2005-11-04-SPTM-AC-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMIT fEE REPORT-NOVEMBER 2005 4) It should reduce the need to defer school expenses from FY 2006 to FY 2007 by, for example, inappropriately drawing down supply inventories, shortchanging facilities maintenance, or falling behind in the replacement of equipment. 5) The Superintendent has stated that he will not approve the use of any of these supplementary funds for program expansions or improvements; the funds will only be used to carry out the presently planned school program(i.e., with the changes described in the 1st paragraph of this Article's discussion). It has been noted that if Town officials, including Town Meeting Members, knew last April what we know at present about the cost of supporting the current level of services and the increase in revenues, it is possible that different priorities and decisions would have emerged for both the school and municipal budgets. This does not change our present conclusion to approve the supplementary appropriation as explained above. It is our understanding that the motion under this article will seek to transfer$57,000 from the Minuteman line item to the public-school line item and the rest of the appropriation will come from the balance remaining of the increase in state aid($356,109)and free cash($434,287). We have also been informed that a request will be made to appropriate $425K from the Overlay Surplus. This is a housekeeping measure to conform with the intent of the Annual Town Meeting last spring. This action does not increase the size of the FY 2006 operating budget. Article 6: School Projects Funds Funding Committee and Equipment Requested Source Recommendation none none This article was inserted at the request of the School Committee in case they wanted to gain approval of appropriations for work on school-building roofs, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment, or other potential facilities work. It is our understanding that the School administration has been informed by consultants hired to review the school buildings that $30K of work on school-building roofs and about $67K in HVAC repairs urgently need to be made during this school year. The work will be done using funds in the current school operating budget. It is also our understanding that it is highly recommended that more extensive roof replacements and HVAC work be done next summer. Evaluation and planning work will be done using funds approved at the 2005 Annual Town Meeting for capital expenditures, in particular about $140K for floor scrubbers and a bobcat. Those planned purchases will be put off until they can be done under a future appropriation. The Appropriation Committee agrees that the most urgent work should be done first, but we would like to point out that this likely pushes other aspects of the School's facility maintenance-and-equipment- replacement needs to future years. Page 6 of 11