THE SAD63 PUBLIC HEARING RESULTS FROM MAY 12

There was Good News and there was definitely Bad News.

The Good News:

Seems that parents at the last School Board meeting were able to convince the Board not to eliminate the two teachers' positions previously proposed which will keep the class sizes at the current size. And one teacher spoke up last night in appreciation of that action. She said that while she could (and has in the past) conduct classes with 25-30 students, the quality of the education the students would receive would not be the same, nor would the students pass on to the next grade with as much knowledge as they would if the teachers have the smaller size.

She also stated she hasn't seen much of a property tax increase in recent years so I'd like to share my $300.00 increase in three years with her. (And I remember when the class sizes I and my brothers were in were 30 students - and we all achieved excellent public school educations and went on to complete college and post grad degrees. But that was 50 years ago and maybe the teachers were better in those days, or the students better behaved or the parents did a better job of supervising homework or something. Who knows.) Of course, that was in the Bangor School District.

*It was noted that ALL salaries & wages for ALL employees of the District have been frozen at the 2009/2010 levels.

*The health insurance premiums will increase by 2% for the 2010-2011 budget year.

*There are an estimated 315 students who will be attending high school next year. It is estimated there will be an 8% increase in the annual tuition rate at Brewer High School and a 5% increase to John Bapst Memorial High School.

*Last night was NOT the night those in attendance got to vote on the proposed budget. That will happen on both June 3 (at the Holbrook Middle School) and then June 8th at the respective Town Offices along with the various primary elections. As it stands right now - unless the School Board makes additional changes at next Monday night's Board meeting, the Budget Analysis for the various categories of the budget stand as follows:

Regular Instruction - Grades Pre k-8:
Budget 2009-2010 = $2,630,882
Proposed Budget 2010-2011 = $2,600,390
Proposed Increase (Decrease) Totals a ($30,492)

Regular Instruction Grades 9-12
Budget 2009/2010 = $2,620,245
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $2,710,541
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = $90,296

TOTAL REGULAR INSTRUCTION - PRE K - 12
Budget 2009-2010 = $5,251,127
Proposed Budget 2010-2011 = $5,310,931
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = $59,804
Percentage Increase = 1.14%

Student & Staff Support
Guidance & Nurse Services
Budget 2009/2010 = $175,351
Proposed Budget 2010-2011 = $188,890
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = $13,539

Library
Budget 2009/2010 = $24,612
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $21,883
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($2,729)

Technology Support
Budget 2009/2010 = $167,425
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $159,105
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($8,320)

Staff Development & Assessments
Budget 2009/2010 = $58,115
Proposed 2010/2011 = $46,800
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($11,315)

OVERALL STUDENT & STAFF SUPPORT
Budget 2009/2010 = $425,503
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $416,678
Proposed Budget Increase (Decrease) = ($8,825)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (2.07%)

Special Education - Resource Room
Budget 2009/2010 = $452,181
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $410,800
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = (41,381)

Self-Contained Room
Budget 2009/2010 = $192,962
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $166,536
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($26,426)

Special Ed. Tuition
Budget 2009/2010 = $332,066
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $287,726
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($44,340)

Hospital/Home Instruction
Budget 2009/2010 = $16,215
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $5,128
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = $11,067

Director's Office
Budget 2009/2010 = $98,540
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $97,300
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($1,240)

Speech Therapy
Budget 2009/2010 = $97,785
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $98,219
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = $434

Summer Tutoring
Budget 2009/2010 = $4,000
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $1,680
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($2,320)

TOTAL SPECIAL EDUCATION:
Budget 2009/2010 = $1,193,749
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $1,067,389
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($126,360)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (10.59%)

Facilities Maintenance
Budget 2009/2010 = $718,757
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $697,512
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($21,245)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (2.96%)

Transportation & Buses
Budget 2009/2010 = $596,708
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $550,650
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($46,058)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (7.72%)

System Administration
Board of Directors
Budget 2009/2010 = $36,792
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $30,732
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($6,060)

Superintendent's Office
Budget 2009/2010 = $118,330
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $96,864
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($21,466)

Central Services
Budget 2009/2010 = $132,884
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $123,966
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($8,918)

TOTAL SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION
Budget 2009/2010 = $288,006
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $251,562
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($36,444)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (12.65%)**

** decrease due to reduction in salary to new Interim Superintendent, payroll services to be brought into Central Office instead of being contracted out, and reduction of part-time bookkeeper services.

