Superintendent previews FY25 budget: enrollment stable, $2.1M operating increase before adjustments
January 11, 2024 | Blackstone-Millville, School Boards, Massachusetts
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Superintendent Jason DeFalco walked the Blackstone‑Millville Regional School Committee through a preliminary FY25 budget on Jan. 11, saying the district is showing stable in‑seat enrollment and identifying benefits, utilities and contractual salary steps as the main cost drivers.
DeFalco said the district currently tallies 1,513 students in seats, while the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education profile shows a lower foundation number (1,472) because the state excludes school‑choice students from foundation counts. "We are actually at 1,513," DeFalco said, adding that school‑choice students affect how tuition revenue and assessments are reported even though they attend district seats.
He described the budget workbook and explained that some lines — including a classroom‑teacher line — require reconciliation; the administration flagged a suspect $680,000 entry that it will audit before the next meeting. Cost‑center previews showed expected increases in health‑insurance costs (double‑digit rate/use increases), utilities (up roughly mid‑teens percent), and particular line items for a proposed athletic director position and elementary staff requests.
On capital, DeFalco highlighted that the middle‑school bond payment will conclude in fiscal 2025 and reviewed roof and boiler payments across town buildings. The superintendent said asbestos monitoring and an updated asbestos management plan are budgeted and that a small‑capital projects list will be presented at facilities workshops.
Committee members set three upcoming budget workshops (Jan. 18, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1) and asked administration to keep the working budget workbook view‑only until posted to avoid accidental edits. The administration said it will return with more detailed reconciled numbers at future workshops and the Feb. 8 meeting.
DeFalco urged members to use the interactive workbook to review cost centers before workshops and said the governor’s budget filing — expected no later than Jan. 24 — will help clarify state revenue and minimum‑local‑contribution figures.
The committee will continue budget deliberations in scheduled workshops and expects reconciled expenditure lines and updated capital proposals in subsequent meetings.
DeFalco said the district currently tallies 1,513 students in seats, while the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education profile shows a lower foundation number (1,472) because the state excludes school‑choice students from foundation counts. "We are actually at 1,513," DeFalco said, adding that school‑choice students affect how tuition revenue and assessments are reported even though they attend district seats.
He described the budget workbook and explained that some lines — including a classroom‑teacher line — require reconciliation; the administration flagged a suspect $680,000 entry that it will audit before the next meeting. Cost‑center previews showed expected increases in health‑insurance costs (double‑digit rate/use increases), utilities (up roughly mid‑teens percent), and particular line items for a proposed athletic director position and elementary staff requests.
On capital, DeFalco highlighted that the middle‑school bond payment will conclude in fiscal 2025 and reviewed roof and boiler payments across town buildings. The superintendent said asbestos monitoring and an updated asbestos management plan are budgeted and that a small‑capital projects list will be presented at facilities workshops.
Committee members set three upcoming budget workshops (Jan. 18, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1) and asked administration to keep the working budget workbook view‑only until posted to avoid accidental edits. The administration said it will return with more detailed reconciled numbers at future workshops and the Feb. 8 meeting.
DeFalco urged members to use the interactive workbook to review cost centers before workshops and said the governor’s budget filing — expected no later than Jan. 24 — will help clarify state revenue and minimum‑local‑contribution figures.
The committee will continue budget deliberations in scheduled workshops and expects reconciled expenditure lines and updated capital proposals in subsequent meetings.
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