ROCKPORT, Maine — The Five Town CSD finance committee at its Saturday meeting proposed to reduce 13 positions at Camden Hills Regional High School to cope with state funding reductions for 2010-11.
The plan would reduce staff hours and not fill open positions in order to meet a reduction in state education subsidy, which caused a $1,244,798 budget gap.
Michael Weatherwax, the assistant superintendent, said that although the committee’s straw vote was informal, he expects the results to stick.
“That’s where we were as of Saturday morning and I don’t expect those [figures] to change; but some might,” Weatherwax said.
The proposed cuts do not include any layoffs, Weatherwax said, just a lot of moving around and reduced hours.
The cuts, including the salaries, benefits and some school programs and clubs, totaled more than $235,000 in savings for the CSD.
Only the first of four tiers of cuts was discussed at the meeting. It covered jobs and programs the school administration identified as having the least effect of all cuts.
The rest of the tiers will be discussed at future meetings.
If no cuts were made, the towns would have to make up the funding difference through higher property taxes.
The Five Town CSD serves the ninth- through 12th-grade students of Appleton, Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport.
Positions affected under the proposal would include: half a math teacher position, half a theater position, half an English teacher position, half a social studies teacher position, one-eighth of a Latin teacher position, a tutor, a special education position, half a library position, a custodian position, half a central office receptionist position, and reductions to hours of an assistant superintendent, the psychological examiner and the maintenance director.
The committee also proposed to cut the Mock Trial Club and the Diversity Club and to close buildings on holidays and Sundays.
The next finance committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 11, in the Chorus Room at Camden Hills Regional High.
Anyone with questions or comments may e-mail the committee at csdpass@fivetowns.net.