From left: Damariscotta Selectmen Robin Mayer, Ronn Orenstein, George Parker, and Jim Cosgrove vote in favor of the town’s secondary education budget during a special town meeting at the town office Wednesday, May 17. (Maia Zewert photo)
Fifteen voters approved Damariscotta’s 2017-2018 secondary education budget during a special town meeting at the town office the evening of Wednesday, May 18.
The budget is $1,830,163.84, an increase of $57,118.56 or 3.22 percent. The budget consists of the town’s expenses for students in grades nine through 12, most of whom attend Lincoln Academy.
Voters approved the budget with little conversation except for a brief presentation from Central Lincoln County School System Superintendent Steve Bailey about why the town will receive a spike in state funds, which will reduce the budget’s impact on property taxpayers.
An estimated $311,399.09 is expected from the state, an increase of $261,017.69 or 518.08 percent. The spike in state funds represents the state’s reimbursement to the town for one special education student to attend school out of state since 2015-2016.
The state funds include a 30 percent reimbursement of special education expenses from the 2015-2016 budget, as well as 70 percent reimbursement for special education expenses from the 2016-2017 budget.
Central Lincoln County School System Superintendent Steve Bailey talks about the Damariscotta secondary education budget as residents look on during a special town meeting Wednesday, May 17. (Maia Zewert photo)
The figures for state funds are preliminary and will not be finalized until the Legislature passes E.D. 279, the law that establishes the state funding formula for public education. In the event the state funds do not come through, reserve funds will be used so the impact on taxes does not change, Bailey said.
The budget calls for $1,454,764.75 in local funds, a decrease of $203,899.13 or 12.29 percent.
The regular instruction category of the budget totals $1,190,440.42, an increase of $33,501.58 or 2.9 percent. The special education category totals $460,969.66, an increase of $23,831.08 or 5.45 percent. The difference in the regular instruction category stems from increases in enrollment and tuition, Bailey said.
In other categories of the secondary education budget, transportation and buses totals $128,833.67, a decrease of $1,040.09 or 0.8 percent; system administration totals $38,001.50, an increase of $591.88 or 1.58 percent; career and technical education totals $8,000, no change; and student and staff support totals $3,918.59, an increase of $234.11 or 6.35 percent.
Voters will consider the budget for a final time during a budget validation referendum Tuesday, June 13.
