Special education reserve fund advances ahead of Town Meeting
School Committee members also approved funds for further design and permitting of the amenities building for Memorial Field.
School officials want to establish a placeholder for the newly approved Special Education Reserve Fund.
They intend to draft a Town Meeting warrant for the fund, which gained approval at the January 21 School Committee meeting. For now, no money will be allotted there.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Robert Conry said the fund would help the district manage unexpected special education costs, particularly as state “circuit breaker” reimbursements remain low for K-8 schools. The fund would not cover the regional school district.
“At this point, I’m just recommending that we create the fund without … requesting any funding to it,” Conry said at the January 7 school committee meeting when the plan debuted. He added: “I think doing it this way would make it less controversial. Funding it can be a separate conversation at a separate time.”
Conry said the current plan is to wait until the end of the fiscal year and then allocate leftover general-use money. Funds could also be added during the regular budget process next year, like other reserves managed by the school.
School Committee Member Carrie Rankin at the January 7 meeting had questioned why the district would create a fund only for the K-8 schools and not the high school.
Conry said out-of-district special education costs are currently lower at the elementary and middle school level, which reduces the amount reimbursed by the state through the Massachusetts Special Education Circuit Breaker program.
The reserve fund would serve as a safeguard if reimbursements drop further and the district has to cover unexpected expenses. At the high school level, out-of-district costs remain high enough that reimbursements are less of a concern.
If created, the fund would require School Committee approval before use, and any access would require Select Board sign-off.
At the January 21 meeting, School Committee members also approved the use of $25,000 from capital stabilization funds for further design and permitting of the amenities building for Memorial Field.
Additionally, schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter announced the retirement of Willard Elementary Principal Matthew Lucey after nine years in the position.
“We’re so grateful to Mr. Lucey and all he gave to Willard and the students here,” Hunter said. “He’s really been a phenomenal leader and really respected and loved.”
