Proposed SAD 4 budget requires big decisions

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

GUILFORD — SAD 4 officials are developing the budget for the 2016-17 academic year, with an early draft of the major costs changes presented during an April 12 meeting. The total general fund expenses equal just under $7,336,400, an approximate $174,000 or 2.43 percent increase from the current year.

James Bell said the school board’s budget committee will be bringing a preliminary full budget forward soon to the rest of the school board. “The biggest thing I will say is we have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “We have some big decisions ahead of us and by big I mean big.”

Among the determinations that will need to be made are any potential cuts to positions and equipment as well as looking into possible ways the district could share services with other area school units.

Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick broke the budget down into three major expenditure centers. Funds earmarked for salaries are up 0.36 percent to approximately $4,416,400. She explained total fringe benefits are up 16.44 percent to about $1,560,200, due in large part to over $218,000 more for health insurance. Non-personnel expenses are down 4.37 percent to a figure of slightly more than $1,359,800.

“That’s where we are at this minute,” Kirkpatrick said, with the three expenditures together totaling about $7,336,400 or 2.43 percent more than the budget set for 2015-16.

The superintendent went over projected revenues. The state’s revenue share would be down by about $214,700 or 7.12 percent to approximately $2,800,500, while the local required amount would be increased by just over $13,000 (0.41 percent) to $3,177,793. Another $225,000 in revenues equals a revenue subtotal of $6,203,470.

The difference between the subtotal and the $7,336,400 is about $1,132,920 in additional needed revenue. This figure is $668,300 more than the current year’s total for additional revenue needed.

“The state is supposed to be paying 55 percent, we are only getting 46.8 percent,” Bell said. “That difference is huge.”

In other business, Kirkpatrick said Piscataquis Community Elementary School Principal Anita Wright is out after suffering a concussion caused when a student ran into her the week before — the pupil is fine.

“She will not be in until after vacation at the earliest,” Kirkpatrick said. The superintendent said that while Wright recovers, Technology Director Crystal Priest is filling in.

The April 12 meeting was the first for the school board after many of the district communities held annual town meetings. Kirkpatrick welcomed new board members Tom Cyr and Susan Griffith of Parkman and William Rowe of Sangerville as well as four other directors who were reelected in March.

The school board voted in Cinthia Hoak as its chair and Sarah Brown as vice chair.