Merrimack School District Budget Committee January 26, 2021 Minutes
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Merrimack School District Budget Committee
January 26, 2021
Minutes
Present: D. Coakley, J. Guagliumi, C. Lang, C. Mower, M. Murphy, L. Peters, G. Savitch, N. Schoenfeld,
B. Stisser, E. Wilson and School Board Liaison A. Schneider
Excused: L French, D. Illg
Also present: Superintendent Dr. M. McLaughlin, Assistant Superintendent J. Fabrizio, Assistant
Superintendent for Business M. Shevenell and various department heads
C. Mower called the meeting to order at 7 PM.
Explanation of Meeting Procedure
It was explained that the meeting was being held via Zoom under the guidelines in the Governor’s
Emergency Order 12, pursuant to Executive order 2020-04. Members of the Public who wish to provide
comments for the Committee may email the Committee using the link on the School District website.
C. Mower thanked Library & Technology Services Department Head N. Rose for her help setting up the
Zoom meeting.
Department Budget Reviews
Food Service
Department Head: David Dziki
Committee Liaisons: J. Guagliumi, C. Lang, D. Coakley
Liaison Report: J. Guagliumi told the Committee that Food Service continued to make and serve lunches
after the Covid shutdown, including during the summer months. He said there was less revenue than
anticipated but the program was getting Federal reimbursement for the lunches. He also said that the
budget is basically level funded, though replacement of a 20-year old food warmer at both Mastricola
Elementary and Mastricola Upper Elementary is included in the budget.
Department Head Report: D. Dziki told the Committee that Merrimack has joined a collaborative of 58
area school districts to get better prices on food and paper projects by buying in bulk He said estimating
potential sales has been difficult this year but meals are available to all students and delivered as needed.
He said that food costs were lower last year since hot lunches were discontinued when the schools shut
down but he hopes that next year will be a normal year.
Discussion included the following:
• Free lunch program
o It is possible that more people will qualify for free lunches in the aftermath of Covid.
o Free lunch qualification is based on current employment and families can apply throughout
the year as needed.
o The School Board could decide to cover lunch costs for students in need who are not part
of the free and reduced lunch program.
• “Community” support
o The School Board is working with Merrimack State legislators regarding additional aid for
school districts.Budget Committee Minutes, 1-26-21, continued
o Members suggested working with Federal legislators as well.
o Members complimented the School Board on making lunches available during the
summer.
Student Services
Department Head: Heather Barker
Committee Liaisons: N. Schoenfeld, D. Coakley, L. Peters, J. Guagliumi
Department Head Report: H. Barker presented a slide show to explain the goals of Special Services. She
said that, as a result of Covid, the education of all students has been disrupted, especially those with
I.E.P.s. She said Student Services ran additional weeks of summer programming last summer and plans
to provide additional weeks of summer programming this coming summer as well to help diminish the
impact of the educational disruption on the students who receive services. The proposed budget includes a
2.1% increase for services related to “extended school year” (E.S.Y.) costs. The District has 746 students
with I.E.P.s. (This number includes pre-school students.) This is a greater number/percentage of students
than in the past but is consistent with trends across the state this year. There are 20 Out-of-District
placements this year due to the efforts of staff to develop appropriate In-District programs. In years past,
there have been more than 40 Out-of-District placements.
Liaison Report: N. Schoenfeld said that the teachers, aides and contracted service providers had done a
great job trying to meet the needs of all students with I.E.P.s as required by law. She told the Committee
that the department is currently negotiating the cost of specialists which is a large part of the Student
Services budget. L. Peters said the department is working on streamlining services and making programs
consistent throughout all schools to help save money.
Discussion included the following:
• The department is using a new resource to monitor and measure the progress of students.
• Originally the 504 teacher/coordinator position(s) were funded by a grant which has expired.
They were added to the general education budget last year.
• Students with a 504 plan may also be receiving ancillary services from the Special Services
department.
• Last year, the district also added a new Special Services position: Coordinator of Care Facilitation.
Maintenance
Department Head: Tom Touseau
Committee Liaisons: B. Stisser, G. Savitch, E. Wilson, C. Lang
Liaison Report: B. Stisser told the Committee that the budget is basically level funded. He said capital
improvement projects originally planned for next year have been put off for a year. He said that Covid
has impacted the department in the number of hours that people are working each day as well as the
cleaning projects and equipment they are using.
Department Head Report: T. Touseau told the Committee he does not like to defer capital maintenance
items; however, he is comfortable that the delayed projects can wait a year. He said, at the
recommendation of DHHS, the District is running its ventilation systems 24/7 to improve the air quality
in the buildings.
2Budget Committee Minutes, 1-26-21, continued
Discussion included the following:
• The deferred capital maintenance projects are still necessary and cannot be deferred much longer.
Library & Technological Services
Department Head: Nancy Rose
Committee Liaisons: L. French, M. Murphy, D. Illg
Department Head Report: N. Rose told the Committee that the proposed budget is basically level funded
and will sustain current programs. She said that Covid hastened the need to implement the “one to one”
device to student goal which the department has been working toward for several years. Due to Covid,
the department has asked the School Board to propose a warrant article for the cost of purchasing devices.
