The Milton School Committee entered a new chapter Wednesday night, electing Mark Loring as Chair and Annamma Varghese as Vice Chair during a reorganization meeting that also signaled a potential expansion of the district’s footprint. Member Bao Qiu nominated Loring for the top post, citing his extensive knowledge about how the district runs and his professional background as a charter school superintendent. Motion Made by B. Qiu to elect Mark Loring as Chair of the Milton School Committee. Motion Passed 5-0-1, with M. Loring abstaining. Following his election, Loring nominated Annamma Varghese for the vice chairmanship, which was met with unanimous support from the voting members. Motion Made by M. Loring to nominate Annamma Varghese as Vice Chair. Motion Passed 5-0-0.

The leadership transition coincided with a significant announcement regarding district space challenges. Superintendent John Phelan revealed that school officials and facilities staff recently toured Laboure College on Adams Street. As the college’s nursing program merges with Curry College, its building is expected to go on the market. We are looking hard at this to see if it's something we can pursue to alleviate space challenges, Phelan told the committee. The board later entered an executive session to discuss the potential purchase or lease of real estate, specifically mentioning the Laboure property as a point of interest. This exploration comes as the district continues to juggle oversubscribed programs and facilities needs.

Enrollment pressures were felt immediately during public comment, as resident Dan Record questioned the district's management of French Immersion class sizes. Record asked for clarification on why students could not be redistributed to avoid lotteries, asking, With 10 extra students at Collicot and three extra at Tucker, why can't three of the students at Tucker be put at Glover? Superintendent Phelan noted that lotteries would proceed on Monday for the 13 impacted students. We try to make as many people happy with transfers while keeping class sizes relatively the same, Phelan explained, adding that the district seeks to avoid scenarios where one school is overburdened with 25 students while others have 17.

The committee’s financial outlook remains stable but cautious as the fiscal year winds down. Finance staffer Katie reported that the district is projecting a $34,000 operating budget surplus for the third quarter, despite unanticipated costs such as repairs to the Tucker elevator and the Cunningham water heater. The transparency is ringing loud and clear, Phelan remarked regarding the financial update. Motion Made by N. Hutto to approve the Third Quarter Report. Motion Passed 5-0-1, with S. Calwell abstaining.

Building on previous efforts to streamline school finances, the committee held a second reading and took a final vote on the Special Education Stabilization Fund and Circuit Breaker policies. These policies, which align with a 2% net school spending cap, allow the district to reallocate appropriated funds into reserves without a Town Meeting vote—a move intended to provide more flexibility in managing volatile special education costs. Motion Made by E. Carroll to approve the second reading of the Special Education Stabilization Fund policy. Motion Passed 5-0-1. A similar vote followed for the circuit breaker policy. Motion Made by N. Hutto to approve the second reading of the Circuit Breaker policy. Motion Passed 5-0-1. New member Stevie Calwell, who was welcomed to the board by Elizabeth Carroll, abstained from several financial votes as she acclimated to the committee's ongoing business.

The broader town financial picture was presented by Warrant Committee Chair Jay Funing, who warned that structural deficits remain a looming concern. Funing invited the community to an open forum on May 4th to discuss the town budget and financial forecast. It'll be a little bit on this year's budget and a lot more on what we're seeing in the future, such as forecasts and maybe overrides on the horizon, Funing said. Chair Loring also highlighted upcoming advocacy for the FY27 budget, noting he would provide members with resources to engage with state representatives regarding supplemental funding.

The meeting also served as a farewell to student representative Elias Caros, who has served for two years. Caros highlighted upcoming milestones, including AP exams and the MHS Theatre presentation of The Drowsy Chaperone. Providing that student voice has been a big honor, Caros said. In other business, the board ensured continuity in regional representation. Motion Made by M. Loring to appoint the Superintendent of Schools or his designee to be Milton's representative to the Southshore Educational Collaborative. Motion Passed 6-0-0.