Millinocket reviews school options Officials consider phasing in budgetary cutbacks, some furlough days

MILLINOCKET – Cuts beyond 10 percent from the current school budget will result in four to 10 school furlough days, according to Superintendent Brent Colbry.

The uncertain future of bankrupt Great Northern Paper Inc., the town’s largest taxpayer, prompted some members of the Town Council to ask for cuts in the current budget ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent.

More than half of the town’s tax revenues come from the paper company, which has yet to make any tax payments for this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Members of the school board Tuesday reviewed and later approved three scenarios: cutting the current budget by 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent.

While school officials said they were willing to do all they could to reduce costs, they will ask the council to consider phasing in the cuts at increments of 5 percent during a four-month period instead of all at once.

Colbry said officials could reassess the situation once a month as more information is available about the future of Great Northern, the state education subsidy and whether the paper company will pay its tax bill before June 30.

Colbry said school furlough days would require the approval of J. Duke Albanese, commissioner of the Department of Education. He said state education officials would not easily approve school furlough days unless the town proved it was likely to run out of money by the end of this fiscal year.

Colbry said it also would require the approval of the teacher unions. He said union leadership indicated they would be cooperative.

School board members praised Colbry’s recommended budget cut, saying they wanted to protect students from “severe disruption.”

“This makes a whole lot of sense,” said Tom Malcolm, a board member. “The panicking is what gets me. A gradual approach is the way to go. It makes a lot more sense then deciding the sky is falling.”

Officials said there were steps they could take to reduce school costs, but they would rather take more dramatic steps once more information was available.

Colbry’s proposal for a 10 percent budget cut includes freezing all spending except the absolute essentials, which could save $247,780. He said travel, supplies, equipment and other items would not be purchased and the school would end the year with no balance. No staff would be cut and there would be no changes in student programs, except travel.

He said state law requires all contractual employees be given a 90-day termination notice. If the notice were issued on Friday, employees working under contracts, such as teachers and administrators, could not be terminated until June 1, only eight or nine days before school ends.

In addition, Colbry said it actually would cost the school department money to terminate employees because they would be entitled to severance pay and other accrued benefits.

To achieve a 15 percent budget cut, Colbry proposed the spending freeze; that all spring extracurricular and co-curricular activities and their associated transportation be eliminated; and four school furlough days.

A 20 percent budget cut would include all of the above and six additional school furlough days, for a total of 10.