Voters approved RSU 2’s $32 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year with little discussion at a meeting on Wednesday, May 20.
The RSU 2 Board of Directors recommended a $32,613,499.02 budget, an increase of $1,081,336.44 or 3.43%, during a special meeting on April 16.
RSU 2 Director of Finance Kelleen Longfellow said the turnout at the meeting was the largest the district has seen in years.
“We had a really big turnout; including many students who had turned 18 recently, which was great to see,” Longfellow said.
Taxpayers across the district will be responsible for $17,026,602.98 of the budget, an increase of $325,126.32 or 1.95%.
Dresden is responsible for $2,434,832.72, an increase of $49,901.07 or 2.09%; Farmingdale is responsible for $3,768,210.91, an increase of $105,822.46 or 2.89%; Hallowell is responsible for $3,914,474.17, an increase of $12,670.38 or 0.32% and Monmouth is responsible for $6,909,085.18, an increase of $156,732.41 or 1.95%.
At the special meeting in April, Longfellow said a majority of the increases take inflation and rising prices, such as fuel costs, into account.
The regular instruction totals $10,932,492.91, an increase of $45,398.41 or 0.42%. Longfellow said the increase is due to salary increases and new services for the curriculum.
The special education budget totals $6,152,396.98, an increase of $323,386.95 or 5.55%. Part of the increase is $120,000 allocated for a pre-K program, according to Longfellow.
The budget for debt service totals $1,924,764.32, a decrease of $532,198.41 or 21.66%.
Other areas of the budget include other instruction at $1,236,843.18, an increase of $57,746.33 or 4.90%; student and staff support at $3,079,396.65, an increase of $229,364.69 or 8.05%; system administration at $1,175,068.10, an increase of $100,528.90 or 9.36%; school administration at $1,984,726.67, an increase of $225,199.50 or 12.80%; transportation at $2,192,016.77, an increase of $353,155.91 or 19.21%; operations and maintenance at $3,789,676.13, an increase of $271,159.28 or 7.71%; and all other expenditures at $146,117.31, an increase of $7,594.88 or 5.48%.
Voters also approved warrant Articles 16 and 17.
Article 16 asked if the board of directors shall be authorized to create a special education reserve fund for unanticipated special education costs. Up to $400,000 can be transferred from the available fund balance to the reserve fund.
Article 17 asked if the board can transfer up to $675,000 from available fund balances to the school renovation reserve fund, as well as extend up to $600,000 from the school renovation reserve fund to track renovations at Hall-Dale Middle and High School. It also asked if the board can expend up to $75,000 from the school renovation reserve for playground renovations at Hall-Dale Elementary School.
Voters will consider validating the budget at the polls on Tuesday, June 9.
For more information, call 622-6351 or go to kidsrsu.org.
