RSU 68 board sets 2022 assessments

DOVER-FOXCROFT — A week after voters in the four RSU 68 communities approved a near $12 million budget for the 2021-22 academic year via a combined 349-89 vote, the school board formally set the assessments for Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec during a June 15 meeting at the SeDoMoCha School.

During last month’s annual district budget meeting, Superintendent Stacy Shorey said the $11,999,662 budget increased by $28,785 or 0.24 percent from the current year’s total of just under $11,970,900. She said while expenditures have increased, revenues from the state have decreased by more than $250,000 compared to 2020-21. Enrollment has also dropped by about 80 students due to the coronavirus and parents opting for homeschooling.

The superintendent said district officials worked hard to provide for students’ needs while also limiting the overall assessment to taxpayers to a 0.56 percent increase. Between the $4,071,036 local contribution, nearly $600,000 in additional local monies and a bit under $64,000 for RSU 68’s proportional share of the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative budget, the four towns will be responsible for a combined $4,732,481 in assessments. The current total assessment figure is $4,706,137.

Three of the four RSU 68 communities will see increases while Monson’s share would be down by approximately $63,500, or 10.86 percent, to $521,271 from $584,769.

The rest of the proposed shares of the 2021-22 budget are $642,214 for Charleston, up $15,777 (2.52 percent); $2,864,532 for Dover-Foxcroft, an increase of $52,463 (1.87 percent); and $704,465 for Sebec, which is $21,603 (3.16 percent) more than in the 2021 academic year.

In her report, Shorey said a letter was sent to families letting them know that limited remote options will be available to middle school students and there would need to be medical reasons to necessitate this. Shorey said Gov. Janet Mills is ending the state of emergency as of June 30, which could change masking and social distancing. More information will be shared as it becomes available.