Staff Writer
Education officials in School Union 122 will closely examine expenditures in next year’s budgets as they deal with less state money and increased costs, according to John Hedman, the union’s superintendent.
Hedman said Tuesday that the town of New Sweden is anticipating a decrease of $157,000 in state subsidies this year. Although Woodland residents may realize a net gain of $27,000 in state money, several areas in the budget are expected to skyrocket.
School Union 122 is composed of the school boards in Woodland, New Sweden, Westmanland and Stockholm, with each town having its own board. Elementary students in Stockholm and Westmanland pay tuition to attend classes at the New Sweden Elementary School. All high school students are bussed to Caribou High School for their secondary education.
In Stockholm, the town may see a net gain of about $18,000, while Westmanland’s budget is expected to stay closely the same, Hedman said.
The superintendent pointed out that these are preliminary figures and that no budget for either school department is final until the Maine Legislature concludes its budgeting process later this month.
New Sweden’s anticipated loss is about 23 percent of its total state allocation, according to Hedman. This year, the town is not expecting to receive $87,000 in “transition adjustment” money, formally known as a “hardship cushion.” These were funds that the state gave schools that were treated harshly by the funding formula in use at the time.
Because of the state’s bleak financial picture, the transition money has been eliminated, Hedman explained.
The New Sweden school also will lose an additional $70,000 in a reduction of other state subsidies, the superintendent said.
School officials will look closely at all areas of spending, including staffing and programs, when they meet next week to discuss the budgetary issues.
“We have to spend less,” Hedman said.
When the increased costs of petroleum products and the increase in electricity are considered, New Sweden is “facing a double whammy,” Hedman said.
New Sweden holds its town meeting in June and a final education spending plan will be considered at that time.
“We’re going to do everything we can to keep the property tax commitment for education to a reasonable level,” Hedman said.
While Woodland may be receiving a bit more from the state, that school system is facing a $200,000 increase for education secondary students and in the area of special education, Hedman explained.
Woodland’s secondary students attend Caribou High School at an annual cost of about $7,000 per student. The eighth grade graduation classes are larger than the Woodland students graduation from high school, which creates an increase in the budget item.
“It’s a serious amount of money over and above that needs to be spent this year,” Hedman said of the two contributing factors.
Woodland also faces the same increases in fuel costs and electricity.
The superintendent said that School Union 122 will face “tough times” in the coming year. The town’s tax base is mostly residential in nature without any industry to boost tax revenue.
“You have limited ways to raise money,” Hedman said.
