Bangor schools boosted by revised state subsidy

BANGOR – Residents will need to raise less money for education next year thanks to a higher than expected state appropriation.

Superintendent Robert Ervin said Monday that he drafted his preliminary budget for 2004-2005 using Education Commissioner Susan Gendron’s proposed $734 million state appropriation.

But because the Legislature last week approved a $740.4 million school subsidy, Bangor will receive almost $84,000 more than anticipated, he told the school committee.

The extra funds will primarily be used for property tax relief, he said.

Under the revised plan, Bangor stands to receive $11.5 million in state subsidy.

The increase in local share from taxes will be 3.33 percent, or $671,191 higher than currently. That’s about $95,000 less than originally anticipated.

Using the money to reduce the local commitment “is the right thing to do,” Ervin said. “While it isn’t an overwhelming amount, it will provide some relief.”

The $34.9 million school budget is only 2.65 percent higher than currently, school committee member Phyllis Shubert pointed out.

“The fact that we’ve been able to keep expenses down to less than 3 percent while maintaining programs, adding a new 4-year-old program and moving ahead with initiatives” deserves praise, she said.

Ervin said some of the additional state funds also will be used to provide transportation for the pilot program for 4-year-olds which will be introduced in September at Downeast, Vine Street and Abraham Lincoln schools.

Fourteen students per class will be randomly selected for the program. A waiting list also will be established.

School committee chair Martha Newman emphasized that the program focuses on academics and “is not day care.”

“We’ll offer a full range of educational activities, from language and reading skills to math and science and social skills,” Ervin said after the meeting. “Our intent is to give children a lot of experience outside the school.”