By Olivia Canny
Elizabeth Hickey (center) speaks at the RSU 40 budget adoption meeting May 12. (Olivia Canny photo) |
RSU 40’s budget adoption meeting on Tuesday, May 12 resulted in the approval of the 2015-2016 budget, which is set at $1.1 million more than the current school year.
The $24,032,456.26 budget has increased by 4.97 percent and includes salary increases totaling $565,000 for contractual and non-contractual employees, $100,000 toward a pre-kindergarten program, and $75,000 for the employment of a new social worker, along with other items.
Due to an increase in the mil rate the state uses to calculate local contributions to the budget, the anticipated state subsidy for the district is down, exacerbating the effect of the budget increase on the towns’ assessments.
The anticipated assessments (including adult education) are: Waldoboro, $4,936,351.89, up $375,707.31 or 8.24 percent; Warren, $3,707,500.49, up $203,848.04 or 5.82 percent; Washington, $1,404,800.54, up $109,274.05 or 8.43 percent; Union, $2,076,479.56, up $114,607.82 or 5.84 percent; and Friendship, $1,839,087.80, up $117,475.75 or 6.82 percent.
Concerned citizen Joe Patricia expressed his disapproval of the budget proposal at the meeting, demanding that the subsequent raise in taxes be justified with proof that RSU 40 students are improving academically and ranking higher than in other districts.
Elizabeth Hickey, whose daughter is a freshman at Medomak Valley High School, responded to Patricia’s criticism by expressing her satisfaction with the system. She said her daughter is, “getting an excellent education and definitely getting prepared to attend college.”
The amounts for the budget’s cost centers are:
- Regular instruction: $8,991,114, up $509,228 or 6 percent
- Special education: $4,463,581, up $360,307 or 8.78 percent
- Career and technical education: $788,931, up $80,149 or 11.31 percent
- Other instruction: $432,736, up $36,634 or 9.25 percent
- Student and staff support: $2,008,220, up $79,458 or 4.12 percent
- System administration: $630,473, up $36,173 or 6.09 percent
- School administration: $1,489,826, up $45,488 or 3.15 percent
- Transportation: $1,720,738, up $56,266 or 3.38 percent
- Debt service: $1,293,238, down $167,253 or 11.45 percent
- All other expenditures: $25,000, flat
Voters in the district’s towns of Waldoboro, Warren, Washington, Union, and Friendship will have a final say over the budget at the budget validation referendum on Tuesday, June 9.
