School Committee
School Committee: June 8, 2020 (FY21 Budget Public Hearing)
Three-hour Zoom public hearing on the FY21 school budget. Outgoing Superintendent McAlduff walked the public through a $40,521,000 proposal (down $919,961 from the original February proposal), detailed twelve specific reductions made through the COVID-disrupted budget cycle, and absorbed ninety minutes of public comment touching HVAC and air quality, technology for remote learning, Kindergarten revenue assumptions, and special-education compensatory services. Member Schaeffner introduced the idea of building a zero-based budget for FY22; Chair Gold reframed it as a "needs-based budget" paired with incoming Superintendent Buckey's strategic plan; the conversation never returned to ZBB at a subsequent meeting in the same form. This is meeting one in the historical ZBB chain.
Schaeffner proposes a zero-based budget for FY22; McAlduff: "we'd need to write down what definition we'd be using"
First in the chain of four historical ZBB conversations. McAlduff notes a large part of FY21 already is zero-based; Gold reframes as needs-based; defined-at-retreat outcome.
Toward the end of the meeting, member Jennifer Schaeffner turned the conversation to the FY22 budget framework.
Schaeffner’s proposal
“In the past year the need to build a zero based budget was discussed, however we were unable to do that for FY21. Coming into the next year we would need to be able to manage both the current situation of unknowns with Covid-19 and produce a zero based budget for FY22. When the new admin team came in, we needed to start immediately to determine what we wanted an education in Marblehead to look like and plan associated costs.”
McAlduff’s response (the cited quote)
“The School Committee would need to meet and possibly include the town finance side and write down what definition of a zero based budget we would be using as there are several varying definitions.”
“A large part of the FY21 budget is zero based but that there is a lot more work to be done.”
Gold’s reframe
Chair Sarah Gold appreciated McAlduff’s clarification and said the committee had done a good job of developing a zero-based budget already. What was needed now was to “move into developing a needs-based budget”, using the strategic plan that incoming Superintendent Dr. John Buckey would be developing, to design “the override we all know is needed.”
Harris on the retreat
Member David Harris agreed with McAlduff and suggested that at the summer retreat the committee work on defining what a zero-based budget means for us. Harris commended McAlduff for “admitting we have a declining enrollment” (which he said had been “very hard to get” in past years) and noted the size of the new elementary school being built as reflective of that decline. Harris said pre-COVID the FY21 budget had added a teacher at Vets, a curriculum coach at Village, and a guidance counselor at Glover, and “the current budget went beyond a zero-based budget in his mind.”
What actually happened next
The catalog of 331 minute-level entries records no follow-through on the commitment to define ZBB at the summer retreat for an FY22 build. The next ZBB conversation in the catalog is two years later (2022-07-19, the Cresta methodology presentation). That conversation also didn’t produce a formal exercise.
| Date | Who | What | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-06-08 (this meeting) | McAlduff / Schaeffner | Commit to develop a ZBB for FY22, define methodology at summer retreat | Discussed; no vote |
| 2022-07-19 | Asst Supt Cresta | Full methodology presentation: justify every salary line, per-building budgets, no carry-forward, Oct start | Presented; no vote |
| 2023-07-06 | Member Schaeffner | ZBB for staffing specifically; outside consultant proposed; continued to August | Discussed; no vote |
| 2025-10-17 | Committee (request) | ZBB examining staffing against enrollment projections; Oct 28 methodology meeting committed to | Discussed; Oct 28 meeting didn’t happen; Oct 30 SC directed level-service instead |
This is meeting one in the chain. The first three sentences out of Schaeffner’s, McAlduff’s, and Gold’s mouths sketch the recurring pattern: a member proposes ZBB; staff scopes the methodology question; the chair reframes; the retreat or August meeting promise to follow up. Each of the four iterations dies in committee.
Jennifer Schaeffner · William McAlduff (outgoing Superintendent) · Sarah Gold (chair) · David Harris · Michele Cresta (Director of Finance)
Also on the agenda
FY21 budget cut $919K from original February proposal; central-admin reorg eliminates HR + IT director roles
McAlduff walks through twelve specific reductions including $200K SPED tuition prepayment, $215K OOD adjustment, $135K COVID unknowns line.
Superintendent William McAlduff opened the public hearing with the FY21 budget proposal.
