12/03/1990 SELECT BOARD Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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BOARD OF SELECTMEN Page 3 MINUTES MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1990 Falmouth Tuition Deficit - FY -91: Chairman Carter presented five options to the Board. 1. Treat as an unpaid bill 2. Town to pay in full other than school department 3. School to pay in full 4. School and Town to split the difference j. ' Transfer a set sum of money as suggested by Fin. Cam. Jim Vaccaro reports as in his memo , the Finance Committee cannot recommend payment of more than $50, 000. This sum would come out of the surplus account. Any excess would put the town in jeopardy for FY 92. Selectman Gottlieb feels the Finance Committee' s message is reasonably clear. He questions if the Board of Selectmen have the authority to compel the School Committee to pay for this out of their FY 91 budget appropriation or if it can be carried- over from FY 91 to FY 92 as an unpaid bill and go to town meeting to direct payment. Town Counsel advises that town meeting could pass an article to direct payment. If directed towards the School Committee, they. could be declined to follow the direction of town meeting. It is up to the voters to decide. Janice Mills feels it should not be an issue between the committee' s We as a town are responsible to educate the children. It is not possible to state the exact number of students to be enrolled in the high school. Carl Heller feels it is the responsibility of the School Committee at the beginning of the year. We would accept an honest budget, but there are serious defaults in the projections of the children. Selectman Gottlieb feels there needs to be a restoration of commun- ication between the boards involved. Chairman Carter also agrees of the need to keep the lines of communication open. 7: 38 p.m. Selectman Lawrence has arrived for the meeting. Jim Vaccaro would like to resolve the situation. He would like input from the Board of Selectmen on the Finance Committee' s philosophy and recommendation of additional monies for the tuition payment. Credit should be recieved in FY 92 from Cape Cod Tech for the lower than anticipated enrollment. Selectman Hanson is concerned with the pay increase within the school department of 4% that is absorbed in their budget when other town departments have only recieved a 2% increase. It is a separate issue, but that money could be used to pay for the student' s education rather than increased wages. Dr. DeMoura was present to discuss the issues involved. With Mr. Nutting serving as Executive Secretary in January of 1990, he reported that there was a fixed amount of money in the budget. Any raises were to be included within the department' s budget. The money was there because it was directed by the Board of Selectmen to include it in the School Committee' s budget.