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HAWLEMONT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

HAWLEMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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A guide to the 2024-25 operating budget for the Hawlemont Regional School District

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FY25 HRSD

Proposed Budget

February 29, 2024

Our objective is to present a clear view of the FY25 draft budget including how it was developed, what we have done to maintain a level-funded budget for the upcoming year while preparing for future budgets,

and to receive feedback in preparation for the town meetings.

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FY25 Budget Goals

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Build Programming Aligned to Strategic Plan

    • Implement EL curriculum

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    • Refine literacy MTSS

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    • Implement co-teaching during math blocks

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    • Develop HAY projects aligned to core curricula for each grade level

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Strategic Use of

Revenues and Funding

    • Increased professional development through grant funding

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    • Continue to build community engagement opportunities

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    • Offset budget increases to support towns

Effectively Communicate an All-Funds Budget

    • Identify and communicate all expenses

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    • Communicate use of all revenue sources

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    • Improve use of district systems to drive budget development

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How We Build Our Budget

Collaboration

Each school and department looks into its budget and determines its needs by using expense trends and current student data as well as recommendations from the Local Education Councils (LECs).

Analysis

We use data provided by the state and historical data to make data informed decisions when thinking about our future needs. We also use our district strategic plan to align our budget expenditures with the goals of the district.

Action

The Leadership Team reviews budget requests and determines actual needs as well as developing scenarios in the case of revenues not meeting expenses.

Manage

We work with the budget subcommittee and town board members to develop and share throughout the process. Budget is presented to School Committee for approval (School Committee may make additional recommendations ) and then passed onto Member

Town Officials.

Budget

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FY25 Overview

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Total Operating Budget (Operating & Revolving)

$2,885,250

Budgeted To Revolving Funds Revenues/Plus Other Revenue (Offsets)

$ 731,271

Local Fund Budget

$2,153,934

Local Funds Net Change From Prior Year

$ - 157

Percentage Change From Prior Year

-.01%

Add 2 District Expenses

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$ 224,407

Fy24 Total Proposed Budget With 2 District

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$2,378,341

Change From Last Year $10,060 =

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0.42%

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FY24-FY25 Assessment Comparison

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TOWN

FY24 ASSESS %

FY25 ASSESS %

CHARLEMONT

83.05%

84.71%

HAWLEY

16.95%

15.29%

TOTAL

100.00%

100.00%

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Where Does Our Funding Come From?

22.99 %

Required Local Contribution

Local funds collected primarily through Property taxes from our member districts

26.44 %

Above Minimum

Local Contribution

Funds the District uses to support the Education Budget Above (Minimum) Required Local Contribution also paid through assessments

2.20 %

Transportation Reimbursement

21.54 %

Chapter 70

0.83 %

(E&D) Revenue

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Charter School Reimbursement

1.10 %

24.19 %

Revolving and Grants (Offsets)

0.26 %

Interest Income

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Funding Sources

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FY24

FY25

Chapter 70 State Aid Revenue

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$ 646,036

$651,226

Interest Income

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$ 2,000

$8,000

Use Of E&D Reserve Funding

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$ 25,000

$25,000

Charter School Reimbursement

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$37,889

$33,328

Transportation Revenue Chapter 71

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$ 78,666

$ 66,408

Transportation Revolving Funds

​

0

$13,508

Minimum Contribution

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$ 747,723

$694,955

Above Minimum Contribution

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$ 815,972

$799,282

Total

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$2,356,046

$2,291,707

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Expense Drivers

Technology

And

Information

Inflation

Student Learning Options

Transportation

Special Education

Program Development

Provide all students with rigorous and culturally relevant curriculum, resources and programs that support individual goals

Inflation

Expenses that the district incur continue to rise annually even though inflation has been relatively low in recent years. The trend continues to be that the increases in expenses outpace increases in revenue.

Technology and Information

The rapid increase in information technology has accelerated the need to more frequently replace educational materials and equipment.

Facilities and Maintenance

The cost for heating,electricity and supplies has led to substantial increases.

