DIXFIELD — Residents of the 12-town RSU 10 school district have two chances this week to learn more about the proposed $36.5 million proposed budget before voting on Thursday.
Voters narrowly defeated the first proposed budget of $36.2 million on June 11.
Since then, administration learned that the state legislature approved requiring school districts to pay a significant share of what had previously been the state’s portion of teacher retirement contributions. For RSU 10, that figure is $468,000. The state also granted nearly $346,000 more in General Purpose Aid to Education for RSU 10.
The RSU 10 board also made further cuts of nearly $123,000. These include reductions in stipend positions, less money for summer school funding and a decrease in personnel salaries.
Informational meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m., July 23 at the Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico and 6:30 p.m., July 24 at the Buckfield Junior-Senior High School in Buckfield.
All residents may vote on the proposed budget at 6:30 p.m., July 25 at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.
The final figure arrived at during the districtwide vote on Thursday will go before voters at referendum in each of the 12 member towns on July 30.
Newly appointed Superintendent Craig King, and former Superintendent Tom Ward, who may also attend the informational meetings, said that during the past few years, dozens of positions have been eliminated, technology updates have been decreased and maintenance projects have been delayed, among other reductions.
King said via email that the board believes the proposed budget is needed to provide an adequate education for all 2,700 or so youngsters in the district.
“The communities of RSU 10 have a shared future — all children of the many communities of this school district will learn and grow together,” he wrote.
The former SAD 21, Dixfield, SAD 39, Buckfield and SAD 43, Rumford/Mexico merged into the Western Foothills RSU 10 district four years ago.
Other towns in the district are Canton, Carthage, Peru, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Roxbury and Hanover.
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