ROCKLAND, Maine — The Rockland area school district has set its schedule for trying for the second time to get a 2015-2016 budget approved by voters.
Residents in the five communities of Regional School Unit 13 rejected the proposed $25.9 million budget by a vote of 793 to 524 at the first referendum on June 9.
RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald said Thursday night at the board’s meeting that he would like to hold a meeting with municipal officials from the five communities in the district on July 1. The superintendent said he wants to hear what municipal officials want from the district so that a budget can be crafted that would gain their support.
In the previous attempt to get a budget passed, both the Rockland City Council and Thomaston Board of Selectmen opposed the package, saying the property tax impact was too significant. The Rockland councilors approved a resolve on May 11 to call for “appropriate meaningful” cuts. Thomaston selectmen took out advertisements and sent out a newsletter to residents urging rejection of the budget.
After meeting with the municipal officials, the schedule calls for the school board to meet on July 2, 13, and 15 to review the budget. The board then is tentatively scheduled to approve a new proposed budget on July 16.
Business Manager Peter Orne said this week that the district is projected to get an additional $273,000 in state revenues over what originally had been appropriated under the state budget following votes in the Legislature this week.
The districtwide budget meeting at which residents will set a final figure is scheduled for Thursday, July 23.
The referendum to validate or reject the amount adopted on July 23 will be held at the polls in each community on Tuesday, Aug. 18.