Wayland Finance Committee questions $535K full-day kindergarten cost in FY25 budget

WAYLAND — January 29, 2024 — Wayland Finance Committee scrutinizes $535,000 full-day kindergarten cost in FY25 budget. The committee spent its Jan. 29 meeting questioning the town manager and Finance Director Brian on a level-service operating budget designed to push a potential override to fiscal 2027; Brian said fiscal 2026 spending would need to grow no more than about 3.4 percent to stay under the levy, against a school district ask of 3.25 percent. Full-day kindergarten came in $135,000 above the $400,000 October guideline but is expected to be recouped through enhanced Chapter 70 aid the following year, making Wayland one of the last 14 Massachusetts towns to adopt it. The town manager reported municipal turnover running at 25 percent versus a 10 percent norm, with seven of the last 10 DPW hires leaving shortly after starting and fire overtime hitting $505,000 in fiscal 2023 against a $440,000 budget. Members also pushed back on the flat $500,000 capital stabilization transfer, noting the town ranks 101st of 320 Massachusetts municipalities with such funds and has no written funding plan.