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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-18 Finance Committee Minutes 4 • Meeting Minutes of March 8, 2025 Call To Order: Mr. O'Connell called the meeting to order at 7:OOPM. The open session meeting took place in the School Admin Room at the School Administration Building on 566 Main Street.. Present: Chair Denevan O'Connell, Vice Chair Christine Allen, Regina Kean, Nancy Sarro, Brianna Stetson, Keith Chaney, Dustin Silk, and Jeanne Irwin. Not Present: Eva Pastor PUBLIC COMMENT Shannon Gately of 40 Phillips Court expressed her opinion on the budget put forth and the closing of Kittredge. GOVERNMENTAL REPORTS Update from Superintendent Lathrop Superintendent Pamela Lathrop and School Committee Vice Chair Joe Hicks were present. Ms. Lathrop discussed the FY26 budget update. Ms. Lathrop displayed a spreadsheet and discussed what the budget would look like with the $68.2 million. Ms. Lathrop discussed what the reduction would be from each program. Ms. Lathrop discussed the initial reduction if they were to go with the $69 million budget and then added the additional reductions using the $68.2 million budget. Mr. O'Connell asked for clarification, the initial reductions were taken out originally assuming the $69 million would be voted in. Ms. Lathrop stated yes. Ms. Lathrop discussed the additional reductions in staffing and supplies among the elementary, middle, and high schools. Ms. Lathrop discussed the reduction in special education. Ms. Lathrop discussed the FY25, FY26, and FY27 COLAs and the steps for staff. Mr. Chaney asked if the only increase in class sizes was for the Middle School. Ms. Lathrop stated for the elementary schools, class sizes would remain between 18-25 which is what they stated it would be if they had gone with the $69 million budget so it will stay between 18-25 for the $68.2 million budget. Ms. Lathrop stated for the Middle School, it will increase to 28 students in a classroom. Mr. O'Connell asked if it will be a reduction with an additional three teachers in the Elementary Schools with the$68.2 million. Ms. Lathrop stated yes. Ms. Kean asked for the FY27 COLA, what percent of an increase that would be. Ms. Lathrop stated 4%. Ms. Kean asked if they were replacing any of the teachers being laid off in FY26 or FY27. Ms. Lathrop stated no. Ms. Kean asked what new adoptions means. Ms. Lathrop stated new adoptions are curriculum materials for elementary schools. Ms. Lathrop stated that money is placed in each of the elementary school's budgets. Ms. Lathrop stated it is a $10,000 reduction over all of the elementary schools. Ms. Kean asked if the Superintendent for teaching and learning decides how that money is used or does the individual school. Ms. Lathrop stated the Superintendent. Ms. Lathrop stated at the School Committee on Thursday she will have a presentation about the impact of what that$20,000 looks like for Athletics and what the $10,000 looks like for Scarlet Knight Academy. Ms. Lathrop stated they will have freshman athletics next year. Ms. Lathrop stated the reductions may be in travel games for freshman teams or waiting another year for replacement uniforms. Ms. Lathrop stated Mr. Grant does not feel as though this year he needs the same workforce that he had last year for IT summer help. Mr. O'Connell asked regarding the cost of the COLA for FY27, does the budgeted numbers assume the cuts. Ms. Lathrop stated no. Ms. Sarro asked how does the 18-25 increase in class sizes compare to what it is today. Ms. Lathrop stated right now, it is 14-24 with variation between the schools. Ms. Sarro asked if the increase in class sizes falls within the School Committee's guidelines. Ms. Lathrop stated yes. Ms. 4 • Meeting Minutes of March 8, 2025 Stetson asked if this average included classes that are sub-separate today. Ms. Lathrop stated any sub-separate classrooms are also included into a home room classroom. Mr. O'Connell asked if the reduction of staffing in special education was new. Ms. Lathrop stated yes. Ms. Lathrop stated they know that the four teaching assistants are planning on retiring or resigning so they would not fill those positions. Ms. Lathrop stated they are working hard to preserve special education. Update from Town Manager Rodrigues Melissa Murphy-Rodrigues was present. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues discussed the background to the comparative communities. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they had a consultant come in to do a classification and compensation study. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated this list of comparable communities is used for all feasible comparisons. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated working with the consultant; they used criteria to determine comparable communities. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues discussed the criteria. Mr. O'Connell asked how often this sort of thing is updated. