HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Comm 12/20/2016Mansfield School Committee Meeting
Budget Subcommittee
Minutes for Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Superintendent's Office
A meeting of the Mansfield School Committee Budget Subcommittee was opened and called to order at 5:42
p.m.
Members Present
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Lynn Cavicchi
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Jenn Walsh
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Others present: Zeff Gianetti, Teresa Murphy, Ed Vozzella, Bernadette Conroy
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Fin Com representatives: Liz Christo, Yogen Chemburkar
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Discussion
The minutes of November 29 were approved. 2-0.��
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Ed Vozella gave an update of potential special education costs for FY18. Ed noted that due to a relent legal
decision, the projected FY18 outplacement costs would decrease by approximately $200,000. Zeff Gianetti
explained that the district has been comparing its practice of managing its circuit breaker funds against other
districts and that our district practice was in line with those districts. The group continued to discuss the concept
of a special reserve fund for special ed outplacement costs and whether this type of reserve fund was intended
to supplement the district budget or to supplant it. Concerns were expressed about the latter approach since
the School Committee has statutory authority over the district budget and to cede that budget authority to
another elected or appointed board would undermine the School Committee's ability to fulfill its responsibilities.
The consensus of the group was that the concept of a reserve fund is still fluid and would need further
discussion by the full budget subcommittee and respective elected boards.
Concerns also were expressed about how the school department's management of its budget was portrayed at
the December 8 Finance Committee meeting. The group discussed the possibility of having a representative of
the school department attend to answer any questions or concerns if the school budget was to be on the Fin
Com meeting agenda in the future or that the school finance director attend the Fin Com meetings on a regular
basis like the town finance director. Concerns were also expressed by School Committee members and
administrators about the concept of shared positions between the municipal departments and school
department, as those shared positions have not been easy to manage or been as effective and efficient in
practice as anticipated. The consensus was that this topic would be more appropriately discussed at a full
budget subcommittee meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynn Cavicchi
Vice Chair
School Committee