← School Committee · 2026-08-18 · School Committee Meeting
Vote: Rental Agreement and Rates
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
such as the new custodial collective bargaining agreement and facility maintenance. To address scheduling challenges from past years, secondary leadership requested larger windows for school events and the district is working with the DPW to ensure school events are prioritized. Additionally, the adjustments aim to cover unanticipated operational expenses. Discussion included highlighting language in the contract for renters with an outstanding balance, removing COVID provisions, confirming the School Committee's role in approving rates, assigning scheduling to the DPW with priority for schools, reviewing spring 2027 auditorium availability, and comparing district rental rates. MOTION: To approve the rental rates for FY27 and approve the contract RESULT: ACCEPTED MOVER: Jennifer Razi-Thomas SECONDER: Sheri Leo AYES: Jennifer Razi-Thomas, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Melissa Holleran, Sheri Leo ABSENT: Jennifer Grigoraitis, Matt Hartman, Seamus Kelley C Vote: Closure of Inactive Student Activity Accounts Deputy Superintendent Kelley presented an update on inactive activity and group accounts. Accounts remaining dormant for an extended period will be reviewed and transferred into a maintenance acco
Transcript
▶ 18:39 Speaker 4: Sure. I'm going to pass it right to Mr. Kelly again.
▶ 18:43 Speaker 6: Sure. Thanks so much. So you have two documents in your packet for consideration. Thank you. Tonight, it's the memo.
▶ 18:49 Speaker 7: We've got our annual rental agreement that, just as a point of
▶ 18:56 Speaker 7: clarification, Melrose is still using
▶ 19:00 Speaker 6: the rental program of facilities. We have our eight school buildings.
▶ 19:03 Speaker 7: As we've heard, there's been some discussion about the middle school auditorium.
▶ 19:07 Speaker 6: It's a very popular venue.
▶ 19:08 Speaker 7: The Melrose Public Schools venues are still available for rent booking through the DPW. This is our standard rental agreement that's in there for consideration with an update for the custodial fees As well as the increases for the different groups in the rates sheet. So, last year there was a pretty sizable increase, not knowing the uncertainty that came with that fiscal year '26, the pretty sizable increases. We're proposing a uniform increase to cover things like the new custodial collective bargaining agreement, with the increases there, and upkeep on the facilities. So, the
▶ 19:58 Speaker 7: middle school auditorium is our biggest renter. And just as background, we're working with DPW currently, as we normally do, to prioritize school events. The secondary leadership has requested bigger windows this year for school events. Just some background on that, the past couple of years, it's been a little bit of a scramble
▶ 20:21 Speaker 7: to work school events if things change, like snow dates, things like that. It's been a bit of a scramble. A lot of people involved to work with both rental agreements as well as prioritizing school events. So, there has been an increase in the time that they've asked for.
▶ 20:39 Speaker 6: And so just as a little bit of background on that, the things that might pop up that are anticipated people might not know about. Last year, last
▶ 20:49 Speaker 7: spring, there was a weekend where we ended up having to run the air conditioning at the middle school continuously because it was having a maintenance problem, and to shut it down, it wouldn't have been able to come back online. So, there was a pretty significant cost to running the air conditioning all weekend long to maintain that for the rental, and then it had to be fixed at an alternative time when we could have used the weekend. So, there are things like that that come up that are just unanticipated, and so it's been requested to hold those times this year.
▶ 21:21 Speaker 7: But our rental program is still in effect for other parts of the year, and the rates and the agreement are in your packet for consideration. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
▶ 21:29 Speaker 3: Questions for Mr. Kelly. Ms. Rozzie Thomas.
▶ 21:31 Speaker 5: Yeah. I have one question on the rental contract, the application contract. It looks like the only thing that's being changed there is highlighted, it's "renters will not be able to reserve a rental date until all past money is owed or paid in full." Is that the only thing that's changed?
▶ 21:46 Speaker 6: That's been in there. The yellow is just to call attention to that. Okay. We've had some people that try to book that have an outstanding balance, and our
▶ 21:52 Speaker 7: DPW partners are involved with the collection of the fees. So, what's changed is there was some COVID language that was removed, and then the custodial rates.
▶ 22:04 Speaker 5: Great. Thank you. And then to go to
▶ 22:09 Speaker 5: some of the... So, just to clarify, we set the rates, but we're not part of deciding whether outside vendors can come in or not, right?
▶ 22:19 Speaker 6: School committee specifically, no. Right. Scheduling is done through DPW.
▶ 22:22 Speaker 5: Okay, so the people who decide on the schedule is DPW- Correct ... after anyone who's in charge of scheduling for the schools, like the principals, the vice principals, the athletic director, or the director of visual performing arts, right? All those people have to do their scheduling first. That's correct. And DPW has to do whatever they have to do for the facilities for schools to be run. That's correct. And then after all of that, there may be some rentals- That's correct ... after the spring of 2027, of the auditorium?
▶ 22:57 Speaker 6: The auditorium is for rent right now, but there are some windows where it's not available.
▶ 23:00 Speaker 7: Okay. And I think that's where the discussion's coming from. Okay. We typically work through the middle of October with DPW to prioritize school events, which we're doing right now.
▶ 23:10 Speaker 5: Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it.
▶ 23:15 Speaker 3: Other questions for Mr. Kelly on this? Ms. Holleran.
▶ 23:21 Speaker 8: Thank you. Mr. Kelly, just to clarify, with the rental increases, does this put us above, below, or right around other facilities that are renting out? Do we anticipate losing business or pretty much staying the same?
▶ 23:38 Speaker 6: I would not anticipate losing business based on the increases. We are middle of the road with other comparable districts that rent.
▶ 23:49 Speaker 6: And some districts don't rent their facilities, but we're comparable with the ones
▶ 23:52 Speaker 7: that do. And just as a reminder, we did lose the scene rental through the Ripley school. That concluded just this month. So, that is a loss of rental income to the district.
▶ 24:07 Speaker 8: Thank you.
▶ 24:09 Speaker 2: Ms. Leo. I have another clarifying question about the increase, the 5%. I just want to understand a little bit more. You mentioned the custodial. There's a rate listed for the custodial. Is the 5% include-- Like, was that a 5% increase? Just help us understand.
▶ 24:25 Speaker 6: Sure thing. So, a combination of inflation, inflationary costs for things like
▶ 24:30 Speaker 7: supplies, maintenance, as well as the new recently settled. So, the city has many collective bargaining agreements between schools and other departments. So, the custodial collective bargaining unit recently settled, so there's an increase in the custodial fees that will get charged. So, the 5% is representative of all those things.
▶ 24:47 Speaker 2: All that inclusive. Okay. Thank you.
▶ 24:52 Speaker 3: Any final questions?
▶ 24:55 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Seeing none, I would entertain a motion.
▶ 24:58 Speaker 5: Ms. Rozzie Thomas. Motion to approve the rental rates for fiscal year '27, as well as the contract. Can we do it all in one slate?
▶ 25:09 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Do I have a second? Yeah. Second. Second by Ms. Leo, made by Ms. Rozzie Thomas. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? All opposed? That motion carries unanimously with three absent. And the last item on our Finance and Facilities subcommittee this evening is the closure of inactive student activity accounts. Mr. Kelly?
▶ 25:32 Speaker 6: Thank you. Yeah. So, the student activity fund, this has been on my list of things to look at and