If voters approve, RSU 67 will spend $87,665, or .71 percent less than the present $12.28 million budget next year despite state funding cuts of $333,782.
The RSU 67 board of directors voted unanimously to approve a $12.2 million, 2010-11 budget during a meeting at Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln on Wednesday and to place it on ballots of a June 1 district town meeting and a validation vote on June 8.
Superintendent Michael Marcinkus expressed pride that administrators, staff and parent vigilance created the savings. He called the budget one of the lowest in SAD 67 and RSU 67 history.
“I think that’s significant considering the economic times,” Marcinkus said. “Everybody made some sacrifices, but I am more pleased to say that this year we have not had any impact on personnel.”
The biggest savings, $500,000 to $600,000, came from closing Mattawamkeag’s Dr. Carl Troutt School and transferring pupils and staff to Ella P. Burr School in Lincoln, Marcinkus said.
Under the proposed budget, Chester will pay $553,389, or $27,759 less than this year; Lincoln, $3.70 million, or $10,460 less; and Mattawamkeag, $4.65 million, or $6,362 more. Marcinkus blamed state cost-sharing formulas and Mattawamkeag’s recent valuation for the increase.
The board would have to save $69,000 to nullify Mattawamkeag’s increase, he said.
The board opted to seek voter permission to set aside as much as $600,000 annually for a capital reserve fund. That would pay for improvement or maintenance of Burr, Mattanawcook Junior High School and Mattanawcook Academy, all of Lincoln.
The board could spend that money without a referendum. The fund would help defray vast expenses by setting money aside that would not be part of the operational budget, Marcinkus said.
Board member Debra Tardy questioned why $69,000 could not be cut from travel expenses or the capital account, for instance, to save Mattawamkeag from an increase.
Marcinkus said that RSU 67 educators are among the state’s least paid and that further cuts would cause morale to plummet.
“I am trying to increase the morale of one of our communities,” Tardy answered.
Other board members said that further cuts would likely harm educational programs. Board member John Trask said that not putting money into the reserve would likely cause the state to cut RSU 67’s allocations next year.
Budget meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Chester’s town office on May 25; Mattanawcook Academy on May 26; and Mattawamkeag’s town office on May 27. The district town meeting vote will be at the academy at 6:30 p.m. June 1. The validation vote will occur from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 8.