Led by experienced School Business Administrators, meet and participate in professional discussions relative to the work of School Business Administrators, as well as how to make the most of this year's conference. This breakfast is intended for new SBAs and is by invitation only.

John W. Ferris, Retired

Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager

Jennifer Prendergast, Director of Finance

Dr. James Mealey, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations

Secretary Tutwiler will discuss the Governor’s and his goals for education in MA and highlight opportunities and challenges ahead.  As the former Superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools, he understands the work of district administration in maximizing resources to benefit all students.  He will discuss how collaborative, equity-centered leadership that can lead to better outcomes for students.

Patrick Tutwiler, PhD, Massachusetts Secretary of Education

Transitioning from a School Business Official (SBA) to a Superintendent is a significant career move that requires careful planning and preparation. Here's a blueprint based on the experiences of Superintendents John Antonucci and Andrew O'Leary, with insights from MASC Field Representative Jim Hardy. The panel will examine topics such as:

• Education and Credentials
• Finding a Mentor
• Gaining Relevant Experience
• Highlight Transferable Skills
• Develop Leadership Skills
• Networking and Building Relationships
• Preparing for the Selection Process

By following these steps and learning from the experiences of successful Superintendents like John Antonucci and Andrew O'Leary, you can create a roadmap for transitioning from an SBA to a Superintendent and position yourself as a strong candidate for educational leadership roles.

John Antonucci, Superintendent

James Hardy, Field Director

Andrew O’Leary, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations

Beth Regulbuto, Superintendent

David Coelho, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations

This session will examine why strong technology ecosystems in schools are foundational to digital equity. Participants will explore the essential components of a robust tech infrastructure, spanning hardware, software, digital resources, and support systems, all aimed at setting a foundation for equitable access and opportunities for students. Through practical discussions, attendees will learn how to prioritize initiatives that align with educational goals and address student needs effectively. The session will also offer insights around funding resources for technology initiatives, including federal grants and municipal programs.

Eileen Belastock, EdTech Leadership Specialist

Andréa (A.J.) Coté, Assistant Director of Educational Technology

Jacqulyn M. Gantzer, Director of Educational Technology and School Support

Explore successful education pathway programs implemented by a school that has provided these options for many years, as well as some that are just starting the process.

Elizabeth Bennett, Associate Commissioner, College, Career & Technical Education

Meredith Erickson, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning

Hope Hanscom, Assistant Superintendent

Kara O'Donnell-Galvin, Executive Director

Nicole Smith, Assistant Director, College, Career & Technical Education

Erin Orcutt, School Business Administrator

Medicaid plays a crucial role in supporting schools by reimbursing states for medically necessary services provided to children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and in other specific situations. Medicaid is the third-largest funding stream for K-12 public schools.

In this session, our presenters, Margot Tracy from MassHealth and Emily Hall from UMass Med, will delve into the reasons why accessing the state's School Based Medicaid Program (SBMP) is essential. They will highlight how SBMP can support health-related staff positions, programming, and infrastructure that benefit all students, not just those with MassHealth.

As schools strive to recover from the pandemic, now is the opportune moment to re-engage with the SBMP. With historic infusions of funds like ESSER set to expire in 2024, it's crucial for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to maximize Medicaid funding. Leadership support is paramount for LEAs to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Participants in this session can expect to gain concrete next steps for strengthening their reimbursement programs and receive suggestions for advocating for equitable sharing of funding between municipalities and districts. Join us to explore how Medicaid funding can bolster school health services and support student well-being in your community.

Emily Hall, Program Director Center for School Based Claiming

Margot Tracy, MassHealth School Based Medicaid Program Manager

Panelists will share their lessons learned from experiences in the role of school business administrators. They will also answer questions from session participants to provide advice, guidance, and/or support as we all deal with our increasingly challenging jobs.

Richelle Embree, Assistant Director of Financial Operations

John W. Ferris, Retired

Michael MacMillan, School Business Manager

Jennifer Prendergast, Director of Finance

Dr. James Mealey, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations

Smarter School Spending and the Alliance for Excellence in School Budgeting is a network of school districts formed by GFOA from across the nation working to implement GFOA’s Best Practices in School Budgeting. The Best Practices in School Budgeting is a framework to enhance a school district’s budget and planning process through better alignment of strategic goals/student outcomes and resource allocation.

Schools districts are charged with providing a free and appropriate education to all students, generally with limited funding.  Most school districts have a strategic plan outlining the instructional goals they are attempting to meet in providing that education.  In order to ensure that those limited funds are spent in support of the strategic goals, we introduce participants to the GFOA’s Best Budgeting Practices for School Districts framework.

Learning Objectives:

• A participant will leave with an understanding of the Best Budgeting Practices for School Districts and how to identify key areas of the framework to introduce into their respective school districts.
• A participant will learn about the challenges and opportunities of implementing the Best Budgeting Practices.
• A participant will learn about the free resources to support the framework available at https://www.smarterschoolspending.org

Carol MacLeod, Senior Project Manager, Research and Consulting Center

Are you a Green Community? What does it mean if you are or aren't one? What are the implications of stretch codes on a district and how do you deploy best practices around them?