Special Education

A few factors that drive the increase in Special Education include:

  • out of district tuition increases
  • limited and/or programs closing which leaves schools to fill the void by developing specialized programs for students.

Transportation

The rise in fuel costs as well as increased costs for Special Education transportation

Facilities And Maintenance

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FY25 Increases By Cost Center

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COST CENTER

FY24 LOCAL

FY25 LOCAL

DIFFERENCE

PERCENT

SALARY AND BENEFITS

$1,585,770.00

$1,465,156

-$120,614

-8%

MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS

$183,465

$200,115

$18,293

10%

TRANSPORTATION

$131,550

$166,500

$34,950

27%

SCHOOL CHOICE/CHARTER

$215,000

$236,899

$21,899

10%

OTHER-INSTRUCTION/SUPPLIES

$38,306

$85,264

$46,958

123%

TOTAL DISTRICT

$2,154,091.03

$2,153,933.68

-$157.35

-0.01%

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HRSD FY25 LOCAL FUNDS BUDGET BY DESE CODE

HRS FY24 PROPOSED BUDGET

FUNDS BY DESE USE

FY24

FY25

FY24-FY25 DIFFERENCE

ADMINISTRATION (1000)

$27,730

$31,370

$4,000

INSTRUCTIONAL (2000)

$963,441

$874,007

-$89,434

TRANSPORTATION (3300)

$131,550

$166,550

$35,000

FOOD SERVICES (3400)

$0

$0

$0

OPERATIONS (4000)

$185,965

$201,115

$15,150

BENEFITS (5000)

$556,771

$540,658

-$16,113

EQUIP/LEASES (5300)

$5,000

$5,000

$0

TUITIONS OUT (9000)

$10,000

$10,000

$0

SCHOOL CHOICE ASSESSMENTS (9110)

$205,000

$226,899

$21,899

CHARTER ASSESSMENTS (9120)

35,616

$35,616

ATTENDANCE/HEALTH (3100/3200)

$67,881

$62,239

$-5,642

OTHER (6000,7000,8000)

$120

$120

0

TOTALS

$2,154,091

$2,153,948

$-157

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HRSD FY25 LOCAL FUNDS BUDGET BY DESE CODE

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Adjustments to Meet Assessment Parameter

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  • 2 Paraprofessional positions
    • Consolidated into one position

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  • Aligned Benefits to Projections

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  • Reduced supply lines, substitute with grant and revolving funding

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  • Grant to offset salary cost of co-teaching model

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  • Apply E&D (On assessment summary sheet)

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  • Use of increased Rural Aid from FY24 to help reserve School Choice funds for FY25 and beyond

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FY24-FY25 Elementary Class Size and Student Teacher Ratio

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​

Hawlemont

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Grade Level

Classrooms

Class Sizes

PreK

1

8

Kindergarten

1

12

Grade 1

1

6

Grade 2

1

6

Grade 3

1

10

Grade 4

1

11

Grade 5

1

11

Grade 6

1

7

TOTALS

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71

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STUDENTS

TEACHERS

STUDENT/

TEACHER RATIO

Hawlemont

71

8

8.9

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Assessments

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State Aid: Chapter 70 & Required Local Contribution

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  • Chapter 70 State Aid is the Commonwealth's program for ensuring adequate and equitable K–12 education funding. It determines an adequate spending level for each school district (the foundation budget).

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  • The Commonwealth’s formula then uses each community's property values and residents' incomes to determine the Required Local COntribution, or, how much of the foundation budget should be funded from local property taxes.

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  • Chapter 70 state aid pays for the remaining amount.

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  • Minimum aid provision guarantees all operating districts receive at least the same amount of aid in FY2024 as they did in FY2023 plus at least $30 per pupil. Therefore, the enrollment changes and any associated foundation budget decreases did not yield less aid than FY2023.

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  • 141 school districts are minimum aid districts which ensures no district receives less Chapter 70 Aid than the year prior.

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  • HRSD continues to be a “Hold Harmless” district meaning Chapter 70 funding is the same as it was last year. In fact, there has been little Chapter 70 funding increase to HRSD in the last 20 years.

