Milton school officials informed the Warrant Committee on Monday that the district faces a $1.4 million gap between its $75.6 million allocation and the cost of maintaining current services. The shortfall necessitates staff reductions and fee increases just one year after town voters passed a significant tax override. Warrant Committee Chair Jay opened the discussion by noting the difficult optics of the situation, stating, Our role is not to focus on minutia but major spending priorities. A relevant question is: why are we having layoffs a year after passing an override? We must justify why the number we recommend is the right number.

Interim Superintendent John Fellen detailed the impact of the $75.6 million budget, which includes the elimination of both vacant and filled positions. Among the reductions are a High School English teacher, a 504 coordinator, and an academic tester. We are thankful for the FY27 allocation, Fellen said, however, this is $1.4 million less than a level service budget. This results in staff reductions, operational cuts, and fee increases. Fellen noted that the district has already increased fees for building rentals and transportation to help offset costs. Responding to the cuts, Mary asked, Are the position reductions people currently in those roles or vacancies? Fellen clarified that while some are unfilled, other professionals will be non-renewed.

School Committee member Mark Luring explained that 81% of the budget is tied to salaries, which are subject to contractual steps and lanes. Salaries are 81% of our budget. We've worked hard to refine the process and collaboration with other boards, Luring said. He illustrated the financial pressure by noting that a teacher moving from a Bachelor's to a Master's degree while advancing an experience step can see a 14% salary jump in a single year. Julia expressed concern that the town’s funding formula may be unsustainable, remarking, No one wants to see cuts. I commend the committee for being open to feedback. My concern is that people don't understand this will keep coming year after year if we expect schools to stay within an unrealistic 3-4% increase.

The meeting also featured a landmark proposal from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to fund a $1.2 million renovation of Wharf Park through bonding. This marks the first time Milton has considered borrowing against future Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenues. The CPC is requesting a $750,000 bond, with the remaining $450,000 to be raised privately. Jenny Russell, CPC Vice Chair, noted that over 200 communities have bonded since 2001. In Milton's case, the rate would likely be around 4.5%, costing between $72,000 and $82,000 a year from CPC funds.

Kathleen O’Donnell, a CPC citizen member, emphasized that the debt service would be paid entirely from existing CPA collections rather than new taxes. Bonding is a typical way to manage CPA funds. Many towns don't collect enough annually for major projects. This is not an addition to the tax rate; it's not an override, O’Donnell explained. Regarding the potential impact on other town projects, Brian asked, Are there other projects being deprioritized for this? What are we sacrificing? O’Donnell responded that the CPC funded all applicants this year and that the debt service represents only 6-7% of their annual budget.

Parks Commission Chair Rob Levash described the park’s current state as a hazard, noting it is currently very rocky with impacted tree roots. While the historic Beech tree on the site will be saved, a diseased Red Oak is slated for removal. The most impactful thing is making the site accessible, Levash said. When Elaine questioned the feasibility of the private fundraising goal, Levash expressed confidence in the project's lead, Scott McKay, stating, I have full faith he will be able to raise the money. Having the town's commitment helps show other donors we are serious. The project, which will link to the steps on Adams Street, is expected to take up to a year to complete once site preparation begins in September.

The Warrant Committee plans to move toward final recommendations on these articles during a series of upcoming meetings. Cecile, the CPC Liaison, noted the significance of the shift in funding strategy, stating, the first two articles are pretty standard. In the interest of saving time, we can move to the third article, which is the first time we're doing this as a town. I'm excited to learn more about it.