Misplaced blame in SAD 4

To the Editor:

The residents of SAD 4 are having a difficult time passing a school budget. On July 29th the polls in each district town will be open to allow citizens the opportunity to validate the budget approved by district voters on July 22nd.

The sticking point is the increase in property taxes. This scenario is being played out in several communities all across Maine as a result of state funding for education, known as General Purpose Aid, (GPA), languishing at 2007-2008 levels while costs continue to increase.

While a small group of citizens are chastising the local Board Of Directors and Administration for causing the fiscal pain, the situation is more complex and far reaching. Let’s take a look at the state revenue picture in just the past five years:

In 2010 state subsidy for SAD 4 was $3,855,110. For 2016 it will be $3,164,709. This is a reduction of $610,401.

In order to receive basic state aid, school systems need to raise a set amount of money. This is known as the “Local Required” amount. In 2010 the local required amount was $2,271,589. For 2016 it will be $3,164,709. This is an increase of $893,120.

The total gap between reduced state aid, and the local required to receive that amount, is a whopping $1,503,521 shift over just a five year period, to a budget that is just over the seven million dollar mark.

Another way to look at it is that in 2010 the state paid 61.69 percent of the defined cost of education in SAD4 and in 2016 that will drop to 48.73 percent.

When state officials calculate state aid they set a “local required” mil rate. In 2010 that mil rate was 6.69. For 2016 it is set at 8.23. While these small decimal changes appear to be minimal, in fact they represent a shift of approximately $185,000,000 from the state to the locals over a five-year period. When you add the local districts assuming the cost of the state contribution toward teacher retirement, ($37,000,000 for 2016) and the addition of several statewide miscellaneous programs, the shift from state to local property owners is well over $200,000,000.

This is why, despite that fact that the proposed school budget is less than the previous year the cost is increased to the local property owner.

None of this does anything to ease the pain on strapped property owners, but I do hope that it sheds some light on the situation. I encourage all voters to take to the polls and exercise your right to vote on the 29th and to also think twice before placing undue blame on elected and contracted officials for items that are beyond their control.

Paul Stearns

Guilford