GRAY — SAD 15 directors Wednesday unanimously approved a $23.79 million budget for fiscal year 2014-15.
A districtwide budget meeting for Gray and New Gloucester voters is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at Gray-New Gloucester High School. A budget validation referendum is set for June 10 in each town.
The budget is $1.49 million more than this fiscal year. It includes additional positions of:
* A half-time history teacher at the high school for $32,713
* A full-time art teacher at the middle school for $65,307
* Two quarter-time positions in physical education for $33,216
* A half-time resource room teacher for $37,111
* A quarter-time social worker for $26,195
* A quarter-time psychological examiner for $34,186
* An educational technician II for $33,120
* Additional speech services for $28,549
Major spending increases include staff salaries/benefits, $1,246,166; charter schools, $169,781; technical vocational high school, $26,877.
The proposed budget’s per pupil spending totals $11,480, compared to $9,833 in the 2013-14 budget. The district has about 2,000 students.
SAD 15 will receive a state subsidy of $9 million, $504,866 more than this fiscal year. Directors will use $650,000 in carryover funds from this year’s budget to reduce the impact to taxpayers. A total of $83,750 in other funds will also reduce the burden.
New Gloucester’s share of the budget will be $4,981,560, an increase of 8.4 percent from this year’s $4,484,765. It means a possible increase of $113 in taxes for a property valued at $100,000.
The town’s tax rate is not set until August.
Gray’s share of the budget will be $9,111,989, a 4.7 percent increase. A home valued at $100,000 will see an $84 property tax increase.
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