Old Town school budget plan would raise taxes

OLD TOWN -For the first time in five years, Old Town taxpayers likely will see an increase in their property tax bills to support the city’s schools if a budget proposal discussed Monday night receives final approval.

School Superintendent Owen Maurais presented a preliminary budget to the Old Town school board that seeks $12,188.500.32 from state and local sources for the 2002-2003 academic year. The amount is $1.1 million more than last year’s budget. After subtracting some $7.2 million in estimated revenues and a $289,000 balance forward from last year, $4.6 million needs to be raised by local taxes. The local tax figure is about 16 percent, or $652,568.45, higher than last year’s local tax amount. Most of the increase can be attributed to funding construction of the city’s new elementary school, according to officials.

The new school, which is under construction in back of the Old Town Plaza shopping center on Stillwater Avenue, was launched with a groundswell of local support. Groundbreaking for the $8 million facility took place earlier this month.

Now taxpayers apparently will be asked to put their money where their verbal support has been for the new school. It is estimated local tax bills would increase by 1.7 mills under the school budget proposal. An estimated 0.9 mill increase is for the new school alone. This means a homeowner in a $70,000 home would see taxes increase by about $110 next year to support school operations.

City Councilor Linda McLeod, who acts as a liaison between the Old Town City Council and the school board, told members early in the meeting that the reaction had been negative to the reported 16 percent local increase in the school budget at a City Council workshop meeting last week. After hearing an explanation of the budget, however, McLeod said the budget conformed with City Council guidelines of a 3 percent increase in the school system’s operating budget once debt service and revenues were deducted from the amount. The rest of the increase, $319,934, is the local share of costs for the new elementary school.

School board member David Wollstadt said a 16.36 percent increase may seem “pretty scary” but a five-year comparison of the municipal and city budget revealed the portion of the school budget funded by local taxes had increased by 9.65 percent over five years while the municipal budget had increased by 33.7 percent during the same time period. He stressed the need to separate basic operational expenses from the new school cost.

“When we asked the citizens of Old Town if they wanted a new elementary school, it wasn’t [to be paid for] by taking money away from the [operating] budget, away from our children,” Wollstadt said.

The budget also reflects an attempt to enhance certain academic programs to get the school system in line for Learning Results standards that soon will come into force.

“There’s more helping of children in this budget than in the last three to four years,” Maurais said. Staff additions include a request for a new mathematics teacher at the elementary school level and a new special education teacher at the high school. It would launch a gifted and talented program. Expansion of a program called the “Literacy Collaborative” is requested. The budget eliminates one high school English teacher, reducing English staff from nine to eight. While English teachers will be required to teach six periods of English per day instead of the current five periods, the budget also paves the way for most teachers to be relieved of study hall duties.

Two educational technicians would be hired to monitor all study halls at the high schools, freeing time for teachers to help students in writing labs and other academic activities to meet Learning Results standards.

Another major increase was put in for a new ROTC program at the high school. The program costs $100,000 with half to be funded through federal aid. Funding was put in for an additional five hours per week for an accompanist to help the school choir. Stipends also were included for people heading the elementary honors band and the high school jazz band and ensemble.

The school board will discuss the proposal again at a meeting next week. The City Council usually reviews the school budget later in the spring.