Near $6.9 million figure for SAD 4 moved to referendum

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

GUILFORD — A proposed 2016-17 budget of $6,877,684 was approved — with all 20 articles ending up being passed as written— during a district budget meeting on July 19 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School. The spending plan was then moved to a referendum in the towns of Abbot, Cambridge, Guilford, Parkman Sangerville and Wellington on Tuesday, July 26 (please see the Piscataquis Observer Facebook page and next week’s edition for the referendum results).

Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick said the proposed 2017 budget represents a decrease of $284,586 from last year’s $7,162,270. The near $6.9 million figure is also over $255,500 less than a budget that was turned down by residents of the six district communities at the June 14 referendum by a margin by 389-149

“To get to the cuts we looked everywhere,” Kirkpatrick said. She said the school board’s budget committee worked to bring a new spending plan forward, but the recommendations were not unanimous at the committee and full board level — the count was 10-4 in favor by the directors at their July 6 meeting.

The budget approved at the district meeting includes a local assessment of $3,896,356. This represents a $223,545 increase (6.09 percent) from 2015-16, but is less than the local assessment figure of just under $4,152,000 that was part of the 2017 academic year budget voted down last month. Local assessments are comprised of required and local additional monies, as well as funds for SAD 4’s $44,349 share of the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative.

The local assessment breakdown is $753,083 for Abbot, $30,364 or 4.2 percent more; $246,956 for Cambridge, up by about $12,790 or 5.46 percent; $1,280,580 for Guilford, an increase of just over $75,000 or 6.22 percent; $587,540 for Parkman, a $49,640 or 9.23 percent increase; $821,776 for Sangerville, a $39,521 or 5.05 percent increase; and $206,419 for Wellington, an increase of $16,188 or 8.51 percent more than in 2015-16.