HOLDEN, Maine — Residents of the RSU 63 member towns of Holden, Eddington and Clifton gave their initial approval to a $9.7 million education budget for the coming year during their annual district budget meeting on Wednesday night.
The 2015-16 spending plan reflects an overall increase of $217,676, or 2.28 percent, from this year, according to business manager Kelly Theriault.
Some factors that came into play while developing next year’s budget was the loss of $183,315, or just over 4 percent, in state funding, Theriault said earlier.
School officials used $185,000 from the district’s undesignated fund balance to help offset the budget increase and state funding loss, Theriault noted in a budget overview.
The budget includes about $113,000 in income from transportation sources, special education tuition, curriculum services to another school and miscellaneous refunds.
Among the cost increases the district is obligated to fund are contracted raises for staff, workers’ compensation insurance, electricity and tuition for high school students as well as its part of the AOS 81 budget, which is shared with Community School District 8’s member towns of Amherst, Aurora, Great Pond and Osborn.
Theriault said about 35 people attended the district meeting and that all warrant items were adopted as proposed.
Theriault said Holden’s share of the proposed school budget works out to $2,753,970 — up $67,946 from this year.
Eddington’s portion amounts to $1,665,748, $62,654 more than this year, while Clifton’s $729,445 share reflects a $14,511 increase.
Final approval of the RSU 63 budget comes on Tuesday, June 9, when school budget validation referendums are conducted in each member town.