4.13.2021 Special Joint Meeting of The Fall River City Council & School Committee

On April 13, 2021, the Fall River City Council and the Fall River School Committee held a special joint meeting, pursuant to City Charter requirements to review the municipal fiscal condition, revenue forecasts, and expenditure projections at least 75 days before the fiscal year begins. The meeting opened with citizen input concerning diversity training, school committee transparency, and teacher and paraprofessional pay compared to state averages. Mayor Paul Coogan spoke on the anticipated financial transformation possible through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), noting that while the pandemic caused immense hardship, substantial one-time federal funding could shape Fall River's financial future.

City Financial Services Director Mary Sahadi provided a comprehensive overview of the FY21 budget status and the upcoming FY22 municipal budget outlook, projecting a general fund budget slightly exceeding $300 million with 100 percent net school spending funded. Fall River had collected 74.4 percent of budgeted revenue as of March 31, 2021, with city departments at 77.1 percent expenditures. Sahadi highlighted key federal funding receipts, including $7.9 million in CARES Act money and an estimated $73 million allocated through ARPA, about $4.5 million of which was projected to offset COVID-related revenue losses. School Department Chief Financial Officer Kevin Almeida and Superintendent Dr. Matthew Malone presented the school district's financial picture, reviewing the phase-in of the Student Opportunity Act, Chapter 70 aid projected at $145.2 million, and incoming federal ESSER funding totaling $63.5 million.

A significant portion of the debate centered on capital spending, debt management, and intergovernmental collaboration. School Committee Member Kevin Aguiar and Vice Chairman Thomas Khoury highlighted the School Committee's recent approval to transfer $1.3 million to $1.5 million in ESSER funds to help ease the city's local contribution burden, contingent on Council support for the Watson School renovation and Durfee High School athletic field improvements. Councilors pressed school officials on educational achievement metrics, teacher turnover, and whether debt service from the Durfee High School project could be paid without triggering the voter-approved debt exclusion. Discussions also turned heated regarding Dr. Malone's contract, pending MCAD legal disputes, and administrative delays in resolving solid waste and trash enforcement costs. The meeting concluded with an agreement to place the Watson School and field funding votes on the upcoming City Council agenda, after which both bodies voted to adjourn.

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