Westborough schools to request $930,000 for out-of-district costs

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Westborough schools to request $930,000 for out-of-district costsWESTBOROUGH – When Town Meeting convenes on Oct. 17, Westborough Public Schools will be asking for a total of $929,352 to help cover special education out-of-district costs.

During the Sept. 21 School Committee meeting, Superintendent Amber Bock presented details on the Town Meeting request.

“We’re going to look at the numbers in two chunks,” she said.

One request of $628,833 would cover the out-of-district costs for nine students, and it would be covered with Town Meeting appropriation.

The other request to cover two more students starting on Nov. 1 – which is a total of $167,088 plus two settlement agreements for $133,431 for a total of $300,519 – would be covered by free cash.

If Town Meeting rejects the requests, the school department would have to find the funds elsewhere, since the costs have to be paid.

“If it’s no, the schools will be impacted by the shortfall,” said School Committee member Stephen Doret.

“There’s no escaping the expense. It is what it is,” added School Committee member Raghu Nadan.

The update on the numbers came after the school administrators met with the Finance and Advisory Board and the Select Board. 

Bock said this plan would lower the impact on taxes.

“It’s less impact on the taxpayer, and it’s fiscally responsible,” said committee Chair Lisa Edinberg.

The committee voted to seek funding through Town Meeting appropriation and free cash.

The updated requests will go before the Finance Committee and Select Board before heading to Town Meeting.

Later in the meeting, committee members took up the resolutions that will be considered at the Massachusetts Association of School Committees’ fall conference.

One of these resolutions would ask the state legislature to amend a portion of the Municipal Modernization Act. 

The amendment would allow an increase in the maximum balance allowed by the Special Education Reserve Fund from 2% of net school spending to 5%. The increase in the cap would help municipalities build a bigger reserve fund to deal with unexpected special education expenses during the school year.

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