HODGDON, Maine — If early forecasts hold true, taxpayers in SAD 70 will pay more to educate students in the district next year.
Superintendent Scott Richardson presented the school board with a proposed $6,509,092 budget for the 2014-15 school year at Monday evening’s monthly meeting. The total budget represents an increase of $127,103 over last year’s figure.
Richardson said the district’s finance committee has met twice to review the upcoming budget and the good news is that the district will see more money coming in the form of state aid.
“We are very thankful for that (increased subsidy),” Richardson said. “Some districts are receiving reductions in their subsidies. That helps our bottom line.”
However, to get that additional money, SAD 70 will have to come up with a slightly larger “required local” share. Last year, the district was required to pay $1,758,303 in order to receive state funding. This year, it will have to pay $1,786,601 (an increase of $28,298).
Because SAD 70’s budget is higher than what the state says it should pay for “Essential Programs and Services,” the district will need to raise additional local dollars to balance its budget. That additional local total amounts to $852,113 (an increase of $66,058 over last year’s figure).
The district plans to use a carryover of $350,000 to help reduce the tax impact. Last year, the district’s carryover was $400,000. Revenue from tuition students is up $14,000 to $100,000, but the district is seeing a big hit to its E-rate revenue ($30,000, which is a decrease of $73,100 from last year.)
How the local share of the total budget will be divided among the communities that make up SAD 70, which is based on state valuation for each town, and the average number of students from each community is as follows:
• Amity (34 students) — $146,797 (an increase of $5,806 over last year).
• Cary (20 students) — $121,415 (up $1,445). There are 20 students.
• Haynesville (16 students) — $98,388 (an increase of $2,001).
• Hodgdon (192 students) — $604,195 (up $4,855).
• Linneus (130 students) — $656,267 (an increase of $17,450).
• Ludlow (40 students) — $244,661 (up $5,233).
• New Limerick (31 students) — $766,993 (an increase of $56,568).
Richardson stressed the budget figures are not finalized from the state, but he expected them to hold true to the initial indications. If the figures change dramatically from the state, Richardson said he would bring the figures back to the budget committee for review.
The district’s public hearing on the budget will be Thursday, May 29 at 7 p.m. at Hodgdon High School, while the referendum is slated for Tuesday, June 10.
In other agenda items, the board:
• Accepted the resignation of Joan Sullivan as an Ed Tech in the district’s resource room. Sullivan has been with the district for 48 years.
• Approved an overnight trip for 14 JMG (Jobs for Maine Grads) students to attend a career development conference April 29 in Augusta.
• Authorized the superintendent to award three stipends to staff members for their assistance in performing special education duties. Lorene Wiley, Mill Pond Elementary School principal, in the amount of $10,000; and Hodgdon High School Principal Mary Harbison and special education secretary Debra Varney, each $5,000. Wiley will then receive a $5,000 stipend for the next two years, while Harbison will receive $2,500 for two years.
• Approved two year contracts for Harbison, Wiley and guidance director Bernadette Willette and a one-year contract for Assistant Elementary School Principal Peter Loiselle.
• Approved the 2014-15 school calendar. The calendar was tabled from last month’s meeting due to questions over the district’s planned early-release days. SAD 70 will have 14 early release days next year, scattered throughout the year on different days.
The next regular meeting of the SAD 70 school board will be Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
