SALEM TOWNSHIP — Voters of SAD 58 asked school directors Tuesday to consider lowering next year’s budget by using surplus money, contracting adult education with RSU 9 and abandoning the late bus run.
Superintendent Brenda Stevens said the $9.5 million spending plan is $300,000 less than this year. However, the local share towns pay is $147,193 more than the current fiscal year that ends June 30.
Stevens suggested taking $650,000 from surplus to put toward the budget.
Former school board member Mike Pond of Strong said if there’s another $300,000 available why not use it so there will be no increase in the local share.
Business Manager Luci Milewski said there is about $600,000 in undesignated surplus, and another $200,000 to $250,000 in designated funds to cover summer salaries.
Kingfield Selectman Mervin Wilson challenged board member Marc Edwards’ statement that the budget was of one of many factors affecting higher taxes to the town. The school budget is 35 percent of the town’s overall budget, he said.
Lynn White, chairman of the Phillips Board of Selectmen, said Kingfield is fortunate because the school budget is 80 percent of his community’s budget.
Rupert Pratt, who chairs the Board of Selectmen in Strong, warned the board it needs to make some hard choices, because using surplus funds this year means they won’t be there to cushion increases in next year’s budget.
“You need to make some serious cuts for next year or you will tax us out of business,” he said.
Adult Education Director Kirsten Brown Burbank defended keeping the adult education program as is, because having RSU 9 provide it would cost SAD 58 an additional $3,000.
Steve Mitman who works in the career center pointed out that Burbank spends a lot of time helping students put together resumes that will help them land jobs.
Sarah Hinkley also credited Burbank with helping her daughter get 17 college credits while still in high school. She also applauded Burbank’s efforts to make her want to return to school and pursue her college degree through the program at the high school.
Former school board member Alan Morse of Phillips said the adult education program was originally set up to give the district towns ownership of the high school in Salem Township, which isn’t even in the district.
Edwards suggested RSU 9 attend next week’s school board meeting to explain how contracting adult education services would work.
Pond also pushed the board to admit that while the school lunch program was in much better financial shape than in the past, it was still operating at a loss, if the food director’s $28,000 salary was included in the totals.
State reimbursement rates for the cost of educating the 115 students from the unorganized territories was challenged by White. He asked how the reimbursements stack up against the district’s cost of educating one child.
With the debt service retiring on the Kingfield Elementary School, the district will lose the 10 percent extra it gets from the state.
The state pays $3,284 for elementary students and $8,694 for secondary students, without the 10 percent. Milewski said that reduction will most likely affect next year’s revenue.
Former school board member Dan Worcester of Phillips questioned the expense of the late bus run, saying drivers were working overtime.
“When we are talking about closing schools, you need to think of where you can cut,” Worcester said.
The School Board will vote on the budget at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at Mt. Abram Regional High School. Members will consider how much surplus money to put toward the budget, whether to contract adult education with RSU 9, transport lunches to Stratton Elementary School from Kingfield, and action on the elementary junior varsity sports program, including retaining licensed officials at their games.
Voters in Eustis, Kingfield, Phillips and Strong will decide on the budget May 22.
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