RSU 50 eyes more budget cuts

  DYER BROOK, Maine — Nearly two weeks after its school budget failed at the polls, RSU 50 school board members began the building process once again with a special workshop/informational meeting July 12 at Southern Aroostook Community School.
Because the $9.2 million spending plan was voted down, the RSU 50 board must present a new budget to the public. However, the board could present the exact same spending package in the hopes of getting a different outcome at the polls if it so chooses.
    Only a handful of residents attended last Tuesday’s workshop that lasted for about 30 minutes. In the meeting, Interim Superintendent John Doe gave board members a list of possible reductions that could be made to the 2011-12 budget.
That list of reductions featured the elimination of three teaching positions at Southern Aroostook Community School and one at Katahdin Elementary School. All four were elementary positions that are currently vacant in the two schools. Those positions include a kindergarten vacancy, fifth-grade vacancy and sixth-grade vacancy all at SACS and a third-grade vacancy at Katahdin Elementary School.
By not filling those positions, the district could save about $160,000, Doe said. A Gifted and Talented vacancy could also be left unfilled, Doe said, bringing the total savings to about $225,000, which would result in a budget of about $9 million.
The kindergarten position was cut during earlier budget meetings, only to be reinstated in June. According to Doe, the position was put back when enrollment figures indicated a need for two kindergarten teachers at SACS. The enrollment figure is now projected to be 17 students in one classroom.
A breakdown of the student-to-teacher ratio in the other classrooms at SACS, based on the proposed reductions, is as follows: first grade, 17-to-1; second grade, 15-to-1; third grade, 17.5-to-1; fourth grade, 12.5-to-1; fifth grade, 25-to-1; sixth grade, 24-to-1; seventh grade, 16-to-1; and eighth grade, 20-to-1.
At Katahdin Elementary and Middle School, the breakdown of students to teachers for next year would be as follows: kindergarten, 13-to-1; first grade, 15.5-to-1; second grade, 21-to-1; third grade, 19-to-1; fourth grade, 15-to-1; fifth grade, 16.5-to-1; sixth grade, 12.5-to-1; seventh grade, 26-to-1; and eight grade, 15.1.
“These [proposed cuts] do not eliminate any people,” Doe said. “If we eliminate a position that is already filled, we have to pay a 90-day notice, unemployment and benefits.”
Members of the public were encouraged to ask questions during the meeting, but few did. Resident Gina Clark asked why the cuts suggested were only on the educational side of the budget.
“We felt these cuts would have the least impact,” Doe said. “Nobody would lose their positions with these cuts.”
Board chairman Philip Knowles said the board would look at those other areas at its next regular meeting.
“In time, I believe we will see more cuts on the administrative side,” Knowles said.
He added that because this was the first year of the new RSU, the two districts needed to “hit the ground running” in terms of daily operations. Over time, the board might be able to identify areas that could be trimmed due to redundancies.
As is the case with other school districts in the area, RSU 50 will receive slightly less in terms of state funding, and will have to come up with more local money in order to receive that state funding in its 2011-12 budget. The district will receive $4,744,949 from the state, a decrease of nearly $110,000, and also losses $161,928 in federal stabilization funds and adult education reimbursement, decreasing the total amount of aid by nearly $300,000. Income, in the form or tuition, day programs, interest and sports revenues, is also down $450,000 from a year ago.
The required local share for the district in order to get the full state aid is $2,386,779, an increase of 2.5 percent. However, because the district is spending more than what the state says it should for “Essential Programs and Services,” additional local funds are needed from each of the communities to balance the budget. That additional local figure is $1,746,918 (an increase of nearly $700,000).
To help reduce the tax impact, the district is taking $400,000 from its surplus account, bringing the bottom line local costs to $3,769,767. That figure is an increase of nearly 10.6 percent ($360,693) over a year ago.
According to Doe, the $400,000 in surplus funds represents the entire amount of carry forward funds available.
“That $200,000 figure represents the full amount in each account,” Doe said. “We still haven’t closed out the books for 2010-11, but I know it’s going to be very, very tight.”
The district has already made $484,750 in cuts, including canceling the purchase of a new school bus ($80,000), cutting an ed tech ($25,000) and reductions to maintenance and transportation supplies ($45,000).
Doe said the board will have to “cross its fingers” and hope that additional students with special needs did not move into the district, which would require additional staff members to be added.
Board members briefly discussed the proposed reductions at the meeting, but took no action. The cuts will be further discussed during the next regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 3, and Does said he hopes the board will adopt the new budget at that meeting. Another district budget meeting needs to be held, likely on Wednesday, Aug. 24, followed by a referendum vote on Wednesday, Sept. 7.