Headline numbers
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Initial FY21 proposal (Feb 6, 2020) | $41,440,961 |
| Original variance from town target | $356,539 over |
| Final proposed FY21 (June 8, 2020) | $40,521,000 |
| Variance from original | -$919,961 |
| Final variance from town target | -$563,422 under |
Twelve reductions made through the COVID-disrupted budget cycle
| Adjustment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Reduce energy and utility budget | $100,000 |
| Reduce ELL Director salary line | $60,000 |
| Reduce Veterans school SPED salary | $60,000 |
| Kindergarten teacher resignation | $30,000 |
| SPED transportation (leasing vans) | $45,000 |
| Out-of-District placements to current obligations | $215,105 |
| High School SPED teacher retirement | $32,500 |
| Prepayment of FY21 SPED OOD tuition | $200,000 |
| MHS FY21 staff reduction by 2.6 FTE | $205,055 |
| No COLA to administrative personnel | $43,000 |
| Village Curriculum Coach not funded | $65,000 |
| Added: COVID-19 unknowns line | +$135,699 |
Central administration reorganization
Two positions eliminated (both already vacant):
- Human Resources Director
- Director of Operations and Technology
McAlduff noted he was able to take on the responsibilities of the HR director himself and “did not see that a district this size would require a dedicated HR director.” The two directors of IT and Operations would assume more responsibility and combined would cover the eliminated Director of Technology and Operations duties. The Director of Finance had skills that allowed them to take on procurement.
The Assistant Superintendent position was restored to full funding.
FY21 budget goals met (and missed)
Met:
- Contractual obligation including 2.5% COLA, steps, lane adjustments
- Elementary science kits + annual replenishment funding
- “Go Math” consumable material and online access
- Additional Grade 8 teacher
- Glover School full-time Guidance Counselor
- BRYT program at MHS (1 FT clinical counselor + 1 FT academic support)
Not met:
- Village School curriculum coach (cut)
- Administrative COLA (cut)
William McAlduff (outgoing Superintendent) · Michele Cresta (Director of Finance) · Sarah Gold (chair)
Two hours of public comment: HVAC, technology for remote learning, Kindergarten revenue, special-ed evaluations
Future SB member Erin Noonan presses on social-emotional needs and unfunded mandates; Jerry O'Neil presses on override planning.
Nine residents addressed the Committee, with the Committee’s policy this evening being that only the Superintendent would respond during the hearing itself. Several members later objected to that procedure; Gold ultimately closed the hearing and opened the SC discussion at 9:20 PM.
Resident concerns (in order)
Jerry O’Neil (18 Orchard Street):
- Asked who would lead HR decisions, employee training, and IT technology decisions given the eliminations
- Referenced “last year’s budget hearing” that suggested the override wait until FY21 and asked what override planning had been done
- Later: “we continued to be forced to do more with less” and asked for a strategic plan
Jeff St George (29 West Shore Drive) (facilities-management professional):
- Pressed on the $135,699 COVID line: planning for disinfecting (not merely cleaning), janitorial labor and supply costs, air quality of buildings prior to return
- “Concerned not enough labor and/or supply costs had been built in”
Catherine Martin (29 West Shore Drive):
- Asked whether $162,970 technology line could cover 2,800 students and 500 staff with hardware, software, and platform licensing for remote learning
- Asked about compensatory services for missed speech-language and other services in the Spring
Muffy Paquette (44A Cloutmans Lane):
- Asked for clarification on the $200,000 SPED prepayment — whether that amount comes back into the base budget when preparing the FY22 town allocation
Meredith Tedford (Locust St):
- Asked what went into the COVID expenditure line and whether it could be cut if not enough
- Said the presentation “had been tactical and not strategic” and hoped the committee would discuss overall philosophy
Erin Noonan (Beverly Ave) – later a Select Board chair:
- Asked for direct response from the committee (refused under the chair’s rules)
- Pressed on full Pre-K and Kindergarten tuition as a budget driver given COVID-19
- Asked about the influx of students returning from private schools if district stays full-remote
- Concerned about social-emotional needs of students reentering the district (Village has 2 guidance counselors for 700+ students — “very high case load”)
- Asked how the backlog of pending SPED evaluations would affect the budget
- Commended McAlduff on his constant honesty, referenced prior meetings where McAlduff said any further cuts would affect student services, and asked McAlduff to confirm; he did
Alastar Connor:
- Social-emotional health budget line; technology funding given many families may no longer afford their own; Coffin School air quality (HVAC, outdoor classrooms); school nurse involvement in budget process
Procedural drama
Sarah Fox stated that at a public hearing the public had the opportunity to interact with the elected officials. Chair Gold said that was not her understanding; McAlduff said it was allowable. Member David Harris recommended going through public questions without committee responding, “had never experienced the Committee responding to the public during the Budget Hearing.” Schaeffner noted several people had asked for the committee’s opinions. Gold’s procedure (committee silent through public hearing) held. Gold closed the public hearing at 9:20 PM.
