Wayland finance subcommittee advances building-use, transportation and revenue-fund changes

WAYLAND — February 27, 2024 — Wayland school finance panel endorses building-use, transportation and revenue-fund changes for full committee. Finance Director Susan Bottan told the School Committee Finance Subcommittee on Tuesday that the middle and high school auditoriums will lose their discounted long-term rental rate and add a $45-per-hour tech-director charge, citing roughly $150,000 in needed renovations cut from the five-year capital plan. A new three-year First Student contract is projected at about $1.56 million in FY25 against $1.26 million in operating funds and $260,000 in family fees, leaving roughly $22,000 — about $10,000 of it earmarked for a TransFinder software upgrade. School Nutrition Director Cheryl Judd has reinvested $133,000 in kitchen equipment and identified $60,700 in unpaid FY22 benefit and OPEB costs to repay the town. Bottan warned athletics fees may need to rise to close projected shortfalls of $41,000 in FY26 and $69,000 in FY27, and said the $27,000 DPW parking offset is "not sustainable." Members Jeannie Downs and Erin Donovan voted 2-0 to approve prior minutes and adjourned at 1:39 p.m.