It took just 30 minutes for the voters to approve next year’s $4.7 million budget for the Great Salt Bay School May 18.
With just a handful of questions, the voters quickly disposed of the first step in the budget approval process. Voters at the June 8 primary will have a second chance to validate the 2010-2011 budget.
In a written ballot, the entire budget was approved 36 to 4 by voters from Newcastle, Damariscotta and Bremen.
Diantha Robinson, a state employee, questioned why teachers will get a raise this year when state works have seen a wage freeze.
School board chairman Jim Cosgrove explained the teacher raise was part of a three-year contract provision. The district is currently in negotiations with the teacher’s union and he declined to explain details of the ongoing talks.
Ann Pinkham asked Cosgrove what the board was doing to keep health insurance costs down.
“It is being negotiated, but this year our health costs went up just two and half percent,” Cosgrove said. “My health insurance costs went up 17 percent.”
The Total budget is up $10,000 from this year. The state will provide about $198,000 to the figure, said Central Lincoln County School System Superintendent Bob Bouchard.
The good news is that local taxpayers will see a $20,000 decrease in local funding.
Local school assessments for Bremen residents are down $56,000, Damariscotta is up $20,000 while Newcastle costs increased by $15,000. Overall decrease is .5 percent, Bouchard said.
Unlike some schools, GSB is not losing teaching positions due to budget cuts. Instead, the school is moving a part-time math teacher to a full time, plus a special education position will also be moved from part time to full time, he said.
Bouchard said the budget calls for services to an anticipated 387 students. Average class size is budgeted at about 17 per class.
This year, the school is moving the gifted and talented programs from special education to regular instruction in a change required by the state.
The budget line for regular instruction is up 3.3 percent, $2.1 million to $2.2 million.
Although the district is in the middle of contract negotiations with teachers, and final salary numbers are not firm, Bouchard said he has included a four percent teacher salary raise in his budget. Currently a new teacher with a bachelor’s degree is paid $36,622 plus full health benefits, he said.
Last year, voters questioned the school board’s plan to replace a retiring librarian with an ed tech. However, Bouchard said they were able to hire a fully qualified experienced librarian at the salary of an ed technician.
Also last year, voters balked at board attempts to eliminate programs that partnered with Kieve and Chewonki camps for special outside instruction. This year, the programs are listed in the regular budget, he said. There are no plans to eliminate these programs, he said.
Overall the district share of the central office administrative expenses is down by 9 percent or $13,790.
The budget anticipates spending 9000 gallons of school bus fuel at $3.15 a gallon. Heating fuel is being budgeted at $2.75 per gallon for 20,000 gallons.