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated they will revisit this again in approximately two years; it is usually used for around a five year period. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues discussed the data analysis comparing data for North Andover and its comparable communities. Mr. Chaney asked why Andover was not a comparable community. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated Andover's budget is almost twice North Andover's budget, they have a higher population, and they have a bigger commercial base. Mr. O'Connell asked what would be the three biggest takeaways from this data analysis. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the Town's revenue sources are in line with their comparable communities. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the Town's spending per capita is lower. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the percentage of the budget is in line with most of the departments. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated the Town may be spending in the exact same way as their comparable communities, but the Town is spending less per person. Mr. O'Connell stated it is interesting to see that the Town's education is higher than the average. Ms. Allen stated it speaks more to what has happened that was out of their control. Ms. Kean asked if they knew the number of students within the district. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated no, but it can be added. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated when looking at the per capita, it could be more spread out. Ms. Stetson stated it would be helpful to understand how the special education differs between the Towns; how many percent of students are on IEPs. Ms. Murphy-Rodrigues stated there was an analysis done on that last year. NEW BUSINESS Discussion of warrant letter Mr. O'Connell stated maybe the Committee should keep their format given everything that is going on. Ms. Allen stated having a longer composition to say how they arrived here with a little bit of history. Ms. Allen stated it would also be another great topic to include the reductions to the schools and town. Ms. Irwin stated the COVID grants diluted the budget. Ms. Irwin stated these COVID grants were meant to increase personnel. Ms. Irwin stated looking at the FTE, in 2020 it was 184 per 100 for special education, and in 2023, it was 200. Ms. Irwin stated it went up but enrollment went down, and if you look at students with disabilities, it went from 701 to 845. Ms. Irwin stated there has been a big increase over the last few years in FTE and a decrease in the students. Ms. Irwin stated although they are losing people and class sizes are going to increase, it is almost like a correction from COVID. Ms. Stetson stated they should do the warrant letter as they have always done, but also include exhibits. Ms. Stetson stated she would be 4 • Meeting Minutes of Mal-ch 8, 2025 able to assist with creating those exhibits. Mr. O'Connell suggested incorporating the exhibits and the warrant letter as a presentation. Ms. Stetson suggested making the presentation easy and quick. Mr. O'Connell asked if Ms. Allen and Ms. Stetson would be willing to take the lead on developing this. Ms. Allen stated she could do an outline about what has happened with the schools but would want someone else to plug in the numbers. Mr. O'Connell stated they have about a month to complete the warrant letter. Ms. Kean stated the financial impacts for the debt exclusion because they are now using the levy that was reserved should be included. Ms. Kean stated they should include things to be aware of and the financial impact of all of this. Ms. Stetson stated a consideration chart could show this; as a result of this consideration here are the things that should be expected. Ms. Kean stated the letter does need to be different this year. Ms. Sarro asked if this was primarily for the school part. Ms. Allen stated how they got here and how they got here is largely due to an eruption within the schools and that spills over into the whole municipality. Ms. Sarro stated they should address the perception out there that the money is there somewhere, and they are choosing not to use it. Ms. Sarro stated in their narrative, they need to be very explicit about that not being case. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MARCH 13. 2025 MOTION:Mr. Chaney motioned to approve the Open Session minutes of March 13, 2025. Ms.Allen seconded. Motion approved 8-0. ADJOURNMENT MOTION:Ms. Kean made a MOTION, seconded by Mr. Silk to adjourn the Finance Committee meeting at 8:06PM. Motion approved 8-0. Respectfully submitted. Nicole Civitarese Executive Assistant Documents used at meetino FY25 Finance Committee Report Presentation Data Collection Analysis 2023 Finance Committee Warrant Letter Assignments Minutes from March 13, 2025