Note: These proposed minutes should be considered preliminary until they are approved by the
board at a future meeting.
WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT (WSESD) FINANCE COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2023
REGULAR MEETING – 5:00PM
HYBRID MEETING: GUILFORD CENTRAL SCHOOL & ZOOM
DRAFT MINUTES
WSESD Finance Committee Members Present: Chairperson Shaun Murphy (SM), Anne Beekman
(AB), Deborah Stanford (DS), Kimberley Price (KP) WSESD Finance Committee Members Absent: none
WSESU/SD Staff Present: Business Administrator Frank Rucker, Superintendent Mark Speno, BUHS Interim Principal Hannah Parker
Others present: Jaci Reynolds, Kristina Naylor, Maggie Foley, Jody Normandeau, Tim Maciel, Kerry Amidon
Please note: Because of technological limitations, this attendance record may be incomplete.
CALL TO ORDER:
SM called the meeting to order at 5:01pm.
I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 21. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
[please note: I could not hear in the recording whether it was actually Anne who made this motion, and the Chair didn’t announce it. So I took a wild guess. Please correct if necessary, and remove this note.]
II. FY25 PRELIMINARY BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PLANNING DISCUSSION; FOCUS OF DISCUSSION ON SECONDARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS (BAMS, BUHS, WRCC)
WSESU Business Administrator Frank Rucker shared and reviewed a document: “Windham Southeast School District General Ledger – Elementary FY25 Proposed Budget [By School].” Highlights included:
• This document is on the website.
• It contains two different summary formats: by school site, and detailed.
• An explanation of how the two different summary formats are organized.
• The total spending on this part of the proposed budget is $26,450,000, up from the current year’s budget of $26,437,000. This is for all three secondary school sites: BUHS, BAMS, and WRCC. This budget is almost level-funded.
• FY25 goes from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
Mr. Rucker reviewed the BUHS portion of the proposed budget. Highlights included:
• This budget reflects a continuation of multi-year planning and the pandemic recovery plan.
• The top category in the locally-funded section is for direct instruction at BUHS, and its share of vocational education.
• The total budget for locally-funded spending is up 5%, to $18,848,543.
• The federally-funded federal sub-grants section has gone down because of the end of ESSER, but the administration has planned for this, and the investment in staffing has been maintained by moving the costs to the locally-funded section of the budget.
• The total BUHS proposed budget is down by 1%, to $18,958,661.
• The debt service line item is at zero for this proposed budget because the BUHS renovations were recently paid off. That said, there are still costs associated with maintaining and improving the facility. This is reflected in the budget.
• Staffing costs have gone up: 4% in wages and 15% in insurance costs.
• A discussion ensued on staff professional development.
Mr. Rucker reviewed the BAMS portion of the proposed budget. Highlights included:
• Local funding is up by $382,000, for a total of $4.2 million.
• BAMS continues to be eligible for federal funding, specifically Title I. But, Vernon is now also eligible for Title I funding. Because the amount the District receives is a set amount, BAMS’s portion of the Title I funding will decrease, and those costs are moved to the locally-funded section. These costs support the remediation of pandemic-related learning loss.
Mr. Rucker reviewed the WRCC portion of the proposed budget. Highlights included:
• The budget is down 3.8%, to just over $3 million.
• WRCC was never eligible for ESSER funding, but they have received other federal grants.
• Enrollment is up.
• The aviation program is meeting student needs.
• A review of WRCC’s detailed summary segment of the budget, with a focus on how some funding is being reinvested into curricula that best meets students’ needs.
Mr. Rucker reviewed the FTEs (full-time equivalent staff) at all three schools.
• WRCC current year 25.8; next year 24.6.
• BUHS current year 130.2; next year 134.9.
• BAMS current year 40.6; next year 41.1.
Mr. Rucker noted health insurance costs are increasing by 16.7%, to $1.1 million. This is nothing over which the District has any control; it’s done for us at the state level as per Act 11.
Mr. Rucker shared and reviewed a document, “Timeline Budget FY2025 11.01.23.” He reminded attendees that on December 5, the Finance Committee will review revenues, and begin reviewing the capital plan.
Jody Normandeau of Dummerston asked about extra staffing that was added due to COVID, and whether funding no longer going toward debt-service can now go into the capital fund.
Mr. Rucker and Mr. Speno responded, with highlights as follows:
• Spending is not increasing. This budget is almost level-funded.
• In two weeks information will come from the state about the new poverty weight calculations, and whether they will offset the loss of ESSER funding and not raise property taxes. Mr. Rucker does not know the answer to this until that information comes, and he has been advised not to guess. The state will also send the yield information in the next two weeks, which will determine the property tax rate.
• If it looks like taxes will go up, then he and the administration will reevaluate the budget to ensure it is fiscally responsible.
• The administration knew ESSER would end, and they planned accordingly; one way was to direct more ESSER funding toward capital needs and less toward adding support staff.
• Lockdown and school closure adversely affected students, and now is not the time to remove the supports they need. This recovery is not over, and it is a global issue beyond the borders of Windham County.
III. CAPITAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATES, DISCUSSION TO INCLUDE; RECOMMENDATION ON SELECTION OF AN ADDITIONAL PREQUALIFIED CONTRACTOR ELIGIBILITY TO BID ON THE OAK GROVE HEAT PUMP & HVAC CONTROLS PROJECT
Mr. Rucker announced the fifth firm seeking pre-qualification approval has dropped out, so no action is needed.
MOTION BY AB TO ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting adjourned at 5:54pm.
***
DOCUMENTS SHARED AT THIS MEETING:
• “Windham Southeast School District General Ledger – Elementary FY25 Proposed Budget [By School].”
• “Timeline Budget FY2025 11.01.23.”
Respectfully submitted by Wendy M. Levy from minutes taken by Wendy M. Levy.
This represents my understanding of the above dated meeting. If you have any changes, please submit
them at the next Finance Committee meeting.
