Notes re Significant Budget Cost Categories: Debt Payments – Admin Code 03 (Finance) The debt payments for the High School and the Junior High School were completed in FY25, resulting in a reduction of the budget by $1,627,600 for FY26. Personnel (Salaries, Hourly Wages, Stipends, Substitutes, etc.) – Admin 04 (Human Resources) The FY2026 Recommended Budget reflects an increase in personnel costs of $1.48 million (2.06%). Further analysis of personnel costs is the subject of a separate report by Deputy Supt. Andrew Shen. Out-of-District (Special Education) Tuition and Transportation – Admin Code 05 (Special Education) The District continues to provide appropriate services for students with disabilities, as is mandated by law. While the Special Education department prefers to provide in-District services where feasible, there are often cases where educational interests of students on IEPs are best served by out-of-district placements. The District continues an unusual degree of stability with tuition costs in recent years, as seen below: Budgeted OOD Tuition (gross) by FY (in $000s): 2019 $ 7,822 (2.1% decrease)
2020 $ 7,655 (2.1% decrease) 2021 $ 8,114 (6.0% increase) 2022 $ 7,881 (2.9% decrease) 2023 $ 6,837 (13.2% decrease) 2024 $ 6,909 (1.0% increase) 2025 $ 8,466 (13.56% increase) Recommended Budget 2026 $ 8,112 (6.2% increase)
The foregoing numbers reflect the gross projected cost of out-of-district tuition services, based on students known to the District when the budgets were developed. The state’s Circuit Breaker program provides financial relief that subsidizes the District’s overall budget, as seen in the following analysis: Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Comparative Analysis of Out-of-District Tuition Costs & Circuit Breaker ($ amounts in 000s) Budget FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FY2026 Out-of-District Expenditures - Gross Projected Tuition - Budget $ 7,655 $ 8,114 $ 7,881 $ 6,837 $ 6,909 $ 8,466 $ 8,112 Less - Circuit Breaker Offset - Budget $ (2,800) $ (3,599) $ (3,599) (3,305) $ $ (5,405) $ (3,652) $ (3,000) Net Appropriated Budget $ 4,855 $ 4,515 $ 4,282 $ 3,532 $ 1,504 $ 4,814 $ 5,112 Change from Prior Year -5.9% -7.0% -5.2% -17.5% -57.4% 220.1% 6.2%
Circuit Breaker Reimbursement - Number of Eligible Students Eligible Claimed Expenditures Reimbursable Expenditures
(projected)
80
77
82
68
61
59
$ $ $
7,356 $ 3,738 $ 2,821 $
7,175 $ 3,500 $ 2,625 $
8,166 $ 4,407 $ 3,305 $
7,718 $ 4,568 $ 3,426 $
8,848 $ 5,745 $ 3,509 $
7,660 4,680
Expenditures Reimbursed by State - $ 3,509 Expenditures Reimbursed by State - % 75.0% 75.0% 75.0% 75.0% 75.0% 75.0%
Circuit Breaker Fund Balance Analysis - Beginning Fund Balance $
2,396 $ 2,821 $ 5,217 $
2,821 $ 2,625 $ 5,446 $
2,410 $ 3,305 $ 5,715 $
2,403 $ 3,426 $ 5,829 $
2,068 $ 4,055 $ 6,123 $
719
Expenditures Reimbursed by State - $ Fund Bal. Available for Expenditures
$ $
3,509 4,228
Budgeted Circuit Breaker Expenditures $
2,800 $
3,599 $
3,599 $
3,305 $
3,546 $
3,652 $
576
$ $ $
(404)
$
(563)
$
(287)
$
456
$
1,858
$
-
Usage Variance
2,396 $ 2,821 $
3,036 $ 2,410 $
3,312 $ 2,403 $
3,761 $
5,404 $
3,652
Actual Circuit Breaker Expenditures
Ending Fund Balance
2,068
$
719
$ 576 ^ (budgeted)
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