February 15, 2025
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SAD 27 taxpayers to vote on proposed budget

FORT KENT – A move to combine the SAD 27 Fiscal Year 2009 budget referendum with the coming June 10 primary vote was defeated by the school board, so district voters will head to the polls June 16 to vote on the proposed $11.5 million budget.

SAD 27 taxpayers will have the opportunity to amend the proposed budget at a district budget meeting Wednesday, June 11, before the final version is sent to referendum in accordance with state legislation enacted last year.

Some on the board feared holding the referendum separately from the election primary sent the wrong message to district residents.

“People feel we are trying to get away with making it so a lot more votes are not being cast,” SAD 27 board member Danny Nicholas said. “People feel the district is not giving the voters a chance.”

At issue, according to Nicholas, who supported holding the referendum June 10, is that the primary election is likely to draw a large number of voters who may not return to the polls a week later to vote on the school budget item.

“A lot of [SAD 27] taxpayers are not parents [and] everyone should have a chance and the right to vote,” Nicholas said. “Having the referendum on June 10 means you will get a lot of votes out.”

He said that municipal officials had expressed concern that a separate referendum meant only those tied to the district, such as employees and parents, would bother to vote.

“The town councils wanted more people to get a say on the vote,” Nicholas said after the defeat of his amendment. “I’m not saying we won’t have everyone voting on the 16th, but we’d have more on the 10th.”

Not all board members shared Nicholas’ view.

“As a parent I want people showing up [to vote] who really, truly care about the schools,” said Jim O’Malley, board chairman.

On June 16, district voters will face a single-item ballot asking them to approve the budget adopted at the latest district budget meeting.

That amount will be decided at the district budget meeting June 11. There voters will be asked to act on 19 articles that form the proposed $10,845,368 budget, plus an additional local share and adult education funding.

Seven towns make up SAD 27, with four elementary schools and a community high school.

To fund the budget the board is requesting that a total of $2,161,827 be raised through taxes as part of the state and local funding allocation.

The board is requesting an additional $1,007,787 in local funds to help defray costs the state does not recognize as essential educational services, including special education, extra- and co-curricular activities and long-distance transportation.

The additional local funds also are targeted toward increased fuel costs and increased employee health and benefits costs.

The overall budget represents a $376,783, or 12.4 percent, increase over last year.

Board members were quick to point out this increase comes on the heels of two years of budget decreases totaling more than 11 percent.

“The budget is up this year but it works out to only a 31/2 percent increase over those three years,” said Patrick O’Neill, district superintendent.

“We wanted to keep the total tax commitment to what it was three years ago,” O’Malley said. “We also wanted to look at areas that are not impacting teachers or kids. These are tough times [but] we have to keep in mind we are here for the kids.”

To match that commitment, the board had to look for $81,000 in savings.

“We looked at transportation,” O’Malley said. “We won’t be buying a new bus and we will cut back on late afternoon bus runs.”

O’Neill initially had presented the board with cuts at each of the district’s five schools totaling $370,000.

“If the board would have approved those [cuts] it would have done severe damage,” O’Neill said. “I said I would present those cuts but I would not be recommending them.”

Some of the suggested areas for cutting, such as combining middle school grades under one roof in Fort Kent, likely will be brought up again.

“We will probably have the discussions of a community middle school next September,” O’Neill said. “That’s not only about saving money, but it’s also about enriching the programs.”

At the same time, O’Malley stressed no one on the SAD 27 board was out to close any of the smaller elementary schools.

Another cost factor facing districts around the state is the approaching school consolidation.

O’Neill indicated SAD 27 is looking at consolidation options with neighboring school districts, but does not see the move providing immediate cost savings to taxpayers.

juliabayly@hotmail.com

834-5272


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