HODGDON, Maine — The SAD 70 school board got its first look at the 2016-17 budget Monday evening, and initial indications are the budget will feature a slight decrease next year.
SAD 70 Superintendent Scott Richardson said the proposed 2016-17 spending package is $6,498,765, which is a decrease of $4,000 from last year.
The budget will be the first one since Cary Plantation withdrew from the school district. That withdrawal goes into effect June 30. As part of the withdrawal agreement, Cary Plantation will continue to send its students to SAD 70 for the next 10 years. For 2016-17, the cost for Cary to tuition its students will be $255,000.
Richardson said he has been trying to visit with each of the communities that make up SAD 70 to go over next year’s budget. So far he has met with Amity, and hopes to meet with each of the remaining towns in the coming weeks.
Included in next year’s budget is the first installment of a 10-year, interest-free loan for the district. SAD 70 was approved for a $1.3 million loan through the state’s revolving loan fund to do a number of repairs to Hodgdon High School and Mill Pond School. The district would only have to pay back 36 percent of the loan, which has been budgeted as $46,600 per year for the next 10 years.
On March 28, the district will hold a special board meeting to approve the budget and make an official vote on the bond referendum.
A public hearing on the bond will be held April 26 at 6 p.m., followed by the hearing on the school budget at 7 p.m. Before the loan can be accepted, voters in the district will need to approve the bond during a May 10 referendum. Only a simple majority vote is needed to approve the bond.
Some of the projects to be completed with the bond money are repointing of all brickwork and cement work on the original Hodgdon High School building; and asbestos removal at Mill Pond which is all the stucco around the outside building above the brickwork.
Other updates involve renovations to make the building more accessible for those with disabilities and include a new elevator at the high school, updating many restrooms in both buildings as well all locker rooms, accessibility to the stage at both buildings. A new fire alarm system for each building is also in the mix.
During Monday night’s school board meeting, Richardson asked for permission to spend up to $15,000 on architect fees so the district could proceed immediately with the elevator design phase for the high school. The request was granted by the board, even though funding for the project is tied to the bond which has yet to be approved by voters.
Richardson said by getting the OK for architect fees, the district would be able to start the project as soon as school gets out.
If the bond does not pass, the district will take up to $15,000 from its contingency fund to cover any costs incurred for the project to that point.
