KINGFIELD – All eight articles on the SAD 58 budget of $8,673,721 passed easily at the polls Tuesday.
The results were:
• 226-117 to expend $5,525,519.59 for elementary operating costs.
• 220-121 to expend $2,512,058.70 for secondary operating costs.
• 220-122 to allow the district to appropriate $5,108,491.14 from the foundation allocation for school purposes and raise $2,111,2999.33 as the local share of the foundation allocation.
• 227-115 to appropriate $623,842.71 from the debt service allocation and raise $103,590.59 as the local share of debt service.
• 212-129 to raise $962,528.61 in additional local funds
• 218-124 to authorize the Board of Directors to expend $8,661,421 for the upcoming fiscal year.
• 208-126 to adopt adult education and adult basic education budgets of $49,759 and $12,300, respectively.
• 265-70 to authorize directors to accept and spend money received from the sale of wood harvested from SAD 58 property in Salem Township for the Mt. Abram High School Athletic Facilities and Grounds.
In Eustis, about a third of the 58 votes were opposed to the seven articles; in Kingfield about a quarter of the 77 voters were against; in Avon a third of the 36 voters were against; in Phillips a third of the 57 voters were against; and in Strong, with 115 voters, the articles narrowly passed.
The total budget is up approximately $279,000, with $216,000 of that amount attributed to insurance costs.
Meanwhile, the total local bill for taxpayers in the towns of Phillips, Eustis, Avon, Strong and Kingfield is $3.17 million, which is down by a little more than $40,000 from last year.
The budget increase has been offset by an extra $43,000 from the state and a $268,000 increase in the cost of tuition for about 200 students who attend SAD 58 schools but live in the plantations, unorganized territories or the town of Carrabassett Valley.
A family and community education position was cut at Mt. Abram High School.
sdepoy@sunjournal.com
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