Jefferson residents will decide on a $9.3 million education budget for the upcoming fiscal year at a district meeting on Wednesday, May 20.
The $9,300,325.75 education budget was recommended by the Jefferson School Committee on March 26 and the town budget committee on April 30. The budget is a decrease of $69,021.13 or 0.74% from last year. Taxpayers will be responsible for $6,187,159, a decrease of $590,929.98 or 8.72%.
The Jefferson Select Board recommended the same total for every line item and the total budget.
AOS 93 Finance Clerk Emily Komiega said the decrease due to the reduction of several budget lines, most of which came from the special education cost center. Many students were being transported to out-of-district placements, requiring payments for both transport and tuition. Those students are being brought back to Jefferson Village School to receive services, for a total special education budget decrease of 5% or $150,000.
The largest cost center increase can be seen in facilities and maintenance, which totals $852,338.20, an increase of $187,590 or 28.22%. Komiega said the increase had two causes. The school was increasing the facilities manager from four to five days per week, and the committee reserved $100,000 in capital improvements.
Komiega said it is standard practice is to set aside money for capital improvements when there is a decrease in budget. The capital improvements fund is for unexpected expenses related to building maintenance.
The system administration budget totals $340,218.91, an increase of $55,414.48 or 19.46%. Komiega said the increase is due to the formation of the Johns Bay Coastal Alliance Education Service Center by Bristol and South Bristol. Due to the two towns leaving AOS 93, Jefferson and Nobleboro must absorb the cost of the central office.
Komiega said central office will also be reduced from 11 staff members to five.
Other instruction totals $49,767.04, an increase of $6,565.04 or 15.20%. Komiega said the increase is the cost of transporting students for sporting events.
Decreases in the budget can be seen in transportation and buses, which totals $601,191.07, a decrease of $73,309.40 or 10.87%. Komiega said this decrease comes from moving special education students back to Jefferson Village School from previous out-of-district placements.
The student and staff support budget totals $374,592.70, a decrease of $61,159.30 or 14.04%. Komiega said the decrease is from the removal of a guidance counselor position.
Other areas of the budget include regular instruction, which totals $3,418,758.08, a decrease of $19,134.57 or 0.56%; special instruction, $2,535,977.56, a decrease of $150,905.18 or 5.62%; career and technical education, $50, a decrease of $50 or 50%; school administration, $298,552.81, an increase of $6,037.71 or 2.06%; debt service, $768,879.38, a decrease of $17,070.06 or 2.17%; and all other expenditures, $60,000, no change.
Residents will consider the budget during a meeting 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20 at Jefferson Village School. For more information, call 549-7491 or go to aos93.org.
