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Date: 12/18/2023
PALMER — December is the start of planning the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, Superintendent Matthew Francis announced during the Dec. 13 School Committee meeting.
In a presentation, Francis walked the school committee through the timeline of creating the 2024-25 school year budget, highlighting that the final budget will likely be approved in April 2024.
“I envision the need in February to finalize our subcommittee work before bringing it to the full committee for deliberation and approval,” Francis said. “My hope is April. That is a very optimistic hope but that is our timeline as of right now.”
He described how the school departments have recently begun to meet in December while the finance subcommittees are expected to begin meeting in January. Francis also stated that interim Town Manager Robert Reed requested the School Committee meet with the Palmer Town Council in February 2024, but that the date was still tentative.
In terms of potential impacts to the 2024-25 budget, Francis highlighted multiple changes, including decreased enrollment.
“We’re down about 30 students from where we were in Oct. 1 of 2023 as compared to 2022 so that will have somewhat of an impact,” he explained. Similarly, Francis talked about the increase of low-income students at Palmer Public Schools and how this will positively alter available grant funds.
Other impacts included new programs for students, such as the business and finance pathway program at Palmer High School and the discussions surrounding adding another preschool classroom, Francis stated. Although he noted that the preschool program would not affect the budget until FY26.
“I’m a strong believer that if we have a robust preschool program especially targeting our 4-year-olds, getting them ready for kindergarten, I think that has a long-term positive effect on the educational and academic performance of our students,” Francis said.
Review of School Finances
Director of Finance and Operations Sara Menard also gave a presentation during the meeting, designed to educate the public on how the school’s finances are organized. While Menard emphasized that there are currently no concerns with the finances, she highlighted certain use percentages of the budget during her presentation.
Specifically, she noted that the district has spent 30% of its $7.7 million budget of which the highest expenditures are salaries. At Old Mill Pond Elementary School, teacher and paraprofessional salaries make up $4 million of the $5 million budget while they make up $5 million of Palmer High School’s $6 million budget, according to Menard’s presentation.
Another cost Menard discussed was the 37.2% spent of the district’s technology budget. She explained that this is expected for the district because this budget covers software subscription renewals which “tend to be frontloaded a bit in the beginning of the [school] year.”
School Committee members unanimously supported the presentation, agreeing with how important it was for the finances to be shared in a consumable manner. Vice Chair Sandra Noonan thanked Menard for her “transparency” while Chair Bonny Rathbone stated that the presentation was “a great education for us.”