ROCKLAND, Maine — City councilors took aim Wednesday evening at the costs and quality of the regional school district.
The leaders of Regional School Unit 13 defended the district and said the rising costs to property taxpayers is not because of higher spending but a decline in revenues from the departure of St. George and a decline in state aid.
Councilors, however, insisted the increase in taxes needed to pay for the proposed 2015-2016 budget was unacceptable. In the end, however, councilors said they wanted to partner with the school district.
“We are not elitists or draconian,” Rockland Mayor Frank Isganitis said at the start of the meeting, but said residents say they cannot afford any more taxes.
The city council voted May 11 to direct the manager to reach out to the school district for a meeting and to call for “appropriate meaningful” cuts in the proposed 2015-2016 budget for Regional School Unit 13. The districtwide budget meeting will be held 6 p.m. Thursday May 21 at Oceanside High School East’s auditorium in Rockland.
RSU 13 Board Chairman Steve Roberts said the district cannot cut its way to a quality education. Roberts said the district has cut and cut in past years. The proposed budget is down 5 percent from the current year.
Councilor Valli Geiger said she was shocked by the increase Rockland taxpayers will have to pay for the school. At the same time, Geiger said the district has a high dropout rate, a high pregnancy rate and a low percentage of students who go to college.
Superintendent John McDonald said RSU 13 is at a tipping point. He said the district is working hard to address its shortcomings.
“A school district is not a speed boat but more like an oil tanker: When you make a turn, it takes time to change direction,” McDonald said.
The district will begin a pre-kindergarten program in the fall that is being paid for fully by a federal grant. The proposed budget also includes hiring a second gifted and talented teacher, which will make it meet state requirements; therefore, the state will reimburse the district for that program, which it does not do now. The budget also includes the creation of a fishermen’s academy, which is aimed at keeping students who fish to remain in school and graduate.
City Manager James Chaousis said the city has asked its employees to make concessions in benefits, and he expects three to four workers will lose their jobs. Two vacant fire and police department positions likely will not be filled. The manager asked whether the school district had asked its employees for concessions.
The school district has not asked for concessions, Superintendent John McDonald said. Business Manager Peter Orne said he was not comfortable talking about negotiations in an open forum.
The proposed school budget includes $800,000 in employee pay raises and higher benefit costs.
Geiger said the district could realize savings by consolidating schools.
“I’d like to see the district kick butt over the summer and close or consolidate schools,” Geiger said.
McDonald said it would not be possible for the district to close a school over the summer. He said there is a state law that sets the process for a school closure and that this process takes nearly a year. He said the district needs to perform a study on how much money would be saved by a school closure, the state education commissioner must approve it, then a referendum must be held in the community where the school to be closed is located. If a municipality approves the closure, then the school is closed. If the residents reject the closure, that community must pay the extra cost of operating the school.
The superintendent said he will provide a plan on school building consolidation in the fall and intends to have it implemented for the start of the 2016-2017 school year.
“There is a desperation, something has to give,” Isganitis said about the community’s reaction to the higher costs.
However, councilors said they were not blaming the current superintendent, who is in his first year, and the school board chairman, who is in his second year as chairman.
“From this point forward, we will hold you accountable,” Isganitis said.