CARIBOU, Maine — The RSU 39 school board has decided to return about $175,000 to member communities and to put away for various capital projects more than $260,000.
The school system, which comprises the communities of Caribou, Limestone, and Stockholm, is one of many school districts to receive extra money from the state of Maine this year.
Altogether, the district received $436,656 more than anticipated for the 2017-18 year and decided to return 40 percent to the three communities and put the remaining 60 percent into a newly formed “minor capital reserve account.”
RSU 39 Business Manager Mark Bouchard said the school board’s decision on Aug. 2 means about $142,175 will be returned to Caribou, $26,444 to Limestone, and $6,043 to Stockholm.
Since mill rates have been set for this year, residents won’t see any reduction in their property taxes until 2018, assuming municipal officers in each community decide to allocate the funds toward reducing taxes.
The minor capital reserve account, according to Bouchard, was established in late May when the RSU 39 was reimbursed $402,377 by the state Department of Education for a new school construction project. Maine DOE paid RSU 39 back once voters approved building a new $50 million pre-kindergarten-8 facility in Caribou. Though the $402,377 was part of the school budget, it was spent on the project before it was accepted by voters in RSU 39 communities, and would not have been reimbursed by the state without a positive vote.
With the aforementioned reimbursement and 60 percent of unanticipated state funding (roughly $262,000) in the account, the RSU 39 board plans on using it for a number of future projects.
Bouchard said these projects will include replacing the bleachers at Caribou High School and Limestone Community School, refurbishing the Limestone Community School bathrooms, and replacing fire alarm systems at Caribou High School and the Vocational Center by the end of the year.
