Updated SAD 4 budget down 1.9%

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

 GUILFORD – The School Administrative District 4 Board of Directors fine-tuned the annual budget at its last meeting, reversing a 1.23 percent increase to a 1.9 percent drop.

 But the local share of expenses will still rise, according to Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick. “The reality is that our state funding has decreased along with our student population,” she said. “And we still have fixed expenses, debts to pay off and contracts to fulfill.”

 The proposed $7.28 million budget includes $663,934 in local funds from the six member towns and the increases over last year range from 13.4 percent in Parkman to 11 percent in Cambridge. But it’s an improvement over preliminary figures that some town officials feared could increase their contribution byapproach the 20 percent mark.

 The regular education budget of $2.9 million is down by $17,344. The district eliminated 1.5 teaching positions at Piscataquis Community Elementary School and an ed tech at Piscataquis Community Secondary School. They added one teacher that will split their time between the high school and the Learning for Life program.

 The $1.05 million special education account is down by $39,583 with the elimination of 2.5 ed tech positions and cuts in insurance, benefits, summer school time and other programs.

 One of the accounts with an increase is the support staff account, which is up by 5.2 percent or $38,743. Kirkpatrick said that one of the changes in the department is that a social worker will be replaced by a pPreK-6 guidance counselor, Kirkpatrick said. “A social worker’s duties are somewhat limited,” she said. “A guidance counselor can also teach which gives us more flexibility.”

 Lower fuel prices have helped drop the transportation account by $34,229 or 6 percent, but directors also trimmed one bus driver’s position and made cuts in salary, benefits and insurance.

 The facilities maintenance budget took a $65,975 hit, partially due to lower prices for fuel oil and pellets. But Kirkpatrick said that some of the district’s building needs – like new lockers and refurbishing the gymnasium floor – will have to be addressed in the future. “This just isn’t the right time to ask for that kind of money,” she said.

 The superintendent also pointed out that the district is making annual payments on loans for roof repairs, the pellet boilers and upgrades to schools that have since closed.

 Kirkpatrick acknowledged that the budget process “has been difficult. (Board chair) Cindy Hoak and I are already looking toward finding ways to save money next year by reaching out to our neighboring school districts and seeing if there are more things we can do cooperatively.”

 Voters will have their opportunity to weigh in onscrutinize the budget on Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m. at PCESiscataquis Community Elementary School. At 7 p.m., the budget goes to a vote.

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