PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — For the first time in five years, SAD 1 will see an increase in state aid, which is good news as the district heads into the final stages of the budget season.
According to business manager Charles Anderson, the district will receive an additional $194,855 in state funding.
“That’s mostly due to our enrollment increasing by nine students,” he said. “For many years our enrollment was in decline, but with an increase in students this year comes an increase in state revenue. More kids equals more money.”
The proposed 2014-15 budget is $24,008,863, an increase of $798,714, or about 3 percent.
Superintendent Gehrig Johnson said the increase represents cost of living adjustments for all employee groups, as well as the absorption of a 9.5-percent increase in Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical insurance premiums.
“In adjusting for enrollment changes,” said Johnson, “we have made two employee reductions; however, through attrition, no one will lose their job. In the five previous years, 46 positions were eliminated, so we’re very fortunate that we’re not in that position this year.
“This budget is pretty straightforward,” he said. “There are no new costs — it merely moves the district forward intact for another year. While the budget is up about 3 percent, taxes are down in the SAD 1 fiscal year by $94,762 district-wide.”
District budget approval requires a two-step process. In addition to a district-wide budget meeting, which will be held Wednesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. at the Presque Isle High School cafeteria, the district is required to hold a budget validation referendum in each of the district’s five municipalities. The validation referendum will be held June 10.
Following a budget workshop last Wednesday night, SAD 1 directors met for a second time in April.
During the meeting, several staff transfers were announced. Kristi Greaves will be going from a half-time kindergarten position at Mapleton Elementary School and a half-time pre-K position at Pine Street Elementary School to a one-year first grade position at Pine Street. Cynthia Cote will leave her seventh grade math/science position at Presque Isle Middle School to teach grade two at Pine Street.
In addition, Melissa Buck will transfer from grade four to grade five at Zippel Elementary School, while Laura Roope will transfer from being a special education teacher/Second Chances at PIHS to the head teacher position at the district’s alternative education program.
Directors also approved LeRae Kinney as the new SAD 1 Adult Education director, and approved the warrant and budget articles for fiscal year 2015.
Johnson also shared that PIHS was ranked no. 18 on the latest U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best High Schools in Maine.
“Each year the magazine ranks every high school in the country and also compiles state lists of the top 20,” said Johnson, “and PIHS ranked no. 18 out of approximately 100 public high schools in the state. We’re very pleased with this ranking. It places us in that very competitive top tier of Maine high schools. We also view this as a positive reflection on all of our district schools. We’re again the only public school north of Bangor on this list, so we’re very pleased.”
Schools are ranked based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.
The next regular SAD 1 board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 14 in the PIHS board conference room.
