In debate Saturday leading up to adoption of the $26.6 million budget for Regional School Unit 12, a Chelsea resident pointedly framed the question of the day: Do citizens in the eight-town district want the best and most affordable education for their kids, or a more expensive alternative?
“Prison is the alternative,” said Timothy Coitrone, “and that runs you $50,000 to $60,000 per ‘student’.”
For more than four hours at Windsor School, 250 registered voters, whose numbers dwindled as the afternoon wore away, dissected the $1 million in cuts made since voters rejected the original 2009-10 spending plan in early June. Some unsuccessfully advocated trimming guidance and health services, as well as staff training, to last year’s levels.
The school unit, alternatively known as Sheepscot Valley RSU, encompasses Wiscasset, Westport Island, Alna, Whitefield, Chelsea, Windsor, Somerville and Palermo.
Also targeted on July 18 was the perceived surplus of instructors in the small rural schools where the student-teacher ratio is lower than state recommendations.
Betty Larrabee, of Chelsea, said, “It’s not a personal attack against teachers, but some people (living on a fixed income) can’t afford this.”
Andrea Lani, of Whitefield, however, echoed Coitrone’s concern. “We’re not asking for a Cadillac education, just really good teachers,” she said. “To take that away is wrong.”
Regular instruction, which includes teachers, K-12 programs, and career and technical education, comprises 74 percent of the total budget this year, up from 73 percent in 2008-09. Whereas June 2 voters slashed $1.8 million from the instruction line, those casting ballots at the June 9 referendum validation vote rejected the reduced budget. Subsequently, the RSU finance committee was able to readjust those cuts to about $258,000, largely by using federal stimulus money.
Last Saturday, Donald Barrett, of Palermo, voiced his frustration with total local contribution increases ranging from four to nearly 16 percent, after carryover funds are factored in. Looking at actual 2008-09 total local contribution figures compared with the proposed contribution for 2009-10, there will be a $2.2 million increase.
“Why are we spending this much money?” Barrett said. “We should be voting zero (dollars) for this whole budget,” he said, going on to complain that the current state administration has forced school consolidation on communities, adding that previously threatened penalties for failing to consolidate have been suspended.
“If we don’t have to pay a penalty, we don’t need to do this,” he insisted.
Ultimately, Barrett’s point of view did not sway the majority. Most articles were passed by a two-thirds vote.
Clerks registered 44 voters from Wiscasset, 20 from Westport Island, 10 each from Alna and Somerville, 41 from Whitefield, 60 from Windsor, 38 from Chelsea an 23 from Palermo.
While RSU 12 was anticipating 2215 students, that startup number is actually 2100, Potter said. This overall enrollment decline is what prompted state school consolidation law to begin with, he added.
In a PowerPoint presentation (available online at www.svrsu.org), Potter summarized budget reductions made by the RSU 12 board, including a 29 percent decrease in central office costs, a 36.6 percent decline in school board costs, a 15.3 percent decrease in cost per enrolled pupil, and a 19.7 percent reduction ($191,990 less) in system administration costs, in part because the curriculum coordinator is also assistant superintendent.
The RSU board also excised $481,873 from the budget and will use federal stimulus money to upgrade facilities (bleachers at Wiscasset H.S., a roof for Whitefield, an air exchange system in Palermo, and a leaking skylight in Somerville School).
Finance committee chair Gerry Nault answered a question about the anticipated carryover for the 2009-10 budget by saying, “If you’re diligent in applying the budget and careful about spending, hopefully $200,000-$250,000.” A skeptic in the audience countered, “Let’s say a million.”
Medicaid reimbursements were not factored into the budget, Nault said.
Curt Downer, of Westport Island, making a suggestion he characterized as heretical, moved to increase the system administration article by $150,000 in order to “hire educational consultants – experts with a track record.” Downer said the analysts would determine the strengths of the widely diverse school district and provide a “blueprint” for producing improved reading comprehension and math scores, while reducing dropout rates.
Ray Bates, of Windsor, greeted with derision the idea of “this wonderful, all-wise, all-knowing (consultant group) to tell us what to do. We don’t need this thing to get any bigger than it is.”
RSU board member Richard DeVries, of Westport Island, later said, “We’ll make improvements where we can. There is an opportunity to send suggestions to the superintendent on the website. We welcome any ideas,” including cost reductions.
The referendum vote validating the adopted budget will be held on Tues., July 28 in the individual towns.
