Comparative Highlights of the Preliminary FY2026 Budget
FY2026
FY2024 Actual
FY2025 Budget
Preliminary Budget
Budget
Budget
Change % Change
REVENUE
Budgeted State Aid Revenues 18,566,652
18,984,755
18,977,941
(6,814) (16,500) (23,314)
-0.04% -3.06% -0.12%
Budgeted Other Revenues
987,441
540,000
523,500
Total Revenues
19,554,093
19,524,755
19,501,441
EXPENDITURES BUDGETED TOTAL EXPENDITURES Operating Budget
99,513,483 107,489,289
110,588,549 3,099,260 5,546,531 (1,344,285) 116,135,080 1,754,975
2.88%
Capital (CIP Plan and Debt Ser 6,383,079
6,890,816
-19.51%
Total District Budget
105,896,562 114,380,105
1.53%
REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS Acton
79,070,675
79,835,435 764,760
71,669,758
0.97%
(FYI - A%)
83.71%
83.21%
82.62%
15,960,274
16,798,204 837,930
Boxborough
13,944,299
5.25%
(FYI - B%)
16.29%
16.79%
17.38%
Total Assessments
85,614,057
95,030,949
96,633,639 1,602,690
1.69%
Assessment Dynamics -
• The regional assessment is calculated by allocating estimated revenues, use of reserves and budgeted expenditures to both member towns using a 3-year historical average of K-12 enrollment by town of residence. The exception to this applies to JHS and SHS (pre- regionalization) debt service costs, for which there is a 5% reduction to Boxborough.
• FY2026 will represent the 11 th year of full regionalization.
Historical Assessment Methodology
• For the first five years, the assessments were determined independent of actual enrollment, based on a methodology set forth in Appendix A of the Regional Agreement, which resulted in a “cost shift” (from Acton to Boxborough) of approximately $1 million per year ($6 million in total). • For FY2020 and FY2021, Appendix A of the Regional Agreement still applied, but in place of the previous method, all budgeted operating and capital costs were allocated on the basis of actual enrollment (three-year averages by town) with one specified “cost shift” (Acton to Boxborough) adjustment each year. For FY2020 and FY2021, the cost shift was $425K and $25K, respectively. The changes reflected in these varying annual “cost shift” amounts can account for disparities in assessment percentage increase between the two towns prior to FY2022.
Current Methodology
• Beginning with FY2022, assessments are based exclusively on three-year student enrollment averages per the Regional Agreement. Trend projections (based on future enrollment projections prepared by an independent consultant) suggest that the Boxborough share of enrollment is increasing vis-à-vis Acton’s, indicating that assessments would increase at a higher rate for Boxborough if that proportionate trend is maintained (see chart below).
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