← School Committee · 2026-06-23 · School Committee Meeting
Monthly Budget/Grants
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
an Services, and the anticipation that the FY25 grants will be expended on schedule. MOTION: To approve the Grants Report RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] MOVER: Seamus Kelley SECONDER: Matt Hartman AYES: Jennifer Grigoraitis, Seamus Kelley, Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Matt Hartman, Melissa Holleran, Sheri Leo ABSENT: Jen Razi-Thomas B Report: Special Education Expense Update Deputy Superintendent Kelley presented the special education expense report prepared by co-directors Linda Chase and Marc Kerbel. C Vote: MPS Additional Funding Update Deputy Superintendent Kelley presented the memo regarding two adjustments made to the categories originally approved on April 14th. These revisions account for the settlement of three collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with the MEU, the realignment of those salary adjustments into categories for FY27, and an additional $332,180 in Chapter 70 funds appropriated to the school by the city. Because the updated categories now reflect both the new CBA salary information and the extra state funding, Mr. Kelley requested that the School Comm
Transcript
▶ 8:37 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Thank you so much, Chair Kelley. First on our agenda tonight is the monthly budget summary and the grants reports. Through the superintendent to Mr. Kelley, please.
▶ 8:52 Speaker 4: Thanks. Yep. So you have our standard monthly grant report. There are a few grants, and we knew, as you may be aware, we are now starting to track state earmarks through our
▶ 9:03 Speaker 5: DESE and Executive Office of Education grant systems. We have a couple of those that'll be wrapping up end of June. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have based on that report.
▶ 9:15 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: And I apologize for misspeaking. It is the grants report as a standalone. Any questions for Mr. Kelley? Ms. Gregoratis.
▶ 9:23 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you, Ms. Driscoll. More just a comment. Obviously, we're all watching closely what's happening at the federal level and that there's seems like a real movement afoot to move IDEA out of the Department of Education and into Health and Human Services. Is there any information that's been communicated to us or anything that we're kind of anticipating hearing about?
▶ 9:43 Speaker 5: We have not received any formal communication from either federal level or state level on any guidance on that, but we are watching that as well closely, knowing that that's a major shift if that is to leave the Department of Ed IDEA for obviously this group is aware, but for anyone listening is our IDEA is about a million dollars for us annually. We rely on that for significant support for our special education systems. So that is definitely something we too are watching very closely.
▶ 10:10 Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you.
▶ 10:12 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Other questions? I just had one. Mr. Kelley, will the FY25 grants be completely expended? And if so, when will that be? It's, I believe, the Title I, Title IIA, and Title III grants I'm talking about specifically.
▶ 10:33 Speaker 4: Yep. We anticipate those to be fully expended. Just met with Ms. Acevedo and some of the folks in the business office today, Kim Candelieri, about
▶ 10:39 Speaker 5: those timelines. Ms. Acevedo, Ms. Candelieri are very dialed into those timelines, working with the GEMS grant system to be compliant, and we do anticipate those to be fully expended on schedule.
▶ 10:50 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Very good. And what is the schedule? So when would we expect to see these come off of the-
▶ 10:54 Speaker 4: I think that the close dates are included in there. Sorry, I don't have my-
▶ 11:00 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: Oh, it says 9/3/26. I apologize. Yes. Thank you.
▶ 11:03 Speaker 5: Nope. I believe all those are on track with those dates.
▶ 11:05 Margaret Raymond Driscoll: They're 9/3/26 included that. Which makes sense, the end of the federal fiscal year. Thank you for that. I would certainly entertain a motion to approve the grants report. Made by Chair Kelley, seconded by Ms. Holleran. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor, oppose that motion carries unanimously with one absent. The next item is an informational report through the superintendent to Mr. Kelley to speak about special education expenses.