School Committee Summer Workshop Focuses on Strategic Budgeting
The School Committee held its annual summer workshop on June 24, which featured author, consultant, and speaker Nate Levenson of New Solutions K12. Levenson has helped over 250 school districts deploy creative solutions to decrease spending while maintaining high standards of excellence and positive student outcomes.
The workshop is a step in fulfilling a commitment made by the School Committee this past winter to ensure fiscally sustainable budgets by exploring long-term structural changes.
Levenson proposed alternative, novel approaches to staffing, service delivery, and measuring program efficacy that judiciously direct resources where they will have the greatest student impact and that challenge a common perception that, in a climate of economic scarcity, schools will necessarily be under-resourced. The School Committee will continue to work with Levenson this coming year.
The workshop was attended by several Acton-Boxborough school principals and members of the School District’s senior leadership team.
At their May 28 business meeting, Acton’s Finance Committee began a preliminary discussion regarding a Town of Acton Cost Cutting Task Force. Member Christi Anderson, who is leading the initiative, noted that “given the small vote margin which resulted in approval of a $6.6M operational tax override in April, it is important we show the public that real work is being done to ease the burden of taxation.”
Health Insurance Claims Exceeding June Projections Force Budget Increase
At their June 24 business meeting, the School Committee voted to increase the School District’s budget by $1.7M to $116,091,265 for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
$1.55M of the increase will enable the School District to pay its required portion of employee health insurance claims, which exceeded June projections. Superintendent of Schools Peter Light has reported ongoing concerns about the Trust’s ability to remain solvent through the remainder of the fiscal year, despite the School District’s prepayment of the employer’s share of premiums earlier this spring.
$150K of the increase covers one-time fees related to work with consultant Nate Levenson from New Solutions K12.
The increase will be offset by a transfer from the School District’s reserves and by revenue from a premium received on a short-term, interest-bearing security. The increase will not affect tax assessments to the Towns approved by Acton Town Meeting on May 6 and by Boxborough Town Meeting on May 13.
At their April 4th meeting, the School Committee voted to withdraw from the Health Insurance Trust as of June 30, 2024, but will remain a participating member through June 30, 2026 for the purpose of administering and paying runout claims and other costs.
School and Town Move Forward on Climate Goals
With two successive unanimous votes at its June 24 business meeting, the School Committee codified a partnership with the Town of Acton on climate goals and enabled the Town to move forward with an application to the State’s Climate Leader Communities Initiative offered through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. The votes approved a Zero Emissions Vehicle First policy and endorsed a Decarbonization Roadmap.
The Zero Emissions Vehicle First policy sets standards and guidelines for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of the District’s vehicles, prioritizing battery-electric and hybrid vehicles with the long-term goal of reducing energy consumption, costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The Decarbonization Roadmap proposes a timetable to electrify Town and School District vehicles and buildings.
Climate Leaders communities are required to commit to a plan to eliminate onsite use of fossil fuels in vehicles and buildings by 2050 consistent with a “Zero over Time” approach that uses triggering events such as the end-of-life of HVAC equipment, a building renovation, roof replacement and other capital projects.
Participants in the Climate Leaders initiative are eligible for grants to be used for clean energy projects.
Diane Baum is School Committee beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.