The Milton School Committee opened the new year with a sobering financial outlook as members grappled with a projected $2 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year. During the January 7 meeting, the Finance Subcommittee revealed that while the district requires a 5.2 percent budget increase to maintain existing service levels, the Town Administrator’s current proposal offers only a 2.34 percent increase. This discrepancy creates a massive gap that could force significant reductions in school programming and staffing for the FY27 cycle.

Member Mark Loring detailed the fiscal strain, noting that the town as a whole is facing a $2.5 million overall gap between projected revenues and department needs. The overall picture is not a positive one, Loring said, explaining that the current town proposal would represent about a $2 million cut to our level service budget. Superintendent John Phelan informed the committee that he has already begun meeting with school principals to identify potential areas for reduction and planned to notify staff and families of the situation immediately. The revenue is the revenue, the expenses are the expenses, and we need to begin to right-size the district that fits the revenue capacity of the town, Phelan noted, describing the budget stabilization effort as a multi-year task.

The budget news drew sharp criticism from Member Elizabeth Carroll, who argued that Milton’s historical funding patterns have left the schools in a precarious position compared to neighboring communities. We stand apart from our peer districts in the level of finances that our town has chosen to allocate to our schools. It is lower, Carroll said. She further cautioned that level service is a misleading term in a district already facing challenges. Level services means 28, 30 kids in first grade classrooms. It means a part-time interim assistant superintendent leading the academics of our district. I am not satisfied with that, she added.

In a brighter spot for the district’s personnel goals, Superintendent Phelan announced that Milton was awarded a $73,000 "Transforming Diverse Educator Pathways" grant. The funding is earmarked to support 18 current paraprofessionals, classified as Unit D staff, who are seeking to become licensed teachers in Unit A. The grant covers tuition, licensing fees, and preparation for the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). This allows us to support our Unit D staff who currently work in Milton... we know their character. We know who they are, Phelan said, emphasizing the value of promoting from within. Member Loring requested baseline demographic data for the current teaching staff to better measure the grant's impact on diversity goals, while Member Carroll noted the positive effect on employee morale, stating that employees who believe that their employers are invested in their career growth are going to be better at their jobs.

The committee also addressed long-term infrastructure planning, receiving an update on the building project’s enrollment projections. Superintendent Phelan reported that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has maintained its projection of 667 students for the proposed new facility, despite the district’s efforts to advocate for a higher number. Member Loring explained that this number is critical because the enrollment number is the reimbursement number, meaning it dictates the size and funding the state will provide for the project. The committee is expected to formally vote to accept the MSBA's figure at their next session to keep the project on schedule.

Chair Amanda Serio introduced a new strategy for community engagement, suggesting that School Committee members serve as liaisons to parent-teacher organizations (PTOs). To ensure diverse perspectives and avoid perceived conflicts of interest, Serio proposed that members be assigned to schools where they do not currently have children enrolled. The goal is not necessarily to add more meetings... but finding the opportunity to have another touch point with the community, Serio said. She also proposed a streamlined process for providing meeting recaps to school newsletters to ensure the public receives consistent, factual information about committee decisions without the need for lengthy approval delays.

Student representatives Elias Caros and Adam provided updates from Milton High School, noting that Advanced Placement information sessions are currently underway and will run through January 23. They also highlighted the upcoming sweetheart dance and the success of winter sports, including the girls' hockey team's strong 6-1 start and the boys' basketball team's 6-2 record. While the representatives noted that discussions regarding the high school's phone policy are ongoing, they promised a more detailed update at a future meeting. Superintendent Phelan concluded his report with a health reminder for the community, urging families to keep symptomatic children home during a particularly active flu season to maintain overall school productivity.

The committee handled several procedural items, including the approval of past meeting records. Motion Made by M. Loring to approve the minutes of November 19, 2025. Motion Passed 6-0-0. A second motion followed for more recent records. Motion Made by M. Loring to approve the minutes of December 17, 2025. Motion Passed 5-0-1 (with E. Carroll abstaining). Following the public session, the committee moved to enter a closed session to discuss labor strategy. Motion Made by E. Carroll to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining strategy with the Milton Educators Association and AFSCME and to adjourn directly therefrom. Motion Passed 6-0-0.