Budget plans to be aired in three districts Voters in CSD 9, SAD 25, SAD 14 to consider proposals

DYER BROOK – Three area school districts will be meeting tonight and Friday evening to see if they can secure voter approval for their annual school budgets.

Voters in Community School District 9 will be asked to approve a more than $4.5 million budget for the 2007-08 school year during the district’s annual budget meeting tonight. The district towns are Crystal, Dyer Brook, Island Falls, Merrill, Oakfield and Smyrna.

The budget meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Southern Aroostook Community School.

Superintendent Terry Comeau said the budget is up $215,077 over last year, mostly due to increases in salaries and the cost of benefits.

The local share of the budget for the six towns that make up the district has increased $81,371 over last year, according to Comeau.

This is the last year that the district has to make a payment on a bond that it took out for a roof replacement project.

In SAD 25, a public meeting on the $4.3 million budget is planned for 6 tonight at Katahdin Elementary School. A public vote will follow at 6:30 p.m.

The district is composed of Stacyville, Sherman Station, Mount Chase and Patten.

This year’s budget is up $337,104 over last year, mainly because the district needs to finance some repair work and install a new fire alarm system at the elementary school.

School officials also have seen a hike in the funding they need to allocate for elementary special education services.

In Danforth, SAD 14 voters will gather for their budget meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at East Grand High School.

The district consists of the towns of Weston and Danforth.

SAD 14 voters will be presented an approximately $1.8 million budget for their approval.

Superintendent Bill Dobbins said that the budget is up $53,000 from the previous year, mostly due to increases in salaries and related expenses.

The district also has received the nod from the state to purchase a new school bus, and will seek voter approval to do so during the meeting.