Dover-Foxcroft looking at increased share of RSU 68 budget
DOVER-FOXCROFT — RSU 68 officials are continuing work on developing the budget for the 2024-25 academic year. Superintendent Stacy Shorey gave an update to the Dover-Foxcroft Select Board during an April 9 meeting.
Shorey, joined by RSU 68 School Board Chair Jenny Chase who is one of Dover-Foxcroft’s five representatives on the 9-member director group, said initial work on the budget began in December. The administrative team gave out paperwork to staff seeking their needs and wishes.
The superintendent said the finance committee began meeting in January, and soon began to work with an approximately $427,400 increase in state subsidy, up from about $7.45 million. When asked, Shorey said RSU 68 has 10 more students compared to a year ago.
The proposed 2024-25 budget totals $14,230,768, up by $847,004 from 2023-24’s near $13.4 million figure.
The overall increase to taxpayers would be $147,179 or 3.15 percent from the 2023-24 combined assessment of $4,670,845 for Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson, and Sebec. For Dover-Foxcroft its municipal assessment would be $64,030 or 2.29 percent more than the current approximate $2.79 million total.
The budget will be presented in-depth at the Tuesday, May 7 school board meeting at the SeDoMoCha School and the directors would take a formal vote on approval that evening. Later in May will be the annual district budget meeting, with the total spending plan approved that night moved to the June 11 referendum for final approval.
In other business, Selectperson Steven Grammont asked Police Chief Seth Burnes about how the day of the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 went.
“It went remarkably well given the amount of traffic that we had in town,” Burnes said. He said there was just a minor fender bender in a parking lot.
The chief said he did not yet have an estimate on how many vehicles came through town, but heard about 100,000 drove through the York toll plaza the day of the eclipse.
“It was quite an effort around the state and county with everything set up like clockwork,” Selectperson Joel Vail said in thanking all those involved such as police and fire departments and the Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency.
“I want to recognize our public safety officials, not just for their work yesterday, not just for the traffic control, but for all the planning that went into it,” Town Manager Jack Clukey said. “Yesterday was a culmination of great effort and a lot of planning.”
“We had optimal weather for the highest turnout,” Clukey added, with pre- and post-eclipse temperature above 60.
He shared a letter addressed to himself and the select board from Piscataquis County Sheriff Bob Young thanking Burnes and the police department for assistance in “in recent investigations of illegal, organized Asian marijuana grow operations. Their assistance while executing search warrants is deeply appreciated.
“Dover-Foxcroft is fortunate to have a fine team of committed law enforcement officers, willing to readily work with other law enforcement agencies. Truly, in Piscataquis County, none of us alone has the resources to accomplish what should be done; together, we can.
“Besides being thankful, I particularly want you to know what a fine group of officers you have.”