The MERSD
School Committee and Administration are committed to a transparent, open, and
informed budget development process. In
keeping with that commitment, this article is the first in a series designed to
assist the communities of Essex and Manchester in learning more about MERSD and
understanding the Regional SchoolDistrict budget process. Throughout each budget season, we work
cooperatively with the Boards of Selectman and Finance in both Essex and
Manchester to provide one another with ongoing progress reports on our
planning process and outlook. This year, we will, again, continue this very
successful approach.
Budget Basics
MERSD begins its budget work in
November.
The Superintendent and Director
of Finance work with the school Principals, Director of Special Education, Director
of Curriculum & Instructional Technology, and Facilities Manager to develop
budgets for the core programs and operations of the MERSD. These budgets have two parts:
- Level services or the same programs as the prior year.
- Expanded effort (additional costs needed to meet program requirements, federal and state mandates, or other best practice needs as recommended by the MERSD Administration).
The Director of Finance also
develops forecasts for:
- revenue sources (state and federal funding, grants, activity and program fees);
- mandatory district-wide obligations (health insurance costs, personnel salary increases, retirement benefits costs, capital and operating expenses);
- estimated assessments to the Towns for funding the MERSD budget.
In early December, the
Superintendent presents the draft budget to the School Committee and schedules
a mid-December public hearing for the tentative budget.
In January, the School Committee
and the MERSD Administration, along with input from the communities, work to
further refine the projections and approve a final budget for submission to the
Towns in early February. During February and March, the School Committee and
the District Administration continue to monitor assumptions and make
adjustments when necessary.
During Manchester Town Meeting at
the beginning of April and then Essex Town Meeting in May, voters from each
town vote on the MERSD budget. Both
Towns must pass the MERSD budget at town meeting; otherwise, we are mandated to
keep the prior year’s budget until another new budget is approved by both Towns.
This budget process sequence is
dictated by a combination of Town By-Laws, the MERSD Agreement, and State
education laws.
Building a school district budget
seven months in advance of the start of the fiscal year isn’t easy, and it
requires making numerous assumptions on some of the most significant components
of the budget. For example, the state
sets its funding for schools in the spring, after the MERSD budget is completed
and approved by the Towns. Similarly,
the increase in health insurance costs is unknown until much later in the year,
and special education costs can change as children move into the district. In short, these timing issues and others make
it difficult to produce a completely accurate budget early in the process.
The 2018-2019 MERSD Budget
This week MERSD will formally began the budget
process. During the next few months, a great deal of our time and energy
will be focused on the dollars and cents of the balance sheet. What is
important to keep in mind is that the balance sheet supports our primary goal
of maintaining services and improving student achievement.
Budget Goals for
FY19
~Develop and deliver a fiscally responsible budget that maintains
educational quality, supports District goals, and aligns with our multi-year budget
commitment to work within the confines of Proposition 2 ½
~Manage Enrollment
o
Strive to meet School Committee class size guidelines
o
Serve increasingly diverse student educational needs
~Exercise fiscal responsibility
o
Seek internal efficiencies to offset growth needs when possible
~Meet local, state, and federal responsibilities while controlling
growth
The MERSD School Committee will hold its
Tentative Budget hearing on Wednesday, December 13th at 7:30 at the MERMHS Learning
Commons (2nd Floor). This event is meant to provide the
community with an opportunity to learn and ask questions about our proposed
budget for FY19.
Please visit our budget page [www.mersd.org Quick Link –
MERSD Budget] for information about our budget process, a complete budget
season calendar, and an information page highlighting the work going on in the
district.
How To Participate and Learn More
Public
comment is welcome at the beginning and end of working meetings of the School
Committee. The public hearing on the
budget will be December 13th, at 7:00pm in the Manchester Essex
Regional Middle and High School.
|
MERSD Tentative Budget Hearing
December 13th @ 7:00pm
MERMHS Learning Commons
|
To view this article and more
information on the budget process, please visit our budget page on the MERSD
website [www.mersd.org Quick Link – MERSD Budget].
If you have a specific comment / question related
to the budget process it is recommended and requested that you contact the
MERSD Administration or a School Committee member in advance. It is also recommended and requested that you
submit your comment / question by e-mail or in writing so that and accurate
responses can be provided. Comments and
questions may be submitted to: BUDGET@mersd.org
Thank you for your interest and
support of our Schools!
MERSD School Committee,
Pam Beaudoin, Superintendent
Avi Urbas, Director of Finance and Operations
