SKOWHEGAN — Nine years ago, Skowhegan was responsible for nearly 75 percent of the annual school budget shared with five other communities in the school district.

Since then, property valuations determined by the state have risen faster in the surrounding towns of School Administrative District 54, which has saved Skowhegan about $2 million, school Superintendent Brent Colbry said.

In the $32.33 million budget for 2012-13 to be presented to the school board in two weeks, Skowhegan’s share has dropped to just more than 67 percent, while shares for the other towns — Canaan, Cornville, Mercer, Norridgewock and Smithfield — have risen.

Along the way, Colbry said, overall spending from local taxation has dropped nearly $1.5 million because of budget cuts, including about 60 jobs being eliminated. During the nine years since 2004, the overall local share for SAD 54 has steadily dropped from just over $15 million to about $13.7 million projected for 2012-13.

“These assessments are going to change based on the evaluation of the communities — they’re going to go up and down,” he said. “But the spending trend, over a nine-year period, the local assessment for schools for the district has been down.”

Colbry said residential property values in the surrounding towns have increased over the past nine years, meaning an increase in each town’s assessment for school taxes compared to Skowhegan’s.

Colbry said local spending in the proposed budget for the coming year is up about 3.5 percent over the current budget year, which expires June 30.

He said the loss of about $500,000 in federal funding for jobs under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will mean that the district will have to pay for the salaries of eight district teachers that had been paid for with the federal stimulus money.

Colