Mar. 14, 2024 - Budget Workshop

MIDDLETOWN SCHOOL COMMITTEE

MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND

March 14, 2024

Members Present:       Theresa Spengler, Chair

Tami Holden, Vice-Chair

William O’Connell

Greg Huet

Wendy Heaney

Also Present:              Rosemarie Kraeger,  Superintendent of Schools

Michelle Fonseca, Assistant Superintendent of Schools

Lori Miller, Interim Business Manager

Lisa Birkett, Director of Student Services

Poe George, Director of Facilities, Transportation, and Safety

The Middletown School Committee Meeting was called to order at 4:33 p.m. by Chair Theresa Spengler. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Rebecca Silveira and Georgia Fortunato were administrative staff members present. Town Councilman Peter Connerton was also present.

Superintendent Kraeger and Interim Business Manager Lori Miller presented the proposed 2024-2025 budget.

Link to the presentation:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BgWqWy3YKB6Fy4yR-haG9zmu_8effu5J/view?usp=drive_link

The Town over the past two years has been extremely generous. They have allotted us a revenue deficit plan and a contingency plan equaling $1.4 M.

Overtime has been reduced in the FY25 budget. Everything must be pre-approved by the Superintendent and Business Manager.

Curriculum Work is a zero-line item. It is completely supported by grants thanks to Michelle Fonseca, Assistant Superintendent.

There is a large variance in summer pay due to the transfer of Special Education from the regional program to Middletown. This line was collapsed into one account so the district could start its own history with separate line items. This allows the district to reinvent its story.

The increase in the Salary column is $799,553.00 which are contractual obligations. The teacher and teacher assistant contracts were settled. The custodian contract still needs to be settled.

Mrs. Heaney asked what Summer Pay included and who was receiving it. Did it include Special Education?

Mrs. Miller stated it included Special Education, just not from the regional program.

New positions currently in the FY24 budget and FY25 budget:

1.0 Social Worker

1.2 ELL Teacher

1.0 PreK Teacher

1.0 Structured Literacy Interventionist K – 3

1.0 Family & Homeless Liaison (moved from grant)

Vice Chair Holden confirmed there was still no Math Interventionist in the FY25 budget.

Mrs. Kraeger stated if there were extra dollars midway through the 2024-2025 year perhaps the district could look into hiring a Math Interventionist.

Mr. Huet asked what Line 21 Stipends Other included.

Mrs. Kraeger stated they were stipends for Directors, Advisors, Title IX Administrators, etc.

Mrs. Kraeger pointed out that the positions that are in the FY25 budget are the Tier II and Tier III positions the district was lacking. Hopefully there will be increased student achievements with these supports.

Mrs. Fonseca said it was important to keep the momentum going by looking at the data and increasing these supports when the money becomes available.

Vice Chair Holden asked if the Attendance and Student Success Officer would continue.

Mrs. Fonseca said the Learn 365 Grant which funded the position will continue through 2024 -2025.

Mrs. Miller stated there are some positions that will be added as the money is available including an English Teacher and Career Coordinator at the high school, as well as a PreK Coordinator.

Mrs. Heaney asked for an explanation of the Medical Buyback Payments which Mrs. Miller explained were contractual payments made to employees who opted out of medical insurance. These are small in comparison to what the district pays for an employee’s health insurance benefits.

Chair Spengler said these buybacks have decreased over the years.

** Mr. O’Connell** asked what the buyback amount was to which Mrs. Miller replied an estimated $3000.00.

There was an increase in Purchased Services of $270K due to the transition from the Regional Special Education Program and the new accounting system.

Line item 65 Student Assistance is for our Special Needs Launch Beginnings students. Lisa Birkett and Georgia Fortunato are looking into servicing some of these students in district.

Transportation had a 4% increase plus additional increases due to special education, DCYF, and homeless students. The total increase in the Transportation line was $90.2k.

