Jefferson residents vote for the an article pertaining to the education budget on Wednesday, May 20 at Jefferson Village School. Residents passed the $9.3 budget after adding in funds for a guidance counselor position. (Christine Simmonds photo)
Jefferson voters approved the education budget for the upcoming fiscal year on Wednesday, May 20 after passing an amendment to add funding for a guidance counselor position.
Those in favor of the amendment said guidance counselors provide essential services, and the cost was a small one relative to the $9,420,325.75 budget, an increase of $54,078.95 or 0.5% from last year.
Those against the amendment said the cost was too high for a job which could be performed by other staff members and expressed concern the increase would prompt a repeat of last year’s education budget vote which took six months and three elections to pass.
Jefferson School Committee member Wayne Parlin said he personally did not think the position was needed.
“We have social workers and psychiatrists on staff here, and school nurses,” he said.
Paula Schuster, a Jefferson resident and Nobleboro Central School teacher, said she was really upset this position had been cut from the budget. District psychologists and social workers often only work with students who have an individualized education program, or IEP, she said. Meanwhile there were other students experiencing trauma, suicidal tendencies and engaging in self-harm, she said.
The Jefferson School Committee cut the guidance counselor position from the budget in February when they learned the grant that paid for half the position would not be available after March 31.
When the committee learned in mid-March that funding would be available until the end of December, Danielle Bernier, the committee’s chair at the time, made motion to restore the position in the budget. It did not receive a second.
AOS 93 Business Manager Emily Komiega said the funding was from a five-year Expanding Access in School Environments grant. According to the Maine Department of Education website, these grants would invest $9 million in nine “high-need” school administrative units to increase student access to mental health professionals. The money was distributed by the Maine Department of Education and approved as part of the Bipartisan Safer Community Act.
The grant awarded AOS 93 $67,947 per year for five years, and the upcoming school year would have been number four. However, the grant funding status kept changing, Komiega said the school committee’s position was that the grant funded the job, so they would eliminate the position if they were going to keep losing the grant.
The original proposed education budget line for student and staff support, which was where funds for the guidance counselor position were couched, was recommended by the Jefferson School Committee, Jefferson Budget Committee, and the Jefferson Select Board at $374,592.70, a decrease of $6,1596.30 or 14.04% from the 2025-2026 budget.
The amendment to add $120,000 to that line item in order to fully fund a guidance counselor regardless of the Expanding Access in School Environments grant was approved by a vote of 26-16.
Elsewhere in the budget, 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.
Jefferson residents will consider validating the education budget at the polls on Tuesday, June 9. Voting will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Jefferson Village School, at 48 Washington Road. For more information, call 549-7401 or go to jeffersonmaine.org.
