School administrators wary of possible budget cuts

AUGUSTA – A warning of possible deep cuts in school subsidies has fueled uncertainty among school administrators just as they are sending their budgets to voters.

A letter from state Education Commissioner Susan Gendron outlined steps that Gov. John Baldacci could take if a petition drive to alter a $450 million borrowing provision in the pending state budget is successful.

Gendron’s letter said Baldacci could call a special legislative session to address the budget or order all state agencies to cut spending by 5 percent. An accompanying spreadsheet lists the impact of a 5 percent reduction to school districts.

While most superintendents say cuts of that size would mean the loss of programs and jobs, they have little choice for now but to continue to use the latest subsidy figures in their budgets and hope for the best.

“Many of us we have developed our budgets based on what we thought was the bottom line … and we are going forward with that,” said Paul Knowles, superintendent of SAD 11 in Gardiner.

Knowles said information from Augusta is changing by the hour.

“Absolutely, it is in the back of our heads, but we don’t want to be alarmists,” said Knowles, whose district would lose $568,000 under the scenario.

Brent Colbry, superintendent of SAD 54 in Skowhegan, said the uncertainty behind the letter is disquieting, even though he thinks a 5 percent cut is unlikely.

“I don’t obviously believe that this will happen, but I don’t know what will happen in the next month,” said Colbry. The Skowhegan district would lose $532,000.

Susan Pratt, assistant superintendent of SAD 9 New Sharon, said that while the potential $600,000 loss in aid for her district was a concern, it is hard to know how seriously to take the threat.

“We have heard both that general-purpose aid will be affected and that it won’t be affected,” she said.