Mrs. Birkett reiterated that all of these students are Middletown students, and the district does not have a choice in transporting them.

Mr. Poe said he had spoken with Ocean State Transportation about rerouting the buses and they will be getting back to him.

Mrs. Kraeger stated that Mr. Huet had asked if the district would be able to eliminate a bus or two if they extended the walking zone to two miles.

56310 Tuition to Private Sources is our out of district special ed costs. Mrs. Birkett is hoping to establish a Bradley satellite school at Gaudet. Bradley will notify the Middletown in the next two weeks if this is going to happen in the fall 0f 2024.

Mrs. Heaney asked how big the class at the Gaudet Bradley satellite school would be. Mrs. Birkett stated the class could range from ten to twelve students.

Mr. Huet commented there are more students going out of district, than coming in from other districts according to  line 24 Tuition to Other Districts totaling $975k, and line 4 $279k Tuition from Other Districts.

Mrs. Kraeger stated we are receiving more applications from students outside of district who want to attend Middletown High School CTE Academies.

Mrs. Heaney asked about the Travel Other line item to which Mrs. Miller said this was a number they will be reducing as it does not seem correct.

Mrs. Birkett said there are a few districts that are looking at sending their students to Middletown’s Transition program for 18 – 22 year old students.

Supplies and Materials has not changed.

Mr. Huet asked Mr. George about the research he has done on ideas and cost-saving initiatives, as there were no details in his budget presentation. Are there any changes in revenue that can be used when substantiating the budget before the Town Council?

Mr. George stated he has been working on subsidizing energy costs.

Mr. O’Connell asked if there was a way of going back to RIDE and asking for more money given that the Town has just reassessed property values?

Mrs. Miller said she had just called the state and asked for more money that day but was told no.

Mrs. Heaney reminded everyone they needed to reach out to their state legislators.

Beyond the Bell was generously funded by Town Council last year. There are some dollars left over which the Town Administrator has suggested they ask as they go in with the FY25 budget because they require Town Council approval.

Mrs. Fonseca provided a more detailed view of the Beyond the Bell request which would fund the 2024 summer program and 2024-2025 Beyond the Bell school year program. The Learn 365 Grant will cover the MCOZ summer camp.

Vice Chair Holden asked if Kindergarten Jumpstart would be in place this summer. Mrs. Fonseca said there was $15k leftover from that grant which she was told had to be used by the end of the school year. She is not sure the grant will be available this summer, but last year, it was not advertised until June.

Mrs. Fonseca said she will be applying for a Math grant if one is available.

Mrs. Miller reviewed all of the Special Revenues which includes grants that are being carried over from FY24 and those that are not.

Mrs. Fonseca stated there are 8 positions in the CRP grants that will continue from federal money, our reading positions are paid for with Title I, and  Title II pays for all of our professional development and curriculum work after school, opening, day, during the summer, and during the school day.

The Capital Improvement funds will be reviewed by the Town Administrator next week.

Vice Chair Holden asked if there was anything they were waiting on that would impact the budget before next week to which Mrs. Miller stated no.

No public comment.

REVISED 2023 – 2024 SCHOOL CALENDAR

1)Tami Holden. 2) Greg Huet. That the School Committee approve the Revised 2023 – 2024 School Calendar due to a Snow Day. Unanimous vote.

BUILDING COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR

1)Tami Holden. 2) Greg Huet. That the School Committee approve William Nash as Vice-Chair of the Building Committee. Unanimous vote.

FY24 GENERAL FUND ADJUSTMENTS

** FY24 SPECIAL REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS**1)Tami Holden. 2) Greg Huet.

EARLY RETIREMENT

1)Tami Holden. 2) Greg Huet. That the School Committee approve opening Early Retirement for Certified Staff until June 30, 2024. Unanimous vote.

** MOTION**:  1) Tami Holden, 2) Greg Huet

Respectfully Submitted,

Theresa Spangler, Chair