Plympton School Committee Adopts Fee Schedule, Warns of Tight FY25 Budget

PLYMPTON -- June 3, 2024, Plympton's School Committee reorganized and flagged a financially precarious year ahead at its June 3 meeting. Chair Jason Brady, unanimously reelected, warned the committee that a level-service budget for fiscal year 2025 could carry a six to eight percent increase before any additions, following two consecutive years of special education overruns that required a $277,281 patch at a May 15 special town meeting funded by $87,000 from the regular day budget and $184,000 from stabilization. On the positive side, Brady reported that the Massachusetts Senate set Circuit Breaker reimbursement at 75 percent for FY25, up from 57 percent, calling it "a game changer," and the committee accepted a $36,000-plus state earmark from Senator Moran for a rooftop HVAC unit at Dennett Elementary, where six of seven aging units need replacement. Director of Finance Sarah disclosed an audit finding that no written municipal expenditure allocation agreement exists between the school and town, a document required by DESE that she will now work with the town treasurer and legal counsel to produce. The committee also unanimously adopted an amended facility usage fee schedule, adding Plympton town government to the list of entities that may use the building without charge.