ORONO, Maine — The proposed school budget for 2016-17 includes funding for a fifth-grade teacher, a half-time high school social studies teacher and a few part-time positions to cover middle school art, Gifted and Talented and special education, according to Superintendent Joanne Harriman.
The RSU 26 annual budget meeting will be 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Orono High School cafeteria. The draft budget is $12,815,933, and the total amount residents are asked to pay for education is $6,247,632.
“The total proposed budget increase for 2016-17 is $566,374.94, which represents a 4.62 percent increase over last year’s budget,” Harriman said in an email.
“About 80 percent of the total increase for next year is for salaries and benefits,” she said later.
The funds will be used to add the equivalent of “just over 2 [full-time] teaching staff and 2 special education Ed Techs,” Harriman said.
“We are proposing to add a 1 [full-time] grade 5 classroom position at Asa [Adams Elementary School], a .5 Social Studies position at [Orono High School], .21 [Orono Middle School] art, and an increase of .4 Gifted and Talented teacher,” she said later of the teaching positions.
Residents will vote on 21 budget articles at the annual budget meeting. Article 12 is to set the local allocation of $3,327,608, required in order to get the state funds of $3,692,577, and Article 13 is for $2,920,024 in additional local funds.
“This is the amount over the local allocation that our schools are requesting to cover anticipated expenditures in 2016-17,” Harriman said of Article 13.
Once the budget is approved, it will go before residents for final approval at the budget validation referendum, scheduled for June 14.
The school board also has hired a Brewer educator to fill the shoes of Orono High School Principal Jim Chasse, who is leaving his position for a superintendent’s job in Greenville and to care for his ailing father. Reginald Ruhlin was approved by the RSU 26 board of directors at their April meeting.
“Mr. Ruhlin comes to us with a range of experiences … [and] brings many personal and professional strengths to the [Orono High School] position,” Harriman said. “Of note are his imaginative and fresh leadership perspective, his extensive skills as a professional mathematics teacher, a deep and genuine care for students and their success, keen analytical skills, honesty, approachability, and an engaging sense of humor.”
Ruhlin starts July 1 and his is salary is $86,500.
Ruhlin earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maine and a master’s of science in education from the University of Southern Maine.
“He began his career as an electrical engineer, has taught mathematics at Hyde School, Deering High School, Glenburn School, and Brewer High School,” Harriman said. “Most recently he has served as the Assistant Principal of Brewer High School.”