Committee Report
*Finance FY17 Committee Report
*North Andover School District FY18 Budget
*North Andover School District FY17 Budget
* North Andover School Department-Superintendent's FY 18 Recommended Budget
* North Andover School Department-Superintendent's FY 17 Recommended Budget
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* Hard copy
** Hard Copy and on Google Drive
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