SAD 1 braces for revenue loss — again
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Facing a loss of $860,181 in state aid and a decrease of $130,039 in federal funds, SAD 1 is taking steps to make sure that students’ education is not negatively impacted next school year while they try to avoid a tax increase.
At last Wednesday night’s board meeting, Superintendent Gehrig Johnson presented a budget overview for 2011-12 that includes position eliminations, salary freezes and delayed maintenance.
“There’s a small overall requested increase to the local municipalities of less than 1 percent with no increase in taxes to Presque Isle for the second consecutive year,” he said. “Administrators throughout the district have volunteered to freeze their salaries. We’re in a very tight financial situation and administrators realize that. A savings of $30,000 will be realized through the freeze.
“Cost of living increases will be given to all other employees,” said Johnson. “The budget also reflects a projected 6 percent increase in medical insurance premiums, and a net loss of four teaching positions and three non-teaching support positions which will be accomplished through attrition.”
In 2010 — facing a similar budget crisis — 28 positions were eliminated, but with careful planning, retirement incentives and normal turnover, no one lost a job.
“This year there will be seven more position eliminations,” said Johnson, “but we are working to see that no one will lose their job. We anticipate that there will be enough openings in the district so no one will be displaced.”
Eliminated positions include one fourth-grade teacher at Zippel Elementary School, two seventh-grade positions at Presque Isle Middle School, one in the English department at Presque Isle High School, two custodians and one bus driver.
“As it turns out — in grade four — we had a retirement. In grade seven, we had another retirement and in the English department at the high school, another retirement,” Johnson said. “We will not fill these positions.”
At the February school board meeting, directors unanimously approved implementing a voluntary retirement incentive program for teachers who have reached normal retirement age as defined by statute (either age 60 or 62 depending upon dates of service). Teachers who are presently eligible, based on service, for full retirement under the Maine Public Employee Retirement System, have been employed as a teacher for at least 25 years, and meet all other conditions will receive a one-time incentive payment of $400 per year of each year of teaching experience.
Non-teaching staff that have been employed for at least 10 consecutive years in the district will be offered $100 per year for each year of employment with SAD 1.
Those employees participating in the retirement incentive program include Sylvia Fox (English teacher at PIHS), Judy Perkins (seventh-grade teacher at PIMS), Jill Brown (third-grade teacher at Mapleton Elementary School) and Candice Williams (fourth-grade teacher at Zippel).
Sharon Craig (special education teacher at PIHS) is resigning to take another job, while Dave Heald, athletic director, is retiring. As an administrator, Heald is ineligible for the incentive program.
Employees were originally given a deadline of April 15 to submit a written notice of retirement; however, at last week’s meeting, Johnson recommended that directors extend the deadline to May 15.
“We’ve had requests from potential participants in the program to extend the deadline because of pending legislation in Augusta affecting the retirement system,” he said. “We have a number of teachers who are monitoring this pending legislation and many have notified me that if that legislation goes through there will be several more retirements.
“It’s a very difficult challenge to lose $750,000 in revenue in 2010 followed by an additional $1,000,000 loss in 2011, and still hold school district taxes nearly even,” said Johnson, “but that’s what we’re aiming for and I believe we will accomplish it.”
Budget workshops will be held Monday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 13 at 5 p.m. in the board conference room at PIHS.
