HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-01-20-SC-minLSC 1/20/2018
Minutes Approved 3/20/2018
LEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Town Hall, Selectmen’s Meeting Room
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA
Present:
Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini; Vice Chair, Eileen Jay, Kathleen Lenihan, Jessie Steigerwald and Assistant
Superintendent, Dr. Czajkowski and Ian Dailey, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Administration
Absent:
Kate Colburn
The minutes were taken by Kristen Cronin, Executive Assistant to the School Committee and
Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
The meeting convened at 10:05 am
Call to Order and Welcome:
Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini called the meeting to order, and introduced committee members.
The Chair, Alessandro Alessandrini opened the Public Hearing on the Superintendent’s FY19
Recommended Budget and closed the hearing.
Deb Zucker: Spoke in support of introducing elementary wellness into the budget. Ms. Zucker feels this
is important due to the fact that kids are maturing so quickly, physically and social, emotionally. By the
time kids are in middle school and high school, it’s too late. Today’s times feels absolutely necessary to
include elementary wellness in the budget.
Judy Crocker, safe routes to school: Judy thanked Ian Dailey, Assistant Superintendent to Finance and
Superintendent, Dr. Czajkowski on the diligent effort that goes behind the budget. It has become more
reader friendly and it is greatly appreciated.
Agenda:
1. FY2019 Superintendent’s Recommended Budget:
Dr. Czajkowski and Ian Dailey reviewed and answered questions from the committee on the FY2019
Budget. Topics of discussion are highlighted below:
Revenue Allocation Formula:
Dr. Czajkowski reviewed the updated revenue allocation model to move the Community Center to the
Municipal side. This reduces our revenue allocation from the originally published $7,000,279 to
$6,989,359, a reduction of $10,920. These updates will be included in the School Committee’s budget
document upon approval.
As a result, the remaining revenue allocation totals $29,878 in FY2019 (line 19 of Budget Summary
table).
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Minutes Approved 3/20/2018
Diversity Task Force:
The Town Manage and Superintendent jointly planned to fund $15,000 each ($30,000 total) for work to
be completed by the Diversity Task Force. The Superintendent’s Recommended Budget included this
$15,000 within the overall school department budget allocation. Upon further discussion with the Town
Manager, a separate article will be included on the Annual Town Meeting warrant (tentatively article 7)
and this funding will be appropriated there (line 15 of the Budget Summary table).
Transportation Fees:
Ian Dailey, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Administration reviewed the Transportation Fees.
During the FY2019 Superintendent’s Recommended Budget presentation on January 2, 2018, the School
Committee requested staff to conduct research with respect to transportation fees.
Mr. Dailey reviewed four different fee increase scenarios and the potential impact on revenues and
expressed to committee members that a fee increases may have adverse affects on participation rates.
All members are in agreement and support a bus increase for the FY2019 Budget. Members would also
like to look at athletic fees and have further discussion about additional fees overall in the future.
Elementary Health Education:
During the FY2018 Superintendents Recommended Budget presentation on January 2, 2018, the School
Committee requested staff to conduct research with respect to elementary health education. Dr.
Czjakowski met with the leadership team on January 9 in regards to bringing back elementary health
education. Some feedback and concerns from principals is not enough time in the day to add anything
additional to the curriculum. Currently challenged meeting Science and Social Studies in the curriculum
needs already.
It is recommended that elementary health education be examined further through the District’s
curriculum review process, which is currently in year 1 for PE/Wellness. There are still a number of
important questions to answer to ensure changes are successful.
Special Education Stabilization Fund:
Dr. Czajkowski reviewed the Stabilization Fund to members. In November 2017, the Municipal
Modernization Act provided for increased flexibility with establishing Special Education Stabilization
funds. This was enacted through the Municipal Modernization Act’s Special Education Stabilization Fund
under MGL Chapter 40, section 13E.
This fund allows School Committee to transfer money to the reserve fund to be utilized in upcoming fiscal
years, to pay, without further appropriation, for unanticipated or unbudgeted costs of special education,
out-of-district tuition or transportation. In order to spend these funds, it requires a majority vote of the
School Committee and the Board of Selectman.
The balance of this fund cannot exceed 2% of net school spending for Lexington. Based on the FY2018
Chapter 70 funding data published, this caps the maximum balance of this fund at $1,475,812. This cap
would change annually based on the published net school spending requirements.
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Minutes Approved 3/20/2018
Further discussion will be discussed on this topic at next school committee meeting for Tuesday, January
23, 2018.
Dr. Czjakowski concluded the meeting with providing the committee with remaining dates/timeline for
the FY2019 budget process.
Motion to adjourn (Alessandrini/Steigerwald)
The Motion was approved
The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m.
Meeting Materials: Agenda; A.1 Superintendent’s Recommended FY2019 Budget PowerPoint
Presentation