School Committee - Finance Subcommittee

EASTHAMPTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING (Tuesday) March 2, 2021 School Department – zoom only 4:00 p.m. Meeting Notes Attended by: Allison LeClair, Dayle Doiron, Jonathan Schmidt, Marin Goldstein, Shannon Dunham, and Cynthia Kwiecinski Start 4:07pm I. Public Speak – n/a II. Special Education Budget, 2021/2022 (FY22) A) Overall budget is down $17k, 1.2% B) Clerical staff down $4k, staff retirement P/T 25hrs, replaced by 19hrs, C) 7,8,9 and 26,27,28 move around SPED summer D) 20 – error, actually needs to go back to $3k E) Speech Pathologist decrease in current staff costs, happened in FY2021 F) 33 reduce at EHS G) Other instructional services – visual/hearing consultation, move up in grade WBMS H) 51,52 Contracted Psy Service (evals) – move back to baseline so hold at $5k i. Internal psy services already added in elementary schools this year, so its ready for increase of need for services. I) 57,58,59 SPED tuition – removed from Collaborative (1 student graduates), moved all to private programming, where needs is likely to increase (plus uses $500k grant/circuit breaker, 94-143 fed grant is entitlement not by merit so it is relatively certain that needs for the increase about $200k), use of Collaborative are cost effective, but not always appropriate for age needs J) Unanticipated needs for program due to 1 year out? Increase Summer programs to catch up; families may have opinion/referrals to SPED as they see their kids “behind” but we will need to work on increasing all the increased needs. Supports for students will certainly increase, ESSR2 Fed stimulus package funding source will likely help. K) Students who stepped out for Different online programming/Home school/Choice out in FY21, may step back in to school next year, but these students are not mostly SPED students because all of this is closely tracked by Director of SPED. III. System/District Budget, 2021/2022 (FY22) A) Overall, $87k up 1.9% B) 1 School Committee stipends increase C) 2 Diversity Coordinator salary, move some to grant funding i. Increased to 1 FTE from 0.7 FTE, next time also 1 FTE D) 3 – needs to increase by 1% E) 9,10,11 - Diversity for Discipline audit - $10k savings; b/c task not needed i. Equity/diversity funding should be increasing? Use grants/internal staff  ii. Special programing? TBD but setting intention of resources, or add the use of Choice funds later? iii. EHS admin and Sindy working collaboratively and use funding financially prudent; what is grant funding going to help cover? Optics is that Diversity loses 1/3 of funding, which is not the direction we’d like to focus – 1) Allison will share additional information/slide for grant funding programming on diversity F) 21,22 staffing changes G) 23 clerical tech – anticipated admin staff retirement and restructure for staff needs with 1:1, provide more technical support as opposed to admin support H) 25 work cycle of admin computers – 5yr cycle I) 26 reduction of cost for remote to next year; out of tech budget to grant funding; some we may continue but others remove J) 27 retirement of longevity - $10k person K) 42,43 reduction of elementary tech needs as they will be replaced in new school L) 44 work cycle of 9th grade workstations – 5yr cycle M) 46 increase number of workstations to get to 1:1, budget more funds for support items N) 50 School nurse – same staff #s, but added the budget salary increase from FY21 i. 2 RNs – EHS and Pepin, 3 LPNs: works for need and in new school (FY23 reduce 1 LPN in new school) O) 55,56 – transportation contract is 3% increase, in year 4 of 5 yr contract P) 60,63 – no change in staff, but shifting location into elementary from float Q) 86,87 Voc increase based on current applications + 2 extra each site, and 2% anticipated cost; but not final #s with possible duplications – this will be adjusted in fall i. Remove duplication but keep highest cost, possible savings TBD How make the decrease of 2.5% - $450k? Reserves can absorb some of that based on the surplus anticipating this year, but we need to be smart on where to apply and backfill in future years. Federal ESSR2 funding grant (most be used by June 2023) is being held as we best determine needs to meet the needs towards our hole in city funding. Also possible FEMA funding where it covers 75% of cost. Upcoming Budget Subcommittee Meetings a. Tuesday, March 9, 2021 i. Review Entire Operating budget b. Tuesday, March 16, 2021 (if needed) i. Final Review Entire Operating budget II. Other Business: III. Adjournment: 5:15pm, motion made by Cindy, seconded by Jonathan Finance Subcommittee Members, 2021-2022: Marin Goldstein, Chair Cynthia Kwiecinski Jonathan Schmidt