Residents of Nobleboro and Jefferson approved the two-town AOS 93 central office budget for the 2027 fiscal year at a special town meeting on Monday, Dec. 15.
Although Bristol and South Bristol will still be a part of AOS 93 until June 30, 2026, the two towns abstained from voting on the budget due to their upcoming departure. Bristol and South Bristol fill form Johns Bay Coastal Alliance Education Service Center in July 1, 2026.
The budget totals $778,891.53, a decrease of $409,582.34 or 34.50% compared to the AOS 93 budget last year, with all four towns.
Nobleboro will contribute $369,973.48, an increase of $82,125.11 or 29%. Jefferson will contribute $408,918.05, an increase of $49,464.13 or 14%.
Article one, which covers expenses for special services, totals $218,277.42, a decrease of $111,842.46 or 34% from last year.
Alpha Williams, of Jefferson, asked why there was an increase in the special education director’s salary of $27,000 if the number of schools in AOS 93 are decreasing.
“We’ve lost five of the seven (towns) in the last two years,” Williams said. “If we are losing schools, why would we be giving a special ed director a $27,000 raise?”
AOS 93 Director of Finance and Operations Peter Nielsen said that federal revenue was not included in this budget due to the central office being unable to depend on federal grants.
“There are grants that are part of the budget sometimes,” Nielsen said. “The local entitlements grant that we’ve used in previous years to fund special acquisitions, we can no longer depend on that because the Department of Education is being dismantled on a federal level. So there’s no federal revenue in this budget anymore. We can no longer depend on federal money, and therefore, we removed the local entitlement contribution.”
Williams made an amendment motion to article one to reduce the cost center by $30,000.
“I got the number of $30,000 with the $27,000 increase from last year,” Williams said. “Whether it’s coming from the government, it’s still an increase on the taxpayer.”
Williams said that a decrease in the salary would also decrease the special education director’s benefits.
Nielsen said the budget is based on the health insurance plan each person selects and not a percentage.
“When we budget, we look at the individuals, and we look at the health insurance they have selected,” Nielsen said. “That could be a single plan for somebody working, and that could a full family plan. We budget on the actual people in the building.”
Williams then amended his movement to reduce the cost center by $27,467.70 to reflect the exact difference in the special education director’s salary.
Wayne Parlin, the AOS 93 representative for Jefferson, spoke about why the special education director’s salary was higher this year.
“There is a totally different person in the position than what we budgeted for last year,” Parlin said. “Secondly, what you are failing to realize is that by eliminating the assistant director of special ed position, a lot of that work is getting rolled up into the special ed director itself.”
Both motions made by Williams failed to pass. Article one passed as written.
Article two, which covers expenses for student and staff support, totals $43,880.00, a decrease of $73,555.59 or 63%. The article passed with no discussion.
Article three, which covers expenses for system administration, totals $516,734.11, a decrease of $224,304.28 or 30% from last year.
Williams asked for clarification on what positions the line item for fiscal salaries, which totals $61,800, would cover.
AOS 93 Superintendent Todd Sanders said that the office staff is being reduced from 10 positions to five positions following the departure of Bristol and South Bristol. Those positions will include a superintendent, director of special education, business management, a finance clerk, and an executive assistant.
Williams made a motion to reduce the cost center by $93,622, which would eliminate the $61,800 for executive salaries and reduce the superintendent’s salary from $146,260.00 to $114,437.50, which is what was budgeted for last year.
The motion was not passed. Article three passed as written.
The warrants for regular instruction, career and technical education, other instruction, school administration, transportation and buses, facilities maintenance, debt service and other commitments, and all other expenditures total $0. All passed as written.
According to Nielsen, the lines are left at $0 every year as the costs for those specific account lines are funded by the individual towns and not AOS 93.
Nobleboro Select Board member Richard Powell spoke in favor of the budget, but questioned the fairness in voting power and revenue between Nobleboro and Jefferson.
“I support this budget and all lines on it, I have an issue with the revenue side,” Powell said. “I know this isn’t the right time to do it. It should have been addressed at the AOS meeting, but I strongly advise you, after this year is through, when you look at the process and how it’s worked, that the AOS would look at it.”
The next AOS 93 Board meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 at the central office. For more information, call 506-3044 or go to aos93.org.