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More on the Required Local Contribution

Calculations

  • Once the total foundation budget is established, the state calculates each city and town’s ability to contribute local revenue towards the operation of its schools. Local ability to contribute varies widely based upon the incomes and property values of different cities and towns. The state expects that each municipality in the state can contribute the same share of local resources to the foundation budget by setting uniform contribution rates. The required local contribution is basically a measure of how much the state believes a city or town can reasonably raise and dedicate to the operation of its schools.

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Actual Contributions

  • AFTER CHAPTER 70 AID IS DETERMINED, DISTRICTS MAY CONTRIBUTE MORE
  • The required local contribution is only a minimum amount that cities and towns must contribute to their school districts, and many communities opt to contribute significantly more. For this reason, the Chapter 70 formula provides a baseline school budget, but it does not ensure equitable total funding across the state.

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Increases to Towns

  • There have been significant increases in Required Contributions of the towns that the state sets, meaning the state has determined that towns, in most cases, should be contributing more to the school budget.

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FY24-FY25 Minimum Required

Contribution Comparison

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TOWN

FY24

Required Contribution

FY25

Required Contribution

FY24-FY25 DIFFERENCE

PERCENT CHANGE

CHARLEMONT

$ 598,941

$574,412

$-24,529

-4%

HAWLEY

$ 148,742

$120,543

$-28,239

-19%

TOTAL

$ 747,723

$694,955

$ -52,768

-7%

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FY24-FY25 Above Minimum

Contribution Comparison

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TOWN

FY24

Above Minimum Contribution

FY25

Above Minimum Contribution

FY24-FY25 DIFFERENCE

PERCENT CHANGE

CHARLEMONT

$ 681,745

$677,072

$-4,673

-0.69 %

HAWLEY

$ 134,227

$122,210

$-12,017

-8.95%

TOTAL

$ 815,972

$799,282

$ -16,690

-2.05%

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TOWN

FY24 OPERATING ASSESSMENT

FY25 OPERATING ASSESSMENT

FY24-FY25 DIFFERENCE

PERCENT CHANGE

CHARLEMONT

$ 1,324,871

$ 1,324,871

$ 0

0%

HAWLEY

$ 291,709

$256,000

$ - 35,709

- 12.24 %

TOTAL

$ 1,616,580

$ 1,580,871

$ - 35,709

- 2.21 %

FY24-FY25 Operating Assessment Comparison

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TOWN

FY24 TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT

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FY25 TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT

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FY24-FY25 DIFFERENCE

PERCENT CHANGE

CHARLEMONT

$ 44,185

$ 73,388

$ 29,203

66.10 %

HAWLEY

$ 8,699

$ 13,246

$ 4,547

52.30 %

TOTAL

$ 52,884

$ 86,634

$ 33,750

63.8 %

FY24-FY25 Transportation Assessment Comparison

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Total Operating Assessment

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FY24

FY25

Total Operating Expenses- Operating Budget Includes 2 District Expenses - -Offsets-Transportation

2,952,970

$ 3,109,612

Net School Spending Minus Revenue

$2,022,541

$ 2,211,791

Minimum Contribution (Towns' Total)

$ 747,723

$ 694,955

Above Minimum Contribution

$815,972

$ 799,282

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Transportation Budget

$131,550

$ 166,550

Chapter 71 Transportation Revenue

$78,666

$ 66,408

Transportation Revolving

​

0

$13,508

Total Transportation Assessment

$52

$ 86,634

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Total Operating Assessment

$1,616,579

$ 1,580,871

Net Change From Prior Year

$378,376

$ -35,708

Operating Assessment -- % Change Prior Year

2.39%

-2.21%

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FY25 Budget Request

Salaries & Benefits

Transportation

School Choice, Charter, Out of District

Maintenance/ Operations

Other Charges: Instruction, Supplies, Technology

$1,465,156

$166,500

$236,899

$200,115

$ 85,264

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$2,153,934

2% Increase

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Questions and Discussion

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Thank you to our staff for their

continued dedication to our district.

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Thank you to our community

for your continued support.