Milton finance subcommittee advances $500,000 special education stabilization fund policy

School Committee · Meeting of March 25, 2026

Milton's School Committee finance subcommittee pushed a draft policy for its new $500,000 Special Education Stabilization Fund toward a joint review with Select Board members at a March 25 working session. Finance staff member Katie presented a draft framework drawn from other Massachusetts districts, noting that state law caps the fund at 2 percent of annual net school spending — roughly $1.4 million based on fiscal year 2024 net school spending of $72 million — but warned that the $500,000 ceiling under discussion would leave only $400,000 available for use after a $100,000 floor, potentially not enough to cover a single high-cost out-of-district placement. Both the school department's FY27 budget and the $500,000 free cash transfer to the fund were unanimously approved by the Warrant Committee earlier in the week.

The subcommittee agreed to send the draft to Select Board finance members Megan and Winston and target first readings of both the stabilization fund policy and a companion circuit breaker reserve policy at the April 8 full School Committee meeting — the last session before a post-election board reorganization.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of March 25, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.