She said the department was able to use Covid grant funds to help with infrastructure needs and has
requested a new computer technician to meet its repair needs.
Liaison Report: M. Murphy said the department has done a great job providing devices for students who
needed them.
Discussion included the following:
• The School Board will not be proposing a technology warrant article. Whether a “regular”
appropriation or a bond, if the article fails, “no means no.” Should Covid funds become available,
the District would not be able to use them for technology.
• The School Board has the authority to apply, accept and expend unanticipated funds should
additional Covid funds become available. However, Administration does not know if, when or
how much additional Covid relief funds might be available.
• In other words: the department’s one to one goal is, and has been, that each student has a
consistent learning device available to each across all common learning environments.
• Due to the expenditure of Covid funds this past year, the department is actually slightly ahead of
where it expected to be on the one to one goal.
• During the Covid shutdown, librarians were teaching and working on setting up professional
development opportunities for teachers as well as helping staff with Zoom problems. They are
also the front line for device distribution.
District Wide
Superintendent Dr. M. McLaughlin, Assistant Superintendent J. Fabrizio and Assistant Superintendent for
Business M. Shevenell
Committee Liaisons: J. Guagliumi, C. Lang, D. Coakley
Liaison Report: J. Guagliumi said the District Wide Budget incorporates a lot of things that the District
cannot control, for example, health insurance increases, retirement contributions, and contractual
obligations.
Department Head Report: M. Shevenell told the Committee that the $81,887,463 budget proposed by
Administration essentially level funded all departments, resulting in a budget that had a $1,173,400
increase from the current year’s approved budget. He said most of the increase was part of the District
Wide Budget. After review, the only change the School Board made was to reduce the utility lines for
Brentwood by $12,300. This will minimally maintain the building. The resulting proposed budget is
$43,774 below the proposed default budget. M. Shevenell explained that contracted teacher salary
3Budget Committee Minutes, 1-26-21, continued
increases, a 9.3% guaranteed maximum health insurance increase, FICA and retirement contributions
were the main reasons for the budget increase but bonded debt has decreased because the bond for the
high school addition is now paid off. He said the bond for the middle school will be paid off during FY
2023-24. He also noted that in the last budget, there was a larger than normal expenditure for legal
services. Normally the Administration budgets $50,000 for legal expenses which is what is proposed in
this budget. M. McLaughlin said Administration has added a $100,000 contingency line to cover
unanticipated items, for example – Covid related supplies.
Discussion included the following:
• Contingency Fund
o The School Board has the authority to move funds between budget lines when needed.
o If needed, Administration will review the budget year-to-date expenses to see which
budget lines might be underspent if more funds are needed in the contingency line.
o The District has a Maintenance/Repairs Capital Reserve Fund and Special Services Capital
Reserve Fund so if the “contingency issue” is related to either, the appropriate Capital
Reserve Fund can be utilized rather than the contingency budget line.
• Brentwood/Red Building
o The original budget to maintain Brentwood was $23,800.
o The yearly utility costs have been about $8,000.
o The School Board reduced the budget to a more accurate figure.
o The District has owned the property for 2.5 years.
o It is possible that the eventual cost to demolish the Brentwood Building may be less than
what the District has spent to maintain the building in the interim.
• High School Master Plan
o Demolition of Brentwood may be part of the Master Plan
o Covid has delayed the development of the Master Plan.
o Safe Routes to School had a goal of a sidewalk along O’Gara Drive but there is no money
available for such a project at this time.
o It is hoped that the Town Center Committee, Community Development and Town DPW
will provide input into the Master Plan.
o As part of drainage repairs, the town is putting a sidewalk on Woodbury Street.
• Student numbers
FY 2019-2020 FY 2020-2012 Increase Comment
(Decrease)
Private Schools 19 53 54
Charter Schools 148 123 (25)
VLAC 102 154 52 23 FT, 126 PT
Home School 79 144 65
totals 348 474 146
o It might be a good idea to track and compare how many students are not attending the
public schools.
o Some of the students who are attending private schools may not return to public schools.
4Budget Committee Minutes, 1-26-21, continued
Next Meeting date
C. Mower told the Committee that the next planned meeting is a work session on the operating budget and
a review of any monied warrant articles, currently scheduled for February 2nd. He said he didn’t think
either item would take a long time and could be done the night of the Public Hearing on February 9th.
Discussion included the following:
• There will be two warrant articles: a support staff contract and a ventilation project
• The meeting on February 2nd would be held via Zoom.
• The Public Hearing will be an in-person meeting.
• The School Board will be reviewing and voting on warrant articles on February 1st.
By consensus, members agreed to hold a Zoom meeting on February 2nd.
Member Comments
C. Mower told the Committee that he intended to move that the Red Building/Brentwood be completely
shut down.
D. Coakley made a MOTION to adjourn. Second: E. Wilson.
C. Mower declared the meeting adjourned at 9:14 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Pat Heinrich
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