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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-30-SC-minLEXINGTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Meeting Minutes CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME: 6:02 PM SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Eileen Jay, Chairperson Larry Freeman, Vice -Chair Sara Cuthbertson, Clerk Kathleen Lenihan Sarah Carter SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PRESENT Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent The minutes were taken by Julie Kaye, School Committee Meeting Recording Secretary. The School Committee convened at the School Committee Meeting Room at Central Office and remotely. Members of the public can view and participate in person or in the meeting webinar from their computer or tablet by clicking on the link provided with the meeting agenda. Please note that this meeting is being recorded and that attendees are participating by video conference. This evening's meeting is being broadcast live and also taped by LexMedia for future on -demand viewing. All supporting materials that have been provided to members of this body are available on the Town's website unless otherwise noted. CONSENT AGENDA Mr. Freeman read the following consent agenda items: • Payroll and Accounts Payable Warrant Approval a. September 19, 2025 - Payroll in the amount of $5,242,228.13 b. October 2, 2025 - AP Warrant in the amount of $1,594,653.44 Ms. Cuthbertson moved to approve the consent agenda as presented, Ms. Carter seconded. The motion passed 5-0. SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LIAISON REPORTS Ms. Lenihan encouraged everyone to visit the LHS Project website to view the fly -through video, which provides an overview of the proposed project. Visit lexingtonma.org, scroll down to the LHS Project website, and then scroll further to find the fly -through video button. Ms. Carter participated in two community festivals highlighting different cultural traditions this past weekend. On Saturday, she attended the Navratri Festival in Harrington, followed by the Mid -Autumn Festival on Sunday, hosted by the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL). Mr. Freeman also attended the Hindu event at Harrington. Ms. Cuthbertson announced that her six-year term on the School Committee will end in March, and she will not seek re-election. Ms. Jay also attended the CAAL Mid -Autumn event. She noted that CAAL does two major Galas each year: the Mid -Autumn and the Lunar New Year Festival. She also announced that the Indian Americans of Lexington (IAL) will have a Diwali celebration on November 9th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cary Hall. COMMUNITY SPEAK No speakers. PRESENTATION: FY25 END -OF -YEAR FINANCE UPDATE Dr. Christopher Scully, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, and Justin MacCutcheon, Director of Finance, joined the School Committee. They gave a year-end update to review how the district ended last year financially and what they are working on this year. They explained that the finance department works closely with school offices and other departments to manage payroll, accounts, and budgets. Dr. Scully reviewed several challenges from recent years, such as inflation, higher labor costs, growing student needs, families in temporary housing, and limited budget increases. To manage these pressures last year, the district reviewed vacant positions, reduced some staffing through attrition, monitored new hires for financial impact, and put a partial spending freeze in place. These efforts saved about 13% in expenses and helped the district finish the year with a small surplus of $84,000. He noted that transportation and substitute teacher costs were higher than expected, but the spending freeze was effective and prevented a deficit. Since July, the finance team has focused on cleaning up old purchase orders, resolving past grant deficits, and properly aligning payroll expenses, which saved about $700,000 for the current budget. Mr. MacCutcheon explained that our finance department has also improved collaboration with the town, expanded department heads' access to the MUNIS budget system, and received nearly $8 million in circuit breaker reimbursement funds. Looking ahead, the team expects next year to be tight again. They plan to move to more detailed, line -by-line budgeting, improve communication with schools, monitor expenses closely, and identify more efficient ways to maintain quality services. They will continue budget planning meetings through October and give the School Committee a first-quarter financial update later in the month. School Committee Questions/Comments: Mr. Freeman thanked the finance team for their hard work and open communication. He appreciates how the district is now discussing the budget in more detail, focusing on planning and line -by-line budgeting. Ms. Lenihan asked about the impact of not having large budget turnbacks in the future. Dr. Scully explained that the district must review every expenditure more closely with tighter budgets and fewer turnbacks. While some flexibility is still possible, it must be carefully monitored. He emphasized that careful spending oversight is the key focus when setting and managing budgets at the start of the year. Dr. Hackett explained that, historically, turnbacks were factored into the town's budget, providing $1-2 million each year that could be used as free cash for community decisions. Now, with much smaller turnbacks, there is less flexibility, making the budget process tighter and making it harder to divide funds in future years. Ms. Jay also noted that the years with turnbacks of $1-3 million occurred when annual budget increases were around 6% and revenue allocations were much higher than they are now. Ms. Cuthbertson praised the presentation, saying it was helpful for both the Committee and the community. She explained that clear and easy -to -understand information prevents misunderstandings about how funds are managed. She appreciated that Dr. Hackett kept the Committee updated over the summer as issues were addressed. She stressed that making financial information clear helps build trust, especially for important topics like the high school debt exclusion. Ms. Carter thanked the finance team for their hard work, noting that it helps the Committee understand its priorities and where it is focusing its efforts. She looks forward to the end -of -October update to see how the year has progressed. Ms. Jay emphasized the importance of highlighting key budget news, noting that the district ended the year in the black with no deficit. She credited this outcome to early spending freezes and careful monitoring. Ms. Jay also asked Mr. McCutcheon to clarify how funds from the previous year's budget (FY25) were used to support salaries. He explained that because employees are paid biweekly, the last week of June falls in FY25 but is technically paid in FY26. In the past, handling