The proposed budget for Edgecomb Eddy School is about $53,000 higher than last year; the bottom line the result of careful maneuvering and suppression of anything extra, according to Edgecomb School Committee member Thomas Steele-Maley.
The school committee, Rocky Channels School District (AOS 98) Superintendent Eileen King and the Eddy School’s Dean of Students Lisa Clarke presented the budget to Edgecomb’s Budget Committee on March 28.
The additional $53,334 to the town’s assessment represents about a 2.6 percent increase over the current year, totlaing $2,111,316.
Expenses increase by almost $61,000, which includes nearly $20,000 in an anticipated shift of teacher retirement from the state to the town as a part of Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget, King said. The town won’t know if the teacher retirement shift will actually take place by town meeting in May, so it is prudent to include it in the budget, she said.
If the shift does not take place, the money would not be spent and would be applied to offset next year’s budget, King said.
The state’s subsidy to debt service at the Eddy School decreases by about $7000, but the reduced debt subsidy and increased expenses are offset slightly by a $15,000 increase in anticipated surplus that would be applied to reduce the tax commitment. King said the $108,000 in anticipated surplus is a conservative figure and may end up being higher.
An increase to the system administration budget of $12,275 includes some increases to office staff salaries and a new cost-sharing agreement for an existing curriculum coordinator position that has historically been paid for entirely by the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor CSD, King said.
Regular instruction for Edgecomb students, which includes tuition for student grades 7-12, shows an increase of $31,860 which includes the reinstatement of a teacher that took a half-time sabbatical, King said. Special Education instruction for all grades was reduced by $9136.
A $3514 increase to facilities, plant operations, and maintenance includes money for roof and driveway repairs at the Eddy School. Because the school is now 10 years old, it will start needing more maintenance, King said. Boothbay schools have been able to avoid big costs for repairs by focusing on regular maintenance, she said.
Budget Committee Chairman Northrup “Nort” Fowler said state predictions show a steady decrease of population in Edgecomb in the coming years, which could cause a problem if the student count decreases as well.
King said Clarke is already recruiting students to the Eddy School from outside Edgecomb, which may offset any effect at the school from a decrease in the town’s population. The school committee has a policy of charging outside students $6000 for tuition, she said.
Since adding a student to the school really only adds to costs for additional teaching materials – unless enough students are added to require additional staff – most of the tuition goes to offsetting expenses the school already has, King said.
Fowler thanked King, Clarke, and the school committee for their good work in developing their budget.
“They’ve done a real good job in toeing the line,” said Edgecomb Selectman Stuart Smith.
