It is back to the drawing board for the RSU 50 school board.
On June 17, the RSU 50 school budget was presented to southern Aroostook voters through a local referendum. The budget failed, 128-533.
The breakdown of voting by town is as follows: Crystal, four in favor, 17 opposed; Dyer Brook, 12 in favor, 25 opposed; Hersey, two in favor, four opposed; Island Falls, 15 in favor, 77 opposed; Merrill, seven in favor; 21 opposed; Moro Plantation, none in favor, four opposed; Mount Chase, five in favor, 45 opposed; Oakfield, 29 in favor, 27 opposed; Patten, 21 in favor, 75 opposed; Sherman, 15 in favor, 131 opposed; Smyrna, 10 in favor, 19 opposed; and Stacyville, eight in favor, 88 opposed.
With the defeat, the RSU 50 school board met on June 30 and adopted a new budget with a reduction of $217,000. The board met on Monday and officially adopted the budget and signed the warrants for posting. The next district budget meeting is July 29 at 7 p.m. at Katahdin Middle and High School to adopt an operating budget to bring to a validation vote on Aug. 7.
The RSU 50 school board will be voting on a $9,553,947 school budget, representing a 2.28 percent increase or $213,807 more than the previous year.
The total local share of the new $9,553,947 general fund budget is $3,845,083. The local share represents a $309,708 increase and an 8.8 percent tax increase to the RSU. The enrollment for next year for RSU 50 is 742 students.
The state share for fiscal year 2015 as allocated by the EPS formula was reduced by $210,151 and the local match was decreased by $11,661, meaning the RSU has to come up with $221,812 in additional local funds in order to keep the budget at the fiscal year 2014 level.
RSU 50 Superintendent Larry Malone noted the board reduced the previous budget by $217,000 by cutting $77,500 to regular instruction; $32,500 from special education; $7,000 from the contingency fund and the biggest hit of $100,000 to facilities and maintenance.
Malone said the regular instruction reduction included salaries, as the teacher contracts were ratified after the last referendum vote and the school board has put roofing projects on hold.
“With the roofs, we will do our own patching if we can,” he said. “We did leave money in the budget for a facilities feasibility study.”
The feasibility study will help prioritize projects for all three buildings in the district.
“The study will address emergency planning and a five-year plan,” said Malone. “We would like to have a 10-year plan if possible.”
After the feasibility study, board members will be able to look at bonds or attempt to raise money locally, depending on what the needs show.
Budget talks began in April with several workshops leading up to the recommended budget of $9,890,947 — a 5.89 percent increase to operate RSU 50 at its present level — which was lowered to $9,770.947 with a 4.59 percent increase, which was defeated at the polls in June.