Joanne Bissetta, Director

Kenneth Wertz, Executive Director

This session will provide important updates from the MTRS for school districts. The updates will focus on retirement deduction reporting, membership eligibility, and regular compensation determination.

Jonathan Osimo, Assistant Executive Director

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to explain at least five lessons learned in successfully implementing onsite solar PPAs, prioritize the top three for their organization, and identify ways to apply those top three learnings at their organization.

Jeremy Roche, Director of Finance and Operations

Byron Woodman, Senior Director, Business Development

In an era of escalating cyber threats, the education and non-profit sectors find themselves at the forefront of a dynamic and evolving landscape. This educational session aims to dissect the current cyber security market trends, emphasizing the critical role of service providers in both pre and post claim scenarios.

Martin Anguelov, Director of Finance

Randy Feid, VP of Business Development, East Region

JP Kennedy, Director, Cyber and Technology Insurance

Joanne Rebelo, Director of Finance and Operations

Colleagues will exchange professional experiences to showcase various approaches in managing health insurance solutions. Case studies will be presented in a panel discussion format, empowering participants to understand diverse options and leverage expert resources effectively.

Susan Boisvert, Vice President

Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, Superintendent

Sherry Kersey, Director of Business & Finance

Michael Knight, School Business Administrator

Debra Young, Vice President of Sales

Outlines the grant opportunity landscape and how an ESCO might help support relevant project development and grant application administration. The session will demonstrate the extent to which an ESCO can help drive and support a tiered grant strategy, how an energy savings performance contract can be used to triple the impact of incentive and grant award dollars, and how that model can offer flexibility to spread the impact and benefits across a larger project that may address more critical infrastructure needs.

Mark Buzzell, Senior Accounts Strategist

Chris Pimentel, Senior Account Executive

The H&A Project Management team will discuss solutions to the most common lessons learned by School Business Administrators. Topics range from budgets, schedules, and bidding to security, space concerns, deferred maintenance, and beyond... Open discussion is encouraged, and time will be allowed for you to ask your facility related questions of the PM team.

Scott Bancroft, Senior Project Manager

Steven C. Habeeb, AIA, President

Elizabeth Lewis, Senior Project Manager / Structural Engineer

Tom MacLeod, Project Manager

Kevin Provencher, Worcester Office Director

Understand decarbonization and what that means in a building context. Have a framework for determining what outcomes are important to achieving your facilities goals. Learn about decarbonization specific products (such as heat pumps) and systems typical for K-12 Schools. Understand what decarbonization incentives are available to you at the local and federal level.

Morgan Perras, Energy Services Account Executive

The SECURE 2.0 legislation was passed into law in late 2022. There are several provisions of the law that do not have an impact on public school retirement plans, but on the other hand there are a few that do and are effective in 2023-2026. Come learn about each provision and how you might implement them in your district.

Michael Linehan, CRES, Senior Vice President

Phil Hahn, MPAS, CRES, Regional Vice President

Kevin Hensley, Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President

Gregg Libutti, CRES, VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc., Regional Vice President, Northeast

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, school business administrators are tasked with safeguarding sensitive student, administrative and financial data against digital threats. Now, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to permeate into the classroom, understanding its impact on cybersecurity at the district level is imperative. This session, including real-world examples, will concentrate on the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, specifically tailored for school business administrators.

Robert Hamel, Public Sector Specialist

Suzanne McLaughlin, Vice President and General Manager

The Multifaceted Use of a Separation Incentive: How an Incentive can be Designed to Address Declining enrollment, Organizational Restructuring and/or Short and Long-Term Budget Costs

This session will help attendees understand how to properly craft a retirement or separation incentive based on the District’s specific needs and demographics. Topics we will cover include how to effectively design an offer, analyzing your workforce and its needs, avoiding common missteps and mitigating layoffs, working with unions, and communicating to employees and public. We will also teach attendees about the benefits of a tax-deferred 403(b) plan approach and how they can be customized to maximize employee participation for maximum budgetary returns.

Kathryn Cannie, Senior Manager, Eastern Region

Richard Fry, Senior Consultant

Attendees will leave the session with an understanding of how the Omnia Cooperative Marketplace Contract awarded to Amazon Business allows for compliant procurement in coordination with MA 30B procurement law. Participating public agencies can now purchase on Amazon Business from 10 competitively awarded categories. This means registered agencies can reduce the need for soliciting multiple quotes, and in many cases eliminate a lengthy RFP process. Any school district is eligible to activate this contract through their Amazon Business Account.

Emily Devin, Senior Education Advisor

Learn how to avoid common mistakes with your pension and how partnering with financial advisors can benefit you and your district’s faculty and staff.

Matthew Logan, Founder, CLU

At the end of this session, participants will leave with an understanding about a new low-cost service that schools can use to prioritize decarbonization across their many buildings in a cost-effective manner. With a roadmap in hand, a school district can gain internal buy-in for moving towards sustainable buildings, estimate funds needed for future budget plans, and have a concrete list of action items for each building. It’s the first step on the path to net-zero.

Erin Camp, Manager of Energy Sustainability and Analytics