Blackstone‑Millville school committee recertifies FY24 operating and capital budgets, sets town assessments

The Blackstone‑Millville Regional School District school committee on April 6 voted to recertify its fiscal‑year 2024 budget and to set town assessments after hearing administration recommendations and reviewing updated revenue and reimbursement figures.

Superintendent Jason walked members through a set of documents that compared FY23 and FY24 figures and explained the district had identified reductions and one‑time revenue shifts — including ESSER‑3 carryforward and excess and deficiency (E&D) uses — that together produced a net FY24 budget impact the administration described as “972,000.” He said the district operating cost in the recertification motion was $27,979,934, a 3% increase in operating expenses from FY23.

“The total impact on the FY24 budget is 972,000,” Jason said, noting transportation route changes and other line‑item adjustments that freed resources to carry forward. “That's a 3% increase, in operating expenses,” he added when committee members pressed on the size of the ask.

After presentation and brief questioning, the committee approved a series of motions by roll call: to adopt a gross operating budget of $27,979,934; to apply reimbursements (Chapter 70, regional transportation, school choice and charter reimbursements totaling $12,338,626) to reduce the gross amount; and to certify an alternate presentation for the Department of Revenue's excess and deficiency calculation. All motions passed unanimously.

The committee then approved the assessments that implement the recertified budget. By roll call the committee voted to assess $10,833,427 to the town of Blackstone (a package that included the state‑assigned minimum local contribution, exclusionary costs and supplemental investments) and $3,537,347 to the town of Millville; both motions passed with unanimous support.

Committee members also approved line‑item revenue offsets the administration proposed — including $500,000 from excess and efficiency, $170,000 in Medicaid revenue and other user fees and tuition lines that together reduce the amount towns must raise.

Capital and interest budgets were adopted separately. The committee approved a capital and interest assessment of $417,466.66 to be borne solely by Blackstone (allocated to projects including FWH Middle School work, JFK boiler/windows, roof projects and BMR asbestos management), and a $174,108.08 assessment to be borne solely by Millville (similar line‑item breakdown). Both capital votes were unanimous.

What happens next: the recertified and assessed figures will be used in each town’s budgeting process and in state reporting. The administration said it will continue to brief towns and that the alternative presentation certified tonight will be submitted to the Department of Revenue as required.

Actions recorded at the meeting included motions to adopt the gross operating budget; apply specified reimbursements and offsets; assess Blackstone and Millville for their shares of the operating and capital budgets; and to certify an alternate presentation for state reporting. All recorded motions carried unanimously at the April 6 session.