Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle residents approve an article related to the RSU 48 budget during a meeting in the Great Salt Bay Consolidated School gym on Wednesday, May 13. (Emily Bracher photo)
The towns of Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle approved the RSU 48 budget for the upcoming fiscal year in under an hour on Wednesday, May 13.
The RSU 48 Board of Directors recommended the education budget totaling $14,054,124.27 at a meeting on April 8. The recommended budget is an increase of $891,984.27 or 6.78% from last year.
Of the total amount, Bremen will be responsible for providing a total of $2,023,240.75, an increase of $222,213.24 or 12.34%. Damariscotta will pay $5,158,149.22, an increase of $310,485.13 or 6.4%. Newcastle will be responsible for $4,020,062.07, an increase of $190,354.12 or 4.97%.
Residents passed every article during the May 13 with little to no discussion. The only question raised was for clarification on what the school administration budget includes.
“We are providing enriching time, great education here during the day and after school for less than the state average per student,” RSU 48 Superintendent Lynsey Johnston said. “We hope that you can continue to support our budget as we have in the past, we really appreciate you all coming out tonight.”
The total figure includes the cost of a school bus purchased last fiscal year. Johnston explained the $115,750 needed to be incorporated in this year’s budget for bookkeeping purposes, but the cost will be reimbursed by the state. Those funds will then transfer back to the school reserve fund, she said.
Over 75% of the recommended education budget is for direct instruction, including the regular instruction budget of $7,513,051, an increase of $455,006.91 or 6.45%, and the special education budget of $2,880,285.84, an increase of $100,300.84 or 3.61%.
Three areas of the budget account for a majority of the increase: staff salaries and benefits, secondary tuition and transportation, and the bus purchase pass-through.
“The board worked hard to keep increases down,” Johnston said.
Staff costs total $7,350,710.32, an increase of $435,434.32 or 6.28%.
Johnston said the cost of health insurance has increased by 10.25%, which accounts for some of the increase in staff costs. Johnston said the only way to decrease this cost would be to cut staff, which she is not recommending.
The secondary education budget totals $4,690,662, an increase of $241,231 or 5.42%. Johnston said secondary education is broken up into three areas of expenditure: tuition, insured value factor, and transportation.
Tuition costs are set by the state and out of the board’s control, Johnston said. The rate for public schools is based on an actual per-pupil cost that is calculated annually for every district. Private school rate, known as maximum allowable tuition, is set based on the per-pupil cost from the previous school year.
Johnston said a majority of the students within RSU 48 attend Lincoln Academy, a private town academy in Newcastle.
The insured value factor, which is 10% of the maximum allowable tuition, is used to pay for building upkeep and critical maintenance in private school because those institutions do not receive other funding for those issues, Johnston said.
The total cost for transportation for secondary education is $223,781.25. Johnston said the district has a five-year contract with First Student, a bus rental service.
“Keep in mind, they’re bearing the cost of extra fuel costs right now,” Johnston said. “So that contract right now is working in our advantage.”
Other areas of the budget include the other instruction budget, which totals $234,951.81, an increase of $29,558.81 or 14.29%; student and staff support, $602,439.71, an increase of $39,865.71 or 7.09%; system administration, $466,903.01, a decrease of 38,933.99 or 7.7%; school administration, $442,541.68, an increase of $20,738.68 or 4.92%; transportation and buses, $797,467.93, an increase of $178,204.93 or 28.78%; and facilities maintenance, $961,383.38, an increase of $97,242.38 or 11.25%.
The total budget for all other expenditures, which includes school lunch, totals $30,000, an increase of $10,000 or 50%.
“We are very proud to have over 75% of our budget going directly to students and less overhead costs,” Johnston said.
All three towns will consider validating the budget at the polls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.
Bremen and Damariscotta residents will vote at their respective town offices. Newcastle residents will vote at the Clayton V. Huntley Jr. Fire Station.
For more information, call 506-2633 or go to greatsaltbayschool.org.
