HOULTON, Maine — It is back to the drawing board for the RSU 29 board of directors after voters last Tuesday rejected a $12.9 million budget for the district.
A total of 768 people cast ballots on the proposed budget, which failed 318 in favor and 450 opposed. There are about 5,125 registered voters in the district, therefore, only 15 percent participated in the election. There are about 3,843 registered voters in Houlton; 665 in Littleton; 552 in Monticello; and 65 in Hammond according to town officials.
Voters in Monticello also narrowly passed a referendum to close Wellington Elementary School by a vote of 83-68.
“I’m disappointed,” RSU 29 Superintendent Mike Hammer said of the budget failing. “The budget didn’t get the additional local down to where they felt it needed to be. We feel we made significant cuts, including eliminating two positions at the high school.”
Hammer acknowledged the budget failing was a sign of the economic times.
RSU 29 will receive $9,240,465 from the state next year, which is an increase of $423,224 over the previous year. The required local share, which is the amount the district must raise to receive those state funds is $3,192,008 (an increase of $84,164).
“I understand the challenge the taxpayers are facing,” he said. “We will move forward in a professional manner to come up with a new budget.”
The last time a school budget failed at the polls was about five years ago, according to board chairman Fred Grant. At that time, the school board did not make any reductions to its budget and presented the same spending plan, which passed on its second vote.
The district’s finance committee met Monday to discuss its options and was presented with a plan by Hammer to trim $150,927 from the budget. Reducing that amount would remove the need for any additional local funds, which board members felt was the overriding reason for it failing at the polls.
Included in that plan was the removal of an assistant principal position (which was a new position at Houlton Elementary School next year), at a savings of $72,000; eliminating a plan to lease modular classrooms ($48,312); cutting $15,615 from the Houlton Southside School After-School Program; and cutting $15,000 from the heating oil account.
Restructuring plan back on the table
By eliminating the lease of modular classroom buildings at Houlton Elementary School, the district must now revisit its restructuring plan for students, due to overcrowding caused by the closure of Wellington Elementary School at the end of the school year.
When the school board first agreed to go ahead with the closure of Wellington School, the district planned to acquire two modular buildings for Houlton Elementary School and move that school’s library, computer lab, music room and other “specials” into those buildings, freeing up space inside the school.
That plan was changed last week, when Hammer unveiled a new scenario at the June 2 board meeting. That plan called for moving the sixth grade from Houlton Southside School (which has housed grades 4-6 since it was built in 1992) to the high school and creating a new Houlton Middle School wing for grades 6-8. Third graders would then be moved from Houlton Elementary School to Southside School.
At that meeting, the board heard passionate pleas from members of the public opposed to bringing sixth graders to the high school, citing the large age difference and level of maturity between 11-year-olds and 18-year-olds.
Sixth-grade teachers also stated they did not feel there was adequate time to make the transition and requested the move be put on hold for one year.
At that meeting, the board rejected the plan albeit by a slim 5-6 vote. Board members Sandra Wilkins, Jim Quirk, Jennifer Johnston, Lori Holmes and Rosa McNally voted in favor of the plan, while members Tammy Goetsch, John Tribou, Jeremiah Crockett, Sandra Henderson, Liz Anderson and Fred Grant opposed the measure.
At Monday night’s finance committee meeting, Hammer put the restructuring plan back on the table because of the elimination of the modular buildings as a cost-cutting measure.
Hammer also offered a second proposal, moving the pre-kindergarten students to Southside School for one year, until the sixth grade could be transitioned to the high school in 2015-16. Three special education classrooms could be used at Southside School to accommodate the preschoolers, Hammer said.
Pre-kindergarten teachers, as well as other elementary staff members opposed this plan, stating it did not make sense to cause disruption to the young students for only one year and then move the pre-K back to HES in 2015-16.
In addition, the staff said the preschoolers benefit greatly from being around the kindergarten students and noted that playground equipment, drinking fountains and bathrooms at Southside School would not be suitable for preschoolers.
“There are pros and cons for each option,” HES Principal Candy Crane said. “Whichever staff moves, there will be discussion. Which battle do you want to fight?”
HHS Principal Marty Bouchard said he felt bringing the sixth grade up to his building, and moving the third grade made the most sense.
“We all agree that the timing is awful,” he said. “But I feel moving the sixth grade up here is the right one to do.”
At the June 2 meeting, Hammer presented a detailed plan for how that transition could take place. Included in that plan was constructing a wall to separate the middle school classrooms and creating separate drop-off and waiting areas for the middle schoolers at the front of the building.
A special school board meeting will be held Wednesday (tonight) at 6 p.m. in the Houlton High School Library, followed by another district budget meeting on Thursday, June 26, at 6 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. Another district referendum will be held on Tuesday, July 15.