these payroll costs was inconsistent, with varying amounts brought back. This year, they correctly calculated the actual cost and appropriated it back, resulting in $967,000 being properly accounted for. Ms. Jay added that she agrees with Mr. Freeman on the value of line -item budgeting, noting that it will help departments, principals, and schools monitor spending closely. She appreciated the clear information and mentioned the possibility of receiving summary reports for the Committee to track progress throughout the year. Mr. Martellone, Director of Innovation and Technology, gave the five-year Capital Budget for Technology update. He explained that the Technology department submits a five-year capital budget each fall for equipment, network upgrades, and other technology needs, and also prepares an annual operating budget for software and related expenses. Each year, the budget is presented to the Committee for review, adjusted if necessary, and then shared with the Capital Expenditure Committee. This year, the department coordinated with town counterparts to avoid duplicating purchases and maximize E -Rate funding, which provides discounts on eligible technology. The budget was built conservatively to account for potential cost increases, such as tariffs, while still reducing overall costs by approximately $651,000 compared to previous submissions. Adjustments were made to account for town infrastructure projects, such as redundant fiber and network cores, and the department left a small contingency for unexpected high school needs. The projector replacement program was shifted to replace whole schools at a time, extending the life of equipment to its full expected span. Additionally, Wi-Fi access points, controllers, and FM systems to support students with hearing challenges are included, with anticipated E -Rate funding reducing costs. The department expects to turn back around $100,000 in unused capital funds this October, adding to the total $572,701 returned to the town since 2019 through turnbacks and equipment buybacks. Finally, the department continues to evaluate gently used devices to extend their lifecycle and potentially reduce future purchases, particularly for middle and elementary school technology needs. School Committee Questions/Comments: Ms. Jay asked how the five-year plan is developed, noting that annual budgets tend to be fairly consistent each year. Mr. Martellone explained that his goal is to avoid large spikes in yearly budgets by keeping amounts relatively consistent. When he first started, he created categories for different types of equipment since no line items existed previously. Each year, he adjusts costs slightly to account for inflation or price changes, and as projects shift from year to year, he revises the budget to maintain balance. He also considers factors like declining enrollment, which reduces the number of devices needed, and meets with vendors each summer to anticipate upcoming projects and see if costs can be spread out. This careful planning helps ensure the budget remains steady without major fluctuations. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT Dr. Hackett reviewed her Superintendent's Report with the School Committee. The highlights from her report include: • The Black Patriots of Lexington Video Unveiling was on September 22nd. • High School Building Project: LFIS flyover video and LHS Project Tax Impact Calculator. • Massachusetts Department of Public Health: New regulations about ensuring the safety and well-being of students regarding medication administration in schools. • New section: School Committee/Superintendent Strategic Priorities o "There's an App for That"; Mr. Martellone spoke about the Technology Steering Committee. o K-5 Literacy Working Group for the curriculum review process. • We All Belong o Upcoming Holidays & Observances o On September 19th, the "We All Belong" video series was launched NEW BUSINESS A. Vote to pprove the Supervision & Evaluation MCA Robin Strizhak, president of the Lexington Education Association (LEA), joined the School Committee to review the MOA. Dr. Hackett recommended approval. Mr. Freeman moved to approve the Supervision & Evaluation MOA; Ms. Cuthbertson seconded. The vote passed 5-0. B. Confirmation of Voting and Alternate Delegate for Joint MASS/MASC Annual Business Meeting Ms. Cuthbertson moved to nominate Ms. Carter as the Voting Delegate and Ms. Jay as the Alternate for the Joint MASS/MASC Annual Business Meeting, Mr. Freeman seconded. The vote passed 5-0. C. MASC Resolutions: Discussion and Vote This agenda item was tabled; it will be added to a future meeting. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Vote the 5915upt. Strategic PNontiese 2025-2027 Mr. Freeman moved to approve the School Committee/Superintendent Strategic Priorities 2025-2027, Ms. Cuthbertson seconded. The vote passed 5-0. B. Vote on F027 Budeet Guidelines and Calendar a. FY 2026 Budget Guidelines and Calendar for Reference The Finance Subcommittee revised and restructured the FY2027 Budget Guidelines to improve clarity and organization of the document. Mr. Freeman moved to approve the FY2027 Budget Guidelines; Ms. Cuthbertson seconded. The vote passed 5-0. Ms. Lenihan moved to approve the FY2027 Budget Calendar; Mr. Freeman seconded. The vote passed 5-0. C. Financial Assistance olio Dr. Scully joined the School Committee again. He explained that questions about the financial assistance program have arisen, so a brief letter was shared to clarify. In particular, the letter addressed two main points. First, regarding decision-making in exceptional or unusual cases, the program now involves a two -person review process to ensure accuracy and accountability. This approach is modeled after the method used for free and reduced lunch decisions, so no single person makes the decision alone. Second, he clarified the costs to the district. The program does not send money directly to families; instead, it waives specific fees, such as transportation, field trips, and AP test fees. These costs vary depending on the student's grade and the activities involved. For example, transportation fees affect many families, and field trips may have small charges for specific events, like visiting a farm. The district is working on how these waivers are handled and improving communication so that schools and trip organizers know how to account for them properly. This prevents undue burden on PTOs or other groups. He also noted that the maximum potential exposure for the district, if every eligible student used every waiver, would be around $95,000. In practice, however, it is likely closer to $50,000. These figures represent waived fees, not actual expenditures, and the district will track them carefully throughout the year to ensure accuracy. COMMUNITY SPEAK No speakers. POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS Items added: • None ADJOURNMENT Ms. Carter made a motion to adjourn at 8:01 PM, Mr. Freeman seconded. The vote passed 5-0.