MinutesBudgetComm01072021 (1)

COLCHESTER BOARD OF EDUCATION
                                  Colchester, CT



                                    BUDGET COMMITTEE

                                Thursday, January 7, 2021
                           BOE Budget Committee Meeting 9:00AM
                                 Virtual Meeting via Zoom

                                            MINUTES

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: ​Jessica Morozowich, Joanne Rose
ADMINISTRATION PRESENT: ​Superintendent Jeffrey Burt, CFO Maggie Cosgrove,
Director of Educational Operations Mario Hurtado
OTHERS PRESENT: ​BOE Chair Mary Tomasi, BOE Member Amy Domeika, Executive
Assistant to the Superintendent Amy Trinnaman

1. CALL TO ORDER
   1.1 Call to Order
       Chair Morozowich called the meeting to order at 9:03AM.

2. ADDITIONS/CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
   None.

3. PUBLIC COMMENT
   3.1 Public Comment
       None.

4. *APPROVAL OF MINUTES
   4.1 Approval of December 3, 2020 Minutes
       Motion by:​ J. Rose
       To approve the minutes of the December 3, 2020 Budget Committee meeting.
       Second by: ​J. Morozowich
       Vote: ​Unanimous
       Roll call: ​J. Rose, J. Morozowich

5. *PRIORITY DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS
   None.

6. BUDGET REPORTS
   6.1 Monthly Budget Reports
       CFO Cosgrove reviewed the budget report for December 2020. Of note under Employee
       Benefits is a late notification of a retirement at the end of last school year that was not
       budgeted for in the total. Discussion ensued on line items that are still under
       development, and budget lines that are dependent on weather.
  6.2 Cafeteria Fund
      CFO Cosgrove presented the Cafeteria Fund for December 2020. The cumulative loss in
      this program due to COVID-19 is $43,984. All breakfasts and lunches are free at this
      time, which contributes to a growing deficit.

  6.3 Health Insurance Reserve
      While claims are down due to pandemic, budget projections based on claims this year
      will be challenging for 2021-2022.

  6.4 Special Education Excess Cost Report
      An increase in the number of outplaced students and students receiving special education
      services has contributed to a deficit of approximately $100,000. An additional deficit of
      $75,000 is for increased transportation costs. At this time, we expect that the excess cost
      reimbursement will cover the increased costs.

  6.5 Use of Schools (Not at this time)

  6.6 Capital Reserve (Not at this time)

  6.7 Budget Transfers Under $5,000
      None.

7. OLD BUSINESS
     None.

8. *NEW BUSINESS
   8.1 2021-22 Budget Discussion
       Superintendent Burt discussed the importance of maintaining the necessary staffing
       levels to prioritize the educational needs of our students. Additional priorities are the
       capital improvement and maintenance projects that keep our buildings in good working
       condition. Salaries and benefits are a substantial part of our budget, and are driven by
       contractual obligations. In an atypical year, presenting a 0% increase in the budget
       would make it very difficult to maintain these priorities. Superintendent Burt explained
       that deferring maintenance can ultimately result in larger costs over time.

  8.2 JJIS Gutter/Snow Guard Discussion
      There is an urgent need to complete the installation of a snow retention system for JJIS’s
      metal roof. Damaged or nonexistent gutters must be addressed to mitigate the risk of
      personal injury and financial exposure due to property damage. An expenditure of
      $64,150 will be necessary to resolve.

9. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NEW ISSUES RAISED OR SUBJECTS DEVELOPED
    9.1 Public Comment
        None.

10. ADJOURN
    The meeting adjourned at 10:21AM.