School Administration
Budget 2009/2010 = $392,542
Proposed Budget 2010-2011 = $381,312
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($11,230)
Percentage Increase Decrease) = 2.86%)

Other Instruction
(Co-Curricular & Coaching Stipends/Benefits)
Budget 2009/2010 = $45,091
Proposed 2010/2011 = $34,897
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($10,194)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (22.61%)

Career & Technical Education
Tuition paid to UTC - grades 9-12
Budget 2009/2010 = $197,645
Proposed Budget 2010-2011 = $152,401
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($45,243)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = 32.51%)

Debt Service
Budget 2009/2010 = $224,243
Proposed Budget 2010-2011 = $151,344
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($72,899)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (32.51%) **

** 2010/2011 will be the final payment on the Holbrook Middle School Wing Bond

Other Expenditures
Adult Diploma Programs, UTC Adult Assessments, School Lunch Appropriation, Other cost, Contingency Fund
Budget 2009/2010 = $58,094
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $27,404
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($30,690)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (52.84%)

TOTAL PROPOSED DISTRICT PROPOSED BUDGET
Budget 2009/2010 = $9,391,465
Proposed Budget 2010/2011 = $9,042,081
Proposed Increase (Decrease) = ($349,384)
Percentage Increase (Decrease) = (3.72%)

And that's the GOOD News.

BUT - Here's the BAD NEWS...

EPS Funding Cuts:

" In an effort to balance the State Budget for the coming fiscal year, the Federal ARRA Stabilization Funds (the stimulus money from Washington, D.C.) initially earmarked for education have been used by the State of Maine to off-set shortfalls in the State revenue projections for 2010-2011.

"The District's total subsidy reduction related to the State of Maine Funding cuts for 2010-2011 is $223,771.

"In addition to the reduction in State Subsidy related to the Stabilization Funds noted above, the District's penalty for failure to form a conforming RSU in 2010-2011 in $178,577.**

"The breakdown of this penalty by community is as follows:
Clifton = $25,873
Eddington = $56,262
Holden = $96,442

** This writer DID ask for an explanation of why the penalty went from $167,000 last year to the current $178,577. The explanation was that the State of Maine has increased the valuation of the properties in our three towns since last year. (Seems Augusta thinks our homes are more valuable - for taxation purposes... No comment.)

THEREFORE - how will this proposed school budget break down as to future local "contributions" to fund the local public education provided by SAD 63?

Proposed Total "Draft" Budgeted Costs of the 2010/2011 = $9,042,081

LESS:
Projected 2010-2011 Interest Income of $5,000 = $9,037,081
State of Maine Enacted Funding Level per ED279 dated 3/22/10 = $4,478,381
Federal ARRA Stabilization Funds per ED279 dated 3/22/10 = $253,751
Total 2010-2011 Proposed Local Funds = $4,304,949

2010-2011 - Proposed Local Funds = $4,304,949
2009/2010 - Approved Local Funds = $3,941,995

Total Proposed 2010-2011 - Local Funding Increase = $362,954 (ALL because of Maine State Government - this writer's inset)

REQUIRED LOCAL CONTRIBUTION by Town:
Town of Clifton: Allocation = $624,656
Town of Eddington: Allocation = $1,360,396
Town of Holden: Allocation = $2,319,897

Percentage Increase by Town:
Town of Clifton: 11.80%
Town of Eddington: 12.52%**
Town of Holden: 6.70%

** This is the part most interesting - because Eddington property has received a higher valuation in the last year (that Holden? with all of Holden's businesses?). I had an interesting discussion with Eddington's Town Manager regarding this this morning and he was at the meeting last night. This is an issue he plans to investigate further.)

So people, if you like the idea that the TOTAL proposed BUDGET is 9.21% higher than last year's, even if it is Thanks to the Maine State Government, and you are willing (and able) to pay the corresponding higher property taxes, go right ahead and approve this budget - or don't vote at all on June 3 at Holbrook Middle School or June 8 at your Town Office.

Otherwise, you might want to vote a NO on those dates - AND you might want to vote out every single incumbent in the state Legislature and vote in some candidates who will put public education and lower property taxes FIRST on their list of the state's funding priorities.