Voters from Dresden, Farmingdale, Hallowell, and Monmouth approve a fiscal year 2026 budget of $31,532,162.58 during RSU 2’s regional budget meeting the evening of Wednesday, May 21. The approved budget reflects an increase of $1,553,542.58 or 5.18% from last year. (Piper Pavelich photo)
Residents from Dresden, Farmingdale, Hallowell, and Monmouth gathered in the Hall-Dale Middle & High School gym the evening of Wednesday, May 21 to consider a $31.5 million budget to fund RSU 2’s central office and member schools for the 2026 fiscal year.
Voters approved a budget of $31,532,162.58, an increase of $1,553,542.58 or 5.18% from last year.
Although there was little discussion, which mainly involved questions asking for clarification on budget items, there were over 100 voters in attendance at the meeting.
“This is the biggest crowd that I remember in my years as a principal in this district, certainly as superintendent,” RSU 2 Superintendent Rick Amero said.
Dresden, Farmingdale, Hallowell, and Monmouth taxpayers will contribute a total of $16,701,978.44 to the budget, an increase of $146,059.45 or 0.88%.
The sole Lincoln County town in RSU 2, Dresden will contribute $2,385,003.31, an increase of $15,848.58 or 0.67% from last year.
Farmingdale’s contribution totals $3,662,498.49, an increase of $21,710.77 or 0.60%; Hallowell will contribute $3,901,921.01, a decrease of $66,254.47 or 1.67%; and Monmouth will contribute $6,752,555.64, up $174,754.58 or 2.66%.
The school district is expecting to receive $13,580,685.92 in state subsidy, up $1,157,985.22 or 9.32%.
The fund balance forward is $817,000, an increase of $250,000 or 44.09% from last year.
Amero said driving forces of the budget’s increase are salaries, insurance, and benefits, as approximately 75% of the budget is “people,” or expenses associated with staff.
The budget accounts for a 25% increase in substitute expenses to reflect usage trends, a 12.5% increase in health insurance, and a 3% increase in dental insurance, according to Amero.
The budget also accounts for a 3% increase in athletic and co-curricular game official costs and a 5% increase in subcontracted transportation services for Dresden Elementary School, Hall-Dale Elementary School, and Hall-Dale Middle & High School.
Amero said another factor affecting the budget is the cost associated with the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Act.
In 2023, Gov. Janet Mills signed the creation of a paid family and medical leave program, making Maine the 13th state to establish one, according to maine.gov. Beginning in 2026, eligible workers will have up to 12 weeks of paid time off available for circumstances such as caring for a family member with a serious illness or to care for their own medical needs. Employers and employees share the cost of the benefit through payroll taxes, which became effective on Jan. 1.
RSU 2 Superintendent Rick Amero greets over 100 attendees at the school district’s regional budget meeting at Hall-Dale Middle & High School on Wednesday, May 21. This is the biggest crowd that I remember in my years as a principal in this district, certainly as superintendent, he said. (Piper Pavelich photo)
This added roughly $80,000 to the budget, which doesn’t account for administrative time, according to Amero.
Other factors contributing to the budget’s increase are a 10% rise in utility expenses, a 12% increase in liability insurance, and a $50,000 increase in software licensing. Also, there are increased expenses to place RSU 2 students in programs outside of the district and English as a second language courses, which the district is required to provide, said Amero.
The regular instruction budget is $10,887,094.50, an increase of $913,702.54 or 9.16%; the special education budget totals $5,829,010.03, down $5,762.32 or 0.09% from last year; and the operations and maintenance budget is $3,518,516.85, up $112,623.08 or 3.31%.
Student and staff support expenses total $2,850,031.96, an increase of $163,452.93 or 6.08%; the debt service budget totals $2,456,962.73, down $35,427.37 or 1.42%; and the transportation budget is $1,838,860.86, an increase of $174,883.26 or 10.51%.
School administration expenses total $1,759,527.17, up $241,335.71 or 15.89%; the other instruction budget totals $1,179,096.85, an increase of $43,060.19 or 3.79%; and the system administration budget is $1,074,539.20, a decrease of $72,010.01 or 6.28%.
The all other expenditures budget, which supports the district’s school nutrition programs, is $138,522.43, up $17,684.57 or 14.63%.
The career and technical education budget is $0, the same as last year.
Outside of RSU 2’s operating budget, voters agreed to raise and appropriate $20,000 to be put toward Kennebec Neighbors Adult Education’s operating budget.
Voters will head to local polling locations in RSU 2’s member towns on Tuesday, June 10 to validate the $31.5 million budget that was approved at the May 21 meeting.
Dresden voters will cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 10 at Pownalborough Hall, at 314 Patterson Road.
The next regular meeting of the RSU 2 Board of Directors is at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 5 at the RSU 2 central office, at 7 Reed St. in Hallowell.
