JACKMAN — A new career and technical education program and the addition of a middle school teacher are among items that residents will consider funding in the 2015-2016 Forest Hills school budget.
The proposed $2.29 million budget will be voted on Tuesday at a district budget meeting before going to voters May 19 in a referendum. The Forest Hills school district, which is School Administrative District 12, includes Jackman and Moose River.
The new career and technical education program, which would focus on forestry and wilderness recreation, is scheduled to begin in the fall, although approval from the state is still pending, Superintendent William Crumley said. The program would cost $37,173, but there would be no cost to taxpayers since the district will be reimbursed fully by the state. However, the reimbursement cycle lasts two years, so the district would have to come up with the money initially, Crumley said.
Residents also are being asked to fund an additional middle school teacher to meet growing enrollment demands, Crumley said. The cost of hiring the new teacher combined with the new technical education program together represent about $94,000 in increased costs for 2015-2016.
The $2,291,762 budget represents a $143,901, or roughly 7 percent, increase from the current budget of $2,147,860. The budget includes no major additions aside from the new teacher and the forestry program, but the district also is receiving about $111,000 less in state subsidies than it received in 2014-2015, Crumley said. “We’ve taken a big hit from the state in terms of less funding,” he said. “That’s a decrease in revenue that all has to be generated locally to make it up.”
Taxpayers are being asked to raise $167,653 more than in 2014-2015, which is mainly related to the decrease in state funding as well as the additional costs of the teacher and new forestry program, Crumley said.
The budget meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Forest Hills High School gymnasium. The referendum is scheduled for May 19 at the Jackman and Moose River town offices.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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