Sudbury Finance Committee hears SPS budget tracking despite $500,000 special education overage

SUDBURY -- December 9, 2024, Sudbury FinCom hears SPS absorbed a $500,000 out-of-district overage and gets MSBA roof acceptance. Superintendent Brad Crozier and Business Director Don Sawyer told the Finance Committee on Dec. 9 that out-of-district tuition will land near $1.8 million against a $1.3 million budget, with the gap absorbed via accumulated circuit breaker reserves. Sawyer confirmed both the Haynes and Nixon roofs have been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Accelerated Repair Program at a minimum 31 percent reimbursement, with placeholder capital articles of "two and a half to three million each" headed to May Town Meeting and installation targeted for summer 2026. Finance Director Victor Garofalo told members earnings on investments are on pace to exceed $1 million this fiscal year but will drop to roughly $250,000 in fiscal 2026 as Treasury rates fall. Co-Chair Michael Joachim flagged that the town's "3 percent" budget guidance actually delivers approximately 4.11 percent to SPS, 3.44 percent to the town and 3 percent to LS once benefits are included consistently: "It just isn't 3 percent guidance."