From left: Great Salt Bay School Committee members Dennis Anderson and Jesse Butler review documents with AOS 93 Superintendent Lynsey Johnston at the committee’s Wednesday, April 12 meeting. The committee added a warrant article at the meeting for a $1 million, 10-year note to fund facilities improvements at the school. If voters approve it, project work would begin this summer. (Elizabeth Walztoni photo)
Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle voters will consider a June warrant article to borrow $1 million on a 10-year note for facility improvements at Great Salt Bay Community School.
The school committee approved the addition of this warrant article and a $6.9 million draft K-8 budget at its Wednesday, April 12 meeting.
AOS 93 Business Manager Peter Nielsen said the capital improvement article was proposed to “get ahead of inflation and take advantage of the current focus in school and district leadership.”
The district does not currently carry any debt, according to Nielsen.
The proposed 10-year amortized note, with terms provided by First National Bank, would be split into yearly payments of $125,000 at a 4.73% interest rate beginning in fiscal year 2025.
“It’s keeping staff and students comfortable while we decide what’s next,” committee member Jesse Butler said of the project’s scope. “It’s more than putting a Band-Aid on it.”
A working document of facilities projects includes parking and traffic, playground, sports fields, irrigation and storm drainage, walkways, bus parking, roofing, lighting, dugouts, and outdoor structures as exterior projects.
Interior projects would include electrical wiring, floor and ceiling maintenance, and storage.
The project list will be reviewed by the school committee in May and presented to the public as a thorough plan before the June vote, according to Nielsen.
“It’s a long list of small things,” he said.
According to Nielsen, 90% of the projects would likely be completed in the first 18 months after approval to avoid further inflation costs.
Voters will consider putting $125,000 in the capital reserve fund. If the note article passes, this amount will cover the first payment next year. If not, it will be used for smaller improvements.
The complete K-8 education budget draft as approved is $6,956,313.51, an increase of $722,231.27 or 11.59%. Steepest increases are within the special education, student and staff support, and system administration lines.
AOS 93 Superintendent Lynsey Johnston said a state subsidy error correction earlier this month that gave additional funds to schools and towns has been incorporated into this budget.
According to figures from the Maine Department of Education, Damariscotta received $38,343.18; Newcastle, $41,072.72; and Great Salt Bay Consolidated School District $142,024.10. Bremen did not receive additional funds.
Special education is up by $279,660.19 or 23% to $1,475,323.52. Special education has been a rising expense for schools across the AOS, according to Nielsen.
Proposed increases are concentrated in educational technician salaries and health insurance.
A new budget line of $125,000 for special placement out-of-district is designed to cover the possibility of new students with special needs that require them to be sent outside the AOS, which can cost that amount for one year.
Student and staff support totals $530,253.29, an increase of $146,640.94 or 38%.
The addition of a staff nurse position to replace a contracted staffing agreement with LincolnHealth mutually terminated last year, plus a technology integrator position with benefits and insurance, contributes much of the increase.
System administration totals $251,544.95, an increase of 56,609.64 or 29%.
Within system administration, a 900% increase in legal fees, from $2,500 to $25,000, adds to costs. Professional services related to legal issues add a new $15,000 line.
“We are facing high legal costs this past year, given events at GSB,” Nielsen said.
School staff and the school committee are currently involved in a lawsuit filed April 4 by former parent Amber Lavigne.
Nielsen said he expects legal costs to be reduced in the future, but the administration has learned to be prepared for legal challenges.
Facilities maintenance also increases by double digit percentages this year, up 17%, or $99,121.04, to a total of $693,784.02. Custodian salary and benefits, along with increases to facilities and grounds maintenance costs, add to this increase.
Regular and other instruction costs have both dropped this year by 2% and 3%, respectively. Regular instruction is down $49,197.28 for a total of $2,790,162.57. Other instruction is down $5,532.28 to a total of $153,600.69 requested.
Tax impacts are set to increase for Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle, the district’s three funding towns. The funding each town contributes to the school is determined by its share of the school’s population.
Bremen’s local share this year totals $925,482.32, up $64,745.15 or 7.52%.
Damariscotta’s contribution totals $2,486,090.41, an increase of $272,765.94 or 12.32%.
For Newcastle, funding will total $1,797,249.80, an increase of $142,646.09 or 8.62%.
Secondary education budgets will be presented separately.
The Great Salt Bay School Committee will next meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10 in the Great Salt Bay Community School cafeteria.
