MADAWASKA, Maine — It took 60 residents less than 30 minutes to pass a $6 million dollar Madawaska School Department budget during a special town meeting Tuesday night.
The budget moves on to referendum Nov. 3, according to Superintendent Gisele Dionne.
This marks the third time the 2015-2016 budget has passed at the town meeting, but each previous proposal was turned down by voters at the subsequent ratification referendums in June and again in August.
“I am optimistic it will pass [at referendum] this time,” Dionne said after Tuesday night’s meeting. “It’s time for Madawaska to move forward.”
Going into Tuesday’s meeting, Dionne and the school committee had pared down the budget proposed back in June by more than $100,000 because of less than expected projected heating costs, staffing changes, cuts in employee health insurance costs and additional state revenues.
The latest proposed budget is down $239,000 from last year.
Madawaska will get $2.6 million from the state to match a requested $2.5 million in local essential programs and services — or EPS — contribution.
Voters also approved an additional $286,000, including $78,000 for school lunches, in local funding.
“We have made cuts since June,” Dionne said. “And with all of that, we have not touched student programs.”
There are 450 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in the Madawaska School Department, and Dionne said morale among students, staff and faculty is good.
At the same time, Dionne said faculty and staff are ready for an approved budget and administrative stability.
“I am [the 15th superintendent] in 12 years,” said Dionne, a former Madawaska High School teacher who became superintendent this year. “They are tired of the turnover, and they just want the school department to move forward.”
She pointed to Madawaska High School’s inclusion on the recently released list of 17 Maine schools ranked by U.S. News and World Report as best in the country and as one of five in Maine making the Newsweek “Beating the Odds” list identifying schools that do an excellent job of preparing their students for college while overcoming the obstacles posed by students at an economic disadvantage.
“Madawaska has traditionally supported education,” Dionne said. “Our school committee is doing the best they can to be educationally sound and fiscally responsible.”