Jerry O'Neil (resident) · Jeff St George (resident) · Catherine Martin (resident) · Muffy Paquette (resident) · Meredith Tedford (resident) · Erin Noonan (resident, later Select Board member) · Alastar Connor (resident) · Sarah Gold (chair) · William McAlduff (Superintendent)
Schaeffner on cost monitoring; Fox on Kindergarten revenue assumption and locked transportation rates
Weekly expenditure reports proposed; $529K Kindergarten tuition revenue flagged as unlikely under COVID.
After Gold closed the public hearing, the School Committee discussion turned to specific budget refinements.
Cost monitoring (Schaeffner)
- Stressed importance of monitoring costs on a frequent basis — not waiting for the monthly finance update if costs escalate
- McAlduff: the new practice of encumbering salaries and purchase orders would allow weekly expenditure reports to be easily produced
Reallocation process (Schaeffner asked, McAlduff answered)
McAlduff’s process for handling unanticipated mid-year costs:
- Bring the leadership team together; explain the issue
- Work as a team to identify areas with least impact on student services
- Ask leadership to bring options back to staff for feedback
- Bring suggested scenarios to the SC; ask for priorities
- Adjust plan and return to SC with final suggestion
Kindergarten revenue (Fox)
- Projected $529,000 in revenue from Kindergarten tuition
- Concern that this revenue was unlikely under COVID and should not be relied upon
- Fox asked McAlduff if he would recommend being more conservative; McAlduff said he needed to speak with Cresta
- Possibility raised: not filling two Kindergarten vacancies with full-time employees if revenue falls short
Transportation rates (Fox)
- SPED transportation has been “a million dollar driver in past years”
- Asked about locking in transportation rates for out-of-district placements before voting the budget
- McAlduff would check with Eric Oxford on where the process stood
Student-to-teacher ratios (Fox)
- DESE late-Friday guidance with several unfunded mandates
- Concern that current student-to-teacher ratios don’t line up with distancing guidelines
- Question: would adding staff be needed, and how would it be funded?
PPE share (Fox)
- Asked for clarification on the $300,000 school share of PPE given that the packet noted $180,000 from the town
- McAlduff confirmed that was a typo — the entire PPE cost would be covered by the town CARES Act allocation
Go Math curriculum study (Schaeffner)
- Plan: Math study group to start this summer, pilot fall, select new curriculum for 21-22 school year, cost in FY22
- Summer work pay typically $33/hour; likely fundable through Title 1 grant
Social-emotional needs response (Gold)
- “Everyone does what they need to do” — teachers and counselors will figure out how to meet additional needs
- New Asst Supt coming in would help with professional development on increased SEL needs
Jennifer Schaeffner · Sarah Fox · Sarah Gold (chair) · William McAlduff (Superintendent) · Michele Cresta (Director of Finance) · David Harris · Meghan Taylor
Budget vote scheduled for June 18; another budget meeting scheduled for Wednesday
Gold notes she does not anticipate significant changes between this meeting and the June 18 vote.
Member Schaeffner asked when the School Committee would be voting on the budget.
Chair Gold:
- Budget vote scheduled for June 18, 2020
- Another budget discussion meeting scheduled for Wednesday (June 10, 2020)
- Contrary to community concerns, does not anticipate significant changes from what was presented tonight
Meeting adjourned at 10:05 PM.
Jennifer Schaeffner · Sarah Gold (chair)
Tonight's record
2 decisions ▾
- No votes taken at this public hearing; budget vote scheduled for June 18, 2020
- Agreed to define zero-based budgeting at the summer retreat (in collaboration with town finance side)
4 documents ▾
- FY21 School Budget proposal ($40,521,000) — Detailed budget presentation by Superintendent McAlduff. Budget Adjustment Tracking Sheet with twelve specific reductions shown at the meeting; not separately published with the meeting record.
- DESE Friday guidance with unfunded mandates — Referenced by Sarah Fox – late Friday guidance from DESE included several unfunded mandates that had not yet been discussed by the committee.
- Town CARES Act allocation (referenced) — Confirmed to cover the entire $300K PPE cost previously listed as a school share.
- FY21 Budget Adjustment Tracking Sheet — Source for the twelve adjustments table; presented at the hearing but not separately published.
180 min full transcript ▾
AI-generated · may contain errors · verify with the source video
Note on this transcript. Derived from the official meeting minutes (
data/minutes/school_committee/2020-06-08.cleaned.txt). The minutes are the authoritative record. This meeting was a Zoom Public Hearing on the FY21 School Budget; no video URL is resolved here. For verbatim quotes, please cross-check against the official approved minutes.
Public Hearing on the Proposed FY21 School Budget (7:06 - 9:20 PM)
Budget proposal walkthrough (7:06 - 7:45 PM)
Superintendent William McAlduff presented the proposed FY21 School Budget at $40,521,000. The original February 6, 2020 proposal had been $41,440,961, $356,539 over the town target. After twelve adjustments through the COVID-disrupted budget cycle, the proposal landed at $919,961 below the original, $563,422 under the town’s State of the Town target.
Twelve specific reductions: $100K energy/utility, $60K ELL Director salary, $60K Veterans SPED salary, $30K Kindergarten teacher resignation, $45K SPED transportation (leasing vans), $215,105 OOD placements to current obligations, $32,500 HS SPED teacher retirement, $200,000 FY21 SPED OOD prepayment, $205,055 MHS FY21 staff reduction (2.6 FTE), $43K no COLA to admin, $65K Village Curriculum Coach not funded. Plus a new $135,699 COVID-19 unknowns line.
Central admin reorganization: HR Director and Director of Operations & Technology positions eliminated (both vacant); Assistant Superintendent restored to full funding. McAlduff said he could absorb HR responsibilities and “did not see that a district this size would require a dedicated HR director.”
FY21 budget goals met: contractual obligation including 2.5% COLA, steps and lane adjustments; elementary science kits with annual replenishment; “Go Math” consumable material; additional Grade 8 teacher; Glover School full-time Guidance Counselor; BRYT program at MHS (1 FT clinical counselor + 1 FT academic support staff). Not met: Village School curriculum coach, administrative COLA.
McAlduff noted FY21 school re-opening unknowns including social distancing, PPE, transportation, cleaning/disinfectant supplies, student support, and technology. The COVID Unknowns line ($135,699) helps cover these; additional funding from FED CARES Act and a technology grant.
Public comment (7:45 - 9:20 PM)
Procedural rule from Chair Gold: only Superintendent McAlduff would respond to public questions during the hearing. Member Fox objected, citing her understanding that public hearings allow direct interaction with elected officials. Gold consulted McAlduff who said it would be permissible for the committee to answer but did not see a problem if they did not. Members Harris and Taylor recommended staying silent for the duration of public comment. Schaeffner noted several people had specifically asked for the committee’s opinions. Gold’s rule held.
Jerry O’Neil (18 Orchard St) asked who would lead HR decisions, employee training, and IT technology given the eliminations. McAlduff explained the consolidation. Later O’Neil referenced “last year’s budget hearing” that suggested the override wait until FY21 and asked what override planning had been done; McAlduff said he had not been involved in those meetings, learned about the FY21 override thinking informally, and noted all expense requests from principals could be met without an override. McAlduff advised letting the incoming administration devise the new five-year strategic plan to guide budget drivers.
Jeff St George (29 West Shore Dr), a facilities-management professional, pressed on the $135,699 COVID line: planning for disinfecting procedures (not merely cleaning) and the financial difference; air quality of buildings prior to return; concerns about insufficient labor and supply costs.
Catherine Martin (29 West Shore Dr) asked whether the $162,970 technology line could cover 2,800 students and 500 staff for remote learning, and about compensatory services for Spring service gaps. McAlduff said the state was working on identifying platforms and he was awaiting cost information; CARES Act money could be used for some of these items.
Muffy Paquette (44A Cloutmans Ln) asked for clarification on the $200,000 SPED prepayment — whether that amount comes back into the FY22 base budget. McAlduff said the budget should reflect the cost of out-of-district placements at the time, and that the question of whether prepayment returns to base would be a discussion between town and school.
Meredith Tedford (Locust St) asked what went into the COVID expenditure number and worried the presentation had been tactical, not strategic. McAlduff: “given the unknowns of Covid we are currently flying blind for that line item.”
Erin Noonan (Beverly Ave) (later a Select Board chair) asked to hear directly from the committee. Asked whether full Pre-K and Kindergarten tuition was being used as a budget driver under COVID-19 conditions; concerned families would not pay tuition under remote learning. Asked about influx from private schools if district stays full-remote. McAlduff: not accounted for. Asked about social-emotional needs of students reentering — Village School has 2 guidance counselors for 700+ students; case load very high. Asked about the backlog of pending SPED evaluations. Commended McAlduff on his “constant honesty” and referenced past meetings where McAlduff said further cuts would affect student services; McAlduff confirmed.
Alastar Connor raised social-emotional health budget; technology funding given families may no longer afford own devices; Coffin School air quality (HVAC or outdoor classrooms); whether school nurses were involved in budget process. McAlduff said many of these could fall under the COVID unanticipated costs line.
Closing public comment, Erin Noonan asked the committee to identify how they would prioritize possible mid-year cuts given uncertainty. McAlduff: a fall town meeting would be the opportunity to secure additional funding if costs exceeded budget.
Gold closed the public hearing at 9:20 PM.
School Committee discussion (9:20 - 10:05 PM)
DESE guidance and student-teacher ratios (Fox)
Fox raised the DESE letter from the previous Friday with several unfunded mandates, not yet discussed. Concern that current student-to-teacher ratios don’t line up with distancing guidelines. Asked: given the DESE guidelines, would we need to add staff, and how were we funding that staff?
Gold stated that despite rumors from the previous year, staff cuts had never been discussed. Member Harris agreed.
Fox returned to her ratio question. McAlduff: the Friday guidance was only for student services; we needed to wait for the fall DESE plan.
Fox asked about the $300K school share of PPE given $180K from the town. McAlduff: typo in the packet; entire PPE cost would be covered by the town CARES Act allocation.
Go Math curriculum study (Schaeffner)
Schaeffner asked about the Go Math line. McAlduff: Math study group starts this summer, pilots in the fall, selects new curriculum for 21-22 school year so the cost can be included in the FY22 budget. Summer work pay typically $33/hour; likely fundable through a Title 1 grant.
Reallocation process (Schaeffner)
Schaeffner asked where additional funds would come from if COVID unknowns exceeded budget. McAlduff outlined a process: leadership team, identify least-impactful areas, staff feedback, present scenarios with options to the committee, adjust based on committee priorities, return with final suggestion.
Schaeffner stressed cost monitoring on a frequent basis. McAlduff: the new practice of encumbering salaries and purchase orders would allow weekly expenditure reports.
Zero-based budget — the chain-opening conversation (Schaeffner / McAlduff / Gold / Harris)
Schaeffner stated:
“In the past year the need to build a zero based budget was discussed, however we were unable to do that for FY21. Coming into the next year we would need to be able to manage both the current situation of unknowns with Covid-19 and produce a zero based budget for FY22. When the new admin team came in, we needed to start immediately to determine what we wanted an education in Marblehead to look like and plan associated costs.”
McAlduff:
“The School Committee would need to meet and possibly include the town finance side and write down what definition of a zero based budget we would be using as there are several varying definitions.”
“A large part of the FY21 budget is zero based but that there is a lot more work to be done.”
Chair Sarah Gold:
“We had done a good job of developing a zero based budget. What we needed to do now was move into developing a needs-based budget” — using the strategic plan that incoming Superintendent Dr. Buckey would be developing, to design “the override we all know is needed.”
David Harris suggested that at the summer retreat the School Committee work on defining what a zero-based budget means for us. Harris commended McAlduff for admitting declining enrollment (“very hard to get” in past years) and noted the new elementary school being built reflects the decline. Harris said the FY21 budget had pre-COVID added a teacher at Vets, a curriculum coach at Village, and a guidance counselor at Glover, and “the current budget went beyond a zero-based budget in his mind.”
Meghan Taylor noted that Harris had stated what she had intended to and agreed with everything said. Thanked McAlduff for the presentation and the community for participation. The “silver lining of going virtual was the ability to have more public participation.”
Kindergarten revenue and transportation (Fox)
Fox flagged Kindergarten tuition as a concern. Revenue driver of roughly $500,000 (McAlduff later confirmed $529,000); concern that this was unlikely under COVID and should not be relied upon. McAlduff said he needed to speak with Cresta.
Fox asked about locking in transportation rates for out-of-district placements (a million-dollar driver in past years). McAlduff said rates are locked in and he would need to check where the district was in the process.
Closing
Schaeffner asked when the SC would be voting on the budget. Gold: vote scheduled for June 18. Another budget discussion meeting Wednesday. Gold did not anticipate significant changes.
Meeting adjourned at 10:05 PM.