Wayland subcommittee weighs $200,000 BASE payback as fiscal 2024 budget tightens

WAYLAND — February 22, 2024 — Wayland school finance panel weighs returning roughly $200,000 in waived pandemic-era benefits to the town. BASE Director Pat Carey told the SC Finance Subcommittee on Thursday that the after-school program's revolving fund now holds $500,000 to $700,000 and could repay the roughly $199,000 in benefits — plus about $5,000 in OPEB — that the town forgave when COVID drove revenue down 80 percent. Carey also outlined roughly $40,000 to $45,000 in new site security systems, upgraded walkie-talkies and a 20 percent staff raise targeting the middle of the WESA wage scale. CFO Susan Bottan said the draft second-quarter report projects fiscal 2024 ending with just $15,645 on a $50 million budget, after using the full $150,000 special education reserve to absorb a $213,000 jump in tuition costs. "This is a super tight budget," Bottan said. Recreation Director Catherine Brennan reported RecPass Thursdays and Fridays are running below 50 percent of the 46-slot capacity and may be cut.