58 school systems tardy with budgets

AUGUSTA — Nearly five dozen school systems could have their state funding temporarily withheld unless they report their new budgets within a few weeks.

School systems are supposed to report new budgets to the state by July 1. If the reports are not in by Aug. 20, the state begins to withhold subsidy checks for those schools.

Suzan Cameron, financial consultant for the Department of Education, said 58 of the state’s 283 school systems had not reported their budgets. In previous years, there were 12 to 15 unreported budgets by this time of year, she said.

Wrangling among taxpayers, city councils and school boards in the face of subsidy cuts and rising taxes has slowed the passage of budgets in several communities.

“I’m frankly very worried,” said Biddeford superintendent Robert Hodge, who is still fighting with his city council about the final budget and doesn’t expect the budget to be passed until August.

“The last time we were late was 10 years ago,” said Hodge, whose board has been asked to cut an additional $900,000 in local funds on top of what has been cut already.