Seekonk Town Boards Meet to Discuss Budget

Members of the Select Board, School Committee, and Finance Committee met September 9 to discuss preparations for the FY’28 budget.

Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell was asked about the status of the new HVAC unit for the pool at Seekonk High School.

“We are in the process of appointing the architect of record,” Kidwell noted. “Our School Business Administrator (Ryan McGee) has accepted a position in another district.”

McGee had reviewed the applications before his departure.

“The intention is to replace the unit prior to the start of the swim season this winter once we have the architect of record,” Kidwell said.

Voters had approved $725,000 for the purchase of the air handling system, which controls humidity and air temperature as well as heating of the pool water.

Last October, Kidwell warned the pool could become “unusable” if the current air handling unit was to stop working. It was installed in 2001 and is nearing the end of its lifespan.

Kidwell also mentioned the school district may be receiving “just over” $200,000 from the state. Governor Maura Healey previously announced $100 million in additional funding for education.

“Obviously, that’s money that would be incredibly useful to the schools,” Kidwell said. “Given the opportunity, we will be thoughtful in how we use this.”

Whether or not the money is approved by the state legislature depends on the outcome of the November election. Healey is facing a challenge in her re-election campaign.

Town Administrator Shawn Cadime noted how difficult it is to estimate local receipts this early in the process. Seekonk collects money for motor vehicle excise tax.

“The big challenge is where the revenues are coming from,” Cadime explained. “Without having a handle on what Chapter 70 looks like, what state aid looks like, it just becomes difficult to say ‘these are the needs’ and where we’re going to go.”

Select Board member Michael Healy expressed his displeasure when notified the principals of all the schools would not be presenting their budgets to the three boards.

“If we’re not going to have principals here, then we’re not going to have department heads here,” Healy said. “If we’re going to sit here and talk about collaboration and working together and you don’t want to bring principals here and answer questions, then I’m not going to allow my department heads to come here and present their budgets and be picked apart.”

“Right now, we’re going around in circles, we can’t figure anything out,” Healy continued. “To me, we’re really not getting anything accomplished. You can call it collaboration, but I don’t see anything happening.”

Kidwell responded by saying she considered herself a department head and would attend any budget meeting Healy wanted her to.

School Committee Chair Bob Gerardi said he would be “more than happy” for the principals to participate in the budget process.

“I do believe we’re just one department of many that the town has to work with,” Gerardi added.