HODGDON, Maine — A small group of just 18 people, including school board members, approved a $6.5 million budget for SAD 70 Thursday evening.
Of the 18 people voting on the budget, eight were school board members, six were town clerks, and three were district employees, along with the superintendent, district secretary and business manager.
All 20 warrant articles passed unanimously with no discussion from the group. The budget now goes to a June 8 referendum in each of the seven towns that comprise the district.
Attendance was sparse at the SAD 70 district budget meeting Thursday, May 21. A total of 18 people, made up entirely of staff, board members and town clerks, approved the $6.5 million budget. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
The district, which consists of the towns of Amity, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Linneus, Ludlow and New Limerick, will receive less money from the state next year thanks to decreased enrollment. SAD 70’s enrollment for 2020-21 was 478, compared to 497 for 2019-20.
At $6,567,555, the budget marks a reduction of $555,582 from the previous year.
SAD 70 Superintendent Steve Fitzpatrick said despite the large reduction in the overall budget, no programs or personnel were affected by the change. Although state participation in the school budget this year decreased, federal aid money as a part of COVID-19 relief funds enabled an overall decrease in the budget, according to Fitzpatrick.
“This budget is reflective of a decrease in local expenditures because we had some budgeted items (from last year’s budget) that did not come to fruition,” he explained. “We were able to make reductions to our transportation, school lunch and after-school accounts.”
Fitzpatrick noted that both the After School program and School Nutrition program were zeroed out as both will be funded with COVID-19 relief money in 2021-22.
The district is receiving $3,277,687, a reduction of $152,055 from last year, in state aid, and must raise $1,821,155 in local taxes to receive those funds. That figure represents a decrease of $95,926.
Because the district is spending more than what the state says it should be for Essential Programs and Services, residents must also contribute additional local funds to help balance the budget. That amount of $482,535 is up over the current year by $11,017.
Despite that increase, most of the member towns of SAD 70 will see a reduction in the amount residents must pay. A breakdown of those towns’ financial responsibility shows Hodgdon’s share of the budget, including adult education costs, is $578,073 (down $21,798); Linneus will pay $650,571 (down $35,067); Amity will pay $143,723 (down $6,245); Ludlow will pay $227,191 (down $8,043); and New Limerick will pay $617,461 (down $97,814).
Only the community of Haynesville will see an increase in their local share. Residents in this community will pay $116,537, which marks an increase of $4,354.
