Approved school budget surpasses $18 million

Leadership and finances were the key themes of the May 7 RSU 39 school board meeting, during which the board announced the hiring of a new superintendent and approved a budget of more than $18 million.
Susan White of Caribou, a 22-year veteran of the district and current principal of the Limestone Community School, received the board’s nod as the next superintendent of schools. She will replace Superintendent Franklin McElwain, who is retiring at the end of this school year after having held the position for the past 12 years, and will officially begin her new post Aug. 1.
Board Chairman Clifford Rhome of Limestone, members Mary White and Kent Forbes of Caribou and vice chairman John Sjostedt of Stockholm, and about 10 audience members heard an overview of the proposed budget by Karen Nadeau, RSU 39 business manager. Board representatives Tanya Sleeper, Dale Gordon and Michelle Albert were absent.
The 2014-15 budget, totaling $18,404,350, is a figure 1.7 percent less than last year’s, and met with unanimous approval by the four board members present. Despite nearly a quarter-million-dollar increase in the cost of employee and retirement benefits and a roof repair project totaling close to $300,000, the new budget is actually $313,921 less than the $18,718,271 figure for the current 2013-14 school year.
McElwain said the budget is not dramatically different from that originally proposed, though adjustments amounted to what he called the “million-dollar challenge.” Faced with $373,000 in state funding losses, as well as considerable increases in health and retirement benefits across all areas, the district’s cost reductions will include fewer hours for some staff, elimination of some positions and the closure of the existing superintendent’s building with relocation of the staff to the learning center/adult education center on Bennett Drive.
In all, 10 full-time, two half-time and six stipend athletic positions have been eliminated, McElwain reported. Additionally, to aid in cost savings, all schools in the district will switch to a common calendar, resulting in reduction of working hours for some staff members who worked an extended season.
Due to unforeseen issues, the roof at Caribou High School required replacement, rather than repair, and the budget proposes $100,000 be transferred from the reserve to pay for this as the maintenance budget could not absorb the entire cost of the $280,000 project, added McElwain.
In detailing the overall budget picture, Nadeau said the first and largest cost center is that of instruction, coming in at $6,611,973. Due to salary and common-calendar reductions in staff hours, that figure is down overall by 4.9 percent, or $338,828, over last year.
The rising cost of benefits was an issue across nearly all of the 10 cost centers. The budget document lists these increases as follows: Regular instruction, an increase in benefits of $131,384, or 10 percent; special education, up $53,536, or 10.8 percent; career and technical education, up $48,230, or 25.5, with plant operation and maintenance up $2,148, or 12.2 percent; other instruction (including summer school, extracurricular and performing arts), up $6,188, or 24.2 percent; student and staff support, up $6.914, or 2.2 percent; system administration, up $2,888, or 2.7 percent; school administration, up $24,228, or 15.1 percent; and transportation and buses, up $8,881, or 5.7 percent.
Decreases in benefit costs occurred in facilities maintenance, which was down $13,135 or 4.5 percent due to elimination of a custodial position, Nadeau told the board.
Other highlights of the 2014-15 budget are:
• Special education, budgeted at $2,338,487, which is down $79,130 (3.3 percent) from last year’s $2,417,616.
• Career and technical education at the Caribou Regional Technical Center, budgeted at $1,667,180, which is $400,959 (31.7 percent) more than last year’s $1,266,220.
• Other instruction, set at $658,690, down $21,801 (3.2 percent) over last year.
• Student and staff support, coming in at $1,721,722, down $75,740 (4.2 percent) from last year.
• System administration, set at $560,982, down $333 (0.1 percent) from 2013-14.
• School administration, budgeted at $908,542, up $15,939 (1.8 percent) from last year.
• Transportation and buses, proposed at $1,020,656, an increase of $20,290 (2 percent) over last year.
• Facilities maintenance, totaling $2,817,242, down overall $230,550 (7.6 percent) from last year.
• All other expenditures, which includes nutrition and community services, budgeted at $98,876, which is $4,727 (4.6 percent) less than the current year’s budget.
• Debt service remains at 0.
“We’re seeing the effects of benefits on the budget,” said Rhome. “Salaries are down by a half million dollars, but benefits are up a quarter million.”
The board voted unanimously to accept the budget as presented.
In other business, Nadeau reviewed the third-quarter revenues and expenditures, noting both remain on target at this point in the school year.
McElwain announced the resignations of Dave Stewart, longtime custodian at Caribou High School; Amanda West, grade 1-8 health and physical education teacher at LCS; and Nicole Carpenter, French teacher at Caribou Middle School. He reported the hiring of volunteer athletic coaches Chelsea Leighton, softball at LCS, and Dan Umphrey, baseball, and Charles Harris, softball, both at Caribou High School.
The board voted unanimously to approve temporary leave without pay for world language instructor Dan Fishman, whose son is graduating later this month from a master’s degree program in China. Fishman requested leave with pay, due to the cultural educational possibilities arising from the trip, but board members felt such an action could set a precedent.
Administrative updates were provided by Dan MacDonald, director of adult education, along with CRTC Director Ralph Conroy and Caribou High School Principal Mark Jones. The board was reminded of the upcoming Destination Imagination fundraiser, which will help send Caribou’s DI team to national competition in Tennessee.
The board held a 29-minute executive session, and returned to regular business to vote unanimously in favor of a motion to hire White as the new superintendent. The next meeting will be Wednesday, May 21, at the superintendent’s office.