Mexico tech school budget OK'd

MEXICO — The board of directors of the Vocational Region 9 School of Applied Technology has approved a $2.18 million budget for 2018-19, school administrator Brenda Gammon said.

The amount is about $80,000 less than this year’s budget, partly because renovation and construction loans were paid off in November, she said.

The school will receive money for Essential Programs and Services from the state that previously was paid to districts who sent students to the school. Those districts include Regional School Unit 56 in Dixfield, RSU 10 in Rumford and School Administrative District 44 in Bethel.

Essential Programs and Services are defined as the programs and resources that are essential for students to have an equitable opportunity to achieve Maine’s Learning Results.

Andover, Byron, Gilead and Upton pay Region 9 for their students to attend the school.

The state is also giving the school an extra subsidy over the next three years, Gammon said. The amount for 2018-19 will be $400,000, Gammon said.

“Region 9 would have received $1.4 million instead of the $1.8 million, and we would be searching for $400,000 of cuts,” she said. “When (the extra funding) goes away there is a concern . . . about the negative impact that it’s going to have on your … schools.”

The Region 9 school has 11 programs, including automotive technology, building construction, certified nursing assistant, computer technology and culinary arts.

There is also an adult education program for vocational and enrichment classes.

Residents of the towns served by the vocational school will vote on the $2.18 million school budget and the $358,927 adult education budget at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at the Region 9 school, 377 River Road in Mexico.

The towns include Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury, Hanover, Bethel, Newry, Woodstock, Greenwood, Dixfield, Canton, Carthage and Peru, Andover, Byron, Gilead, Upton.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net