Milton school finance leaders have charted a new course to bridge a nearly $1 million revenue gap, opting to lean more heavily on state reserve funds to save several high-profile positions originally slated for elimination. During a joint meeting of the School Committee Finance Subcommittee and the Warrant Committee School Subcommittee, officials revealed a plan to increase the utilization of Special Education Circuit Breaker funds by an additional $400,000 for the upcoming fiscal year. This shift allows the district to restore the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) role, a middle school special education teacher, and two Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to the FY27 budget.

The pivot comes as the district continues to grapple with a record-high special education population, which reached 18.6% of the student body last year. Member Mark Loring explained that while the district originally planned to build its reserve balance more aggressively, the current shortfall required a change in strategy. Given the situation we've been in and the positions that were being cut, we looked at increasing the utilization to reduce the impact on positions lost, Loring said, noting that the district now plans to utilize $3 million in total from the fund. This adjustment moves the timeline to reach the district's 75% reserve target balance to four years, rather than a more immediate replenishment.

Member Nathan David Hutto detailed the rationale for restoring the student-facing and equity-focused roles, citing significant pushback from the community. What motivated bringing them back is community input and educator input, Hutto said. He noted that while other districts may operate with fewer BCBAs, Milton leadership decided it would be wise to preserve these for next year while our district management team is trying to figure out how to improve our special education strategy.

Despite these restorations, the budget still includes several permanent staff reductions focused primarily on administrative and non-classroom roles. The district will not fill vacant positions for an equity coach, a special education teacher, or the Director of Fine and Performing Arts. Additionally, the Director of Data and Analytics role will be eliminated and merged with a restored Director of Education Technology position. The plan also calls for the elimination of a district-wide Director of Nursing, replacing the role with a lead nurse model where an existing nurse receives a stipend for leadership duties.

Warrant Committee Member Julia expressed skepticism regarding the transition from full-time directors to stipended teacher leaders. Replacing a director of nursing and a director of fine and performing arts with a $6,000 stipend seems like that does not tie for me, she said. It's hard for me to imagine replacing a full-time FTE with a stipended person and not losing something there. School Business Administrator Katie Pinkham noted that the nursing reduction brings the district back to pre-pandemic staffing levels, adding that an assistant student services director would provide broader oversight.

To help finance new investments, including a much-needed additional school bus and a full-time Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, the district is eyeing several fee increases. Pinkham confirmed that a separate memo details iterative $25 increases for bus fees and potential hikes for building rentals, which have not been adjusted in years. To find further savings, the district is also cutting general expense lines for curriculum materials and maintenance. For the maintenance line... because of budget constraints, we are eliminating that line and that is a risk, Pinkham warned, noting that unexpected failures like water heaters or elevators may now require dipping into building usage accounts.

Warrant Committee Member Elaine pushed for more transparency regarding the impact of these cuts on the classroom, specifically requesting data on how consolidated sections would change class sizes in middle school electives and high school English. Chair Amanda Serio opened the floor to these concerns as the committee prepares for a final budget hearing on March 11. Well, we will... Serio began, setting the stage for a month of intense coordination between the school and town boards to finalize the $75 million spending plan before the upcoming town meeting.