SAD 46 directors approve $14.55M budget

DEXTER — The SAD 46 school board approved a proposed 2019-20 budget totaling $14,550,306 during a May 1 meeting at the Ridge View Community School. The total is down by about $25,000 from the current academic year, but the share for the four district communities is up by nearly $166,000 to a little less than $3,370,700.

“The budget committee met three times in April,” Superintendent Kevin Jordan said. He said all involved in the process have worked to create a spending plan that best balances the efficient delivery of quality services with the fiscal responsibility required by the local taxpayers.

“So they have been busy and we are moving forward with a budget we will present tonight,” Jordan said.

“The bottom line is down up about $25,000 but the increase to local towns is around $166,000,” the superintendent said.

“That’s a 0.17 percent decrease so the bottom line in our budget is down $25,322,” Jordan said.

A little more than $10.6 million of the $14,550,306 proposed 2019-20 SAD 46 budget is made up of state subsidy, an approximate $252,000 reduction from the year before.

In order to receive the $10.8 million-plus from the state, the SAD 46 communities of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley are required to raise a combined $3,012,816. Along with about $219,570 in local additional monies, $41,456 in debt service and $66,848 for adult education, the total local amount is $3,370,688 or a little less than $166,000 (5.18 percent) more than the 2018-19 amount of $3,204,693.

Each town would see its share of the budget go up. Dexter’s $2,028817 is increased by $101,835 (5.285 percent), a sum of $576,387 for Exeter is $29,987 (5.488 percent) more, Garland would see a $16,751 (3.747 percent) increase to $463,806 and in Ripley the $301,676 portion of the SAD 46 spending plan is an increase of $17,420 (6.128 percent).

“They have worked very hard over the last few months with many meetings to develop a budget that keeps things in place while also balancing the needs of taxpayers,” Jordan said in thanking the budget committee.

The school board scheduled the district budget meeting for Thursday, June 6, with the evening starting at 6 p.m. in the Ridge View cafeteria. The total budget approved across the various articles that evening will then go to a budget validation referendum at the polls in the four SAD 46 towns on Tuesday, June 11 for either a “yes” or “no” vote.

Jordan said the June 11 referendum will include a question asking if citizens wish to continue the district budget meeting/ballot process for another three years. “Per statute that has to be approved every three years,” he said.