A 13 percent drop in the local appropriation for the 2011-12 Damariscotta secondary education budget should ease the burden of a significant hike in the town’s share of the Great Salt Bay Community School budget.
The total local appropriation in the proposed secondary education budget is $1,025,782, a decrease of $152,830 from the current fiscal year.
The departure of one out-of-district special education student accounts for about $98,000 in savings, according to AOS 93 business manager Deborah Giles.
A $17,442 increase in state subsidy, coupled with a one-time influx of $7935 as a result of the federal jobs bill and a higher fund beginning balance, or surplus, easily offset an increase of $42,988 (4.5 percent) in regular instruction.
The increase is due to a small hike in budgeted enrollment (four students, for a total of 103) and an estimated six percent increase in state average tuition. Damariscotta and other AOS 93 towns pay state average tuition (currently $8798/year) for students attending Lincoln Academy.
Decreases in the special education instruction and transportation budgets total $109,617 (32.7 percent) due to the graduation/departure of seven seniors without a single incoming freshman.
