KINGFIELD — SAD 58 directors heard from teachers Thursday night about the effect budget cuts made in the past decade have had on programs.
Steve Mitman, who supervises the career education component and acts as a liaison for students attending the Foster Technology Center in Farmington, said code writing, or computer programming, is a basic requirement for anyone interested in a computer-related career.
“What Mt. Abram High School offers is exactly nothing,” he told directors from Avon, Kingfield, Phillips and Strong.
He urged board members to find the money to make more computer classes available and make students more competitive in post-high school career paths.
Teacher Barry London presented statistics to help the board make decisions when considering any budget cuts.
He also asked the board to check facts before they compared Mt. Abram High School to others in the state. He said he made phone calls to neighboring high schools to verify information and correct any misinformation directors may have received at a previous meeting.
He said he spoke with administrators at Carrabec, Madison and Dirigo high schools to see how their standards compared.
“We’re doing it with 24 fewer periods than we had eight years ago,” he said. “I have an after-school study hall, for example, because students need the extra time.”
Mt. Abram High School has fewer administrators than the other three schools but has the highest student-teacher ratio, he said.
He also checked on the number of credits required to graduate and the amount of preparation time allotted for teachers. Mt. Abram High School does as well as other schools that have more resources and fewer challenges, he said.
At an earlier meeting, directors agreed that all high school educators must teach 6.5 classes or blocks in Mt. Abram High School’s eight-block schedule. Teachers will have 1½ duty-free planning periods within the two-day, eight-block cycle.
Directors also asked Principal Marco Aliberti to plan a schedule that includes more advanced courses, additional supplemental math and reading courses, challenging electives, and more information about a standards-based diploma.
The board continued to review cost centers and preliminary Budget Committee recommendations.
Phillips director Dan Worcester said the committee suggested cuts to regular instruction, special education, career and technical education, other instruction, student and staff support, system administration, school administration, transportation and buses, facilities maintenance, debt service and other commitments.
Last year’s budget was $9.2 million and directors hope to add more music and art, and restore funding for a study hall monitor without increasing the budget for the coming year.
One of the overtime and transportation cuts would eliminate the late bus run.
Strong parent Crystal Wilson asked the board to reconsider that option.
“I worked in Lewiston, and I can’t tell you how important that bus is for parents who don’t have other ways to get kids home from after-school activities,” she said.
The late bus serves a greater purpose than simple transportation, according to ski coach Merit Bean.
“The bang for the (late) bus is tremendous,” Bean said. “We need kids to participate in sports.”
Soccer coach Darren Allen said the cut to lights to the athletic fields for the evening athletics programs would mean parents and community members couldn’t watch children play sports.
The Department of Education recommends a school district not have more than 3 percent of its operating budget in unassigned funds. Currently, according to Business Manager Luci Milewski, that fund total is somewhere between $300,000 and $350,000.
The board will hold a districtwide budget meeting in May, and may hold a budget validation referendum in the four towns on June 10.
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