FARMINGTON — RSU 9’s proposed $31 million spending package for 2014-15 and an adult education budget of $394,218 will go before voters at a districtwide meeting Monday, June 2.
The school budget is 4.3 percent, or $1.29 million, more than the current budget of $29.7 million.
The adult education spending plan reflects a decrease of $98,920 from the current budget.
The budget meeting is at 7 p.m. in the Bjorn Auditorium at the Mt. Blue Campus on Seamon Road, where Mt. Blue High School is located.
A budget validation referendum will be held June 10 in Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.
There are 16 articles to go before voters on Monday. Voters can decrease or increase the figures.
The school budget proposal includes money to send sixth-graders to the middle school, $20,000 to start an international student program and $50,000 to address overheating at Mallett School, as well as several identified required and priority needs.
Sending sixth-graders to Mt. Blue Middle School is expected to give them more opportunities for learning and ease overcrowding in the elementary schools.
The $20,000 for the international student program and $15,200 in 2015-16 is an investment that is expected to become a revenue source in the third year. By the third year, if three foreign students were brought to Mt. Blue High School, there would be a net profit of $38,400, according to district world language teacher Lisa Dalrymple.
The new revenue source will allow the district to pay for foreign language classes in the lower grades again. The world language program at the elementary level was previously eliminated because of budget constraints.
Initially, the proposed budget was at $31.4 million, which included some of the $832,530 for items identified as required and priority needs. Some of the items were funded from other sources, including federal grants; others were eliminated or only received partial funding.
Revenue projections indicate the district is anticipating $18.2 million from the state, which is $275,315 less than this year. The amount the towns would have to raise as a total, if the budget remains the same, is $12.29 million for both the K-12 and adult education budgets, according to the district’s information. It is up by $1.38 million, partly because the towns need to raise about $200,000 more for three years to get the state’s full education contribution. It is estimated that by 2016-17, the towns need to raise $664,473 overall to comply with state law.
dperry@sunjournal.com
Proposed RSU 9 town assessments 2014-15
The assessments factor in both proposed school and adult education budgets and additional money that needs to be raised. It also shows the difference from the current year.
Chesterville: $878,091, up $100,441
Farmington: $4.4 million, up $427,277
Industry: $757,233.91, up $86,782
New Sharon: $977,116.68, up $112,344
New Vineyard: $642,132.26, up $79,376
Starks: $311,967.50, up $39,703
Temple: $427,128.77, up $49,496
Vienna: $643,917.58, up $84,390
Weld: $435,917.96, up $79,210
Wilton: $2.8 million, up $271,237
Source: RSU 9
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