AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci’s emergency budget proposes $27 million in cuts to local schools and further proposes that the cuts be allocated using the same formula used to distribute state aid.
The cuts are stirring opposition and likely will prompt an intense legislative battle when lawmakers consider the budget.
“There are those that think the way we are proposing to reduce school funding is unfair,” Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said. “We are using the funding formula as it is written to distribute the cut.”
She said lawmakers and school officials have made their concerns very clear, and she expects there will be attempts to change the way the cuts are distributed when lawmakers consider the budget plan.
“There are always fights about the distribution of school aid, and there certainly will be one this time,” said Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro. “I hope that people will look at what is in the best interests of the kids and not revert to computer printout politics.”
But she acknowledged that lawmakers from communities that are losing significant sums likely will try to soften the blow. But she said she doubts that will be possible.
“We don’t have the money,” she said. “We are looking at even greater cuts when we do the biennial budget. This is just the start of a lot of tough cuts we have to make.”
Maine schools are receiving subsidies from the state totaling $956,528,141 this budget year after the reductions are made.
Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, the Senate GOP leader, said how to distribute the school cuts likely will be as much of a battle as anything lawmakers will face in working on the emergency budget in January.
“This place lives or dies by those printouts,” he said. “School funding formulas are an age-old battle here, and it will be this time.”
House Speaker Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, said she already has heard from several lawmakers concerned about how the education cuts will be distributed. She said a group of Portland lawmakers met with her this week to complain that the state’s largest city is being unfairly treated by the cuts as are several other communities.
“Obviously those legislators are concerned,” she said. “It’s the job of the Legislature to figure out if these cuts are fair. Can people live with them, and the bad news is it’s not going to get easier.”
Pingree said balancing the two-year budget means finding further cuts, and education cannot be exempt.
Gendron said using the same formula for cuts as for distribution of the funds is fair and believes lawmakers eventually will agree. But, she acknowledged, the complexities of the formula likely will result in some lengthy debates and discussions among lawmakers.
“There are those who think we should have proportionally reduced,” she said. “That is not how our funding formula works. Our funding formula takes into account the property valuation of a community and has always looked at the ability of that community to support education.”
Gendron said that under the funding law, the higher the property valuation, the greater the assumption that a municipality has a greater ability to pay for its schools. In general, she said, the state pays a higher percentage of costs for communities with low valuation and a lesser percentage of costs for those with high valuation.
Gendron said another factor in the complex school funding formula is special education costs. Most communities will see a reduction of state subsidy for special education from 50 percent to 45 percent. But those small communities that have no special education costs are getting 5 percent of their operating costs as a subsidy from the state and those amounts are not reduced under the proposal.
For example, the town of Beals in Washington County gets only $132.53 in subsidy and will see no cut. Neither will Jonesport, which receives $23,632.43. But neighboring Jonesboro will lose $12,744 in GPA out of its total state subsidy of $371,237.21. In all, 16 districts will see no decrease in aid.
Portland lawmakers are upset because the city will lose $1,836,816, a cut of 12.3 percent. But it is not the largest receiver under the formula. Lewiston, which is scheduled to receive just over $30 million this year, is the biggest receiver of state aid. It would lose $544,000 under the proposal.
Bangor will lose $531,348 under the proposal, Brewer will lose $162,648 and SAD 1 (Presque Isle) will lose $139,020.
On 12/17/08 at 6:08 AM,
Bilgerat wrote:
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For the life of me I can not understand why the towns on the coast can't absorb more of the cuts. Yes, there are year-round natives on the coast that are losing their unmortgaged homes to high property taxes but they had the opportunity to sell their homes when anything on the water was selling. If they didn't, too bad. They should lose their homes if they can't pay their property taxes. It's time the legislature stepped in and cut the funding to every town and city on the coast including Portland so that the inland towns won't have to suffer so much of a subsidy cut. For the most part they can afford it and can always raise property taxes.
On 12/17/08 at 6:33 AM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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Bilgerat.. please explain Coastal Towns... A lot of coastal towns like Sullivan, Gouldsboro,Hancock, Sorrento Etc don't have the big high priced summer homes or many fisherman ... Why should these people most who make modest wages with modest homes have to absorb these cuts. I am hoping that you mean towns like Camden, Rockland, York Harbor, the MDI towns... etc...
On 12/17/08 at 6:55 AM,
CandyofBrewer wrote:
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Baldacci should get any plan of raising his employees salaries out of his head and out of OUR WALLETS!. Everytime the first cut goes to Health and then the second cut goes to Education. Cut back on some of the Benefits HE and HIS CRONIES recieve. Cut back on the trips he takes on OUR WALLETS. Cut back on some of those 180 Special Assistants. Do some damn work himself instead of just sitting on his arse while committee after committee (all appointed by HIM) sends him papers to sign.
If he were a "regular" citizen he would be bankrupt by now..he can't seem to manage a budget. GET HIM OUT OF OFFICE. I realize that the whole country is in an economic recession. But how many others are trying to give their employees a 4% raise while cutting essential services to families and children?
Tighten your own belt GOV. The citizens you are supposed to represent have already done so to the point of making new holes in the belt.
On 12/17/08 at 8:18 AM,
Bangorian wrote:
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The biggest problem with school funding is the teachers union. We need to look at capping their pay, stopping annual increases, etc. That will never happen as long as their union has a lock on everything.
On 12/17/08 at 8:46 AM,
downeastmom wrote:
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Bilgerat, I live in Jonesboro a town of only 600 people. We have no industry to speak of. We have a trucking company and a power plant. Each of these have minimal amount of jobs. Your statement is very ignorant. The entire State of Maine is having a tough time with the economy not just "in land". You need to come visit the coast in Washington County and see that your comment is in left field.
On 12/17/08 at 9:03 AM,
Cmccoy wrote:
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i belive in the policy that the gov. and his special cronies should work for free, and when he improves our lives as people of maine and can lower our taxes, then we will the people not the leg. will vote in a pay raise for them. as for the short fall, how about cutting out the laptops. they are more of a headache for the IT staff at these schools then they are worth, i know. that should save some out of the school budget, then where is all the moeny it is suppose to save from going to all these regional school units?????????????????? tell me where is the money gov.??????
On 12/17/08 at 9:05 AM,
Sunnyside wrote:
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Uh, oh..."Portland lawmakers are upset'. What are they going to do? Perhaps they can start by re-negotiating the terms of their recent teacher pay plan where teachers were given huge pay raises if they accomplished certain "professional development" actions....like writing letters of recommendations for students. And the rest of us should feel sorry for Portland. Don't think so.
Its time we let the money follow the child, have a statewide teachers contract, govern schools by county and, oh by the way, make students the top priority.
On 12/17/08 at 9:12 AM,
Sunnyside wrote:
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Cmccoy - so apparently you are more concerned with the IT STAFF at your school than the students having the laptops as an instructional tool. This is the shortsightedness that keeps Maine from moving ahead and realizing the collective potential we have. Having a computer at my fingertips is vital for me to do my work, perform research, learn about world and national politics - other cultures, etc. Shouldn't our students have the same opportunity. Keep in mind, they will be out in the workforce some day. Wander your way into this century, please Cmcoy.
On 12/17/08 at 9:21 AM,
pcme2000 wrote:
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The should cut some of the fat out of the school budgets. Get rid of things like lunch aids, some teacher aids and gave the teachers do more work for the money that they get. Why should a lunch aid get between $11.00 and $12.00 an hr., that is way to much money for that kind of work.
On 12/17/08 at 10:32 AM,
SteveyDee wrote:
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downeastmom, don't forget the store. Hopefully they have the beer cooler stocked a little bit better next time I stop in.
On 12/17/08 at 10:54 AM,
callgirltheory wrote:
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We should definitely cut laptops. I believe they are not necessary. They did not increase my learning or ambition for learning when I was using them at William S. Cohen School. I assume a large percentage of my colleagues feel the same way. Computers work well enough.
On 12/17/08 at 10:55 AM,
callgirltheory wrote:
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Desktops*
On 12/17/08 at 2:04 PM,
chemaine wrote:
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"We need to look at capping their pay, stopping annual increases, etc. "
Ya that's smart, poindexter. Making teaching an unappealing profession is a certain way to attract lousy teachers who will do a crappy job teaching the kids that will need to grow the economy. The stat pays its teachers crap, and is an economic basket case. sadly, too few of you are smart enough to see the connection because of the crappy teachers you had.
On 12/17/08 at 2:20 PM,
SteveyDee wrote:
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Turn off the heat. Should save some money. Just kidding. Some of the schools are old and in hard shape. Heating systems are under powered and worn out. Buildings are falling apart. Cutting school funding should be the last thing.
On 12/17/08 at 6:44 PM,
rodney wrote:
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I say Susan Gendron needs a pay cut. She is supposed to be the smartest person in education. Ha, Just anything to protect her pay. No sense helping the school kids, lets cut school funding, well except for the welfare.
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