AOS 93 Superintendent Steve Bailey presented parents and other residents of the Great Salt Bay Consolidated School District with a 2013-2014 budget proposal that would increase slightly more than 2 percent over the current year, during a meeting March 27.
A previous draft called for the budget to rise by for Great Salt Bay Community School to rise by $600,000 over the 2012-2013 budget, an increase of 11.86 percent. The new total, if approved as presented, would be $5,124,141.
Fifty percent of the cost of operating GSB comes from Damariscotta, with Newcastle paying 37 percent and Bremen paying 13 percent.
Bailey said savings could come from a variety of sources, including approximately $100,000 in savings on employee insurance, and would also include some staffing reductions and realignments.
The proposal also calls for cuts in co-curricular stipends, sports transportation, Grade 7 basketball and field hockey, and purchased services such as programs at Kieve and Chewonki and art therapy, totaling $38,091. Bailey said most members of the basketball and field hockey teams attended other schools.
Under this proposal, the 2013-2014 GSB budget would be $100,925 higher than in the current year.
In order to reach the stated goal of a 2 percent increase, Bailey said, additional cuts could be made by reducing the number of educational technicians and positions in visual and performing arts, and facilities.
Members of the public spoke in favor of arts and co-curricular programs, as well as experiential and outdoor learning opportunities. They touted the value of GSB’s small class sizes and community involvement.
A detailed report on the March 27 meeting will appear in the April 4 edition of The Lincoln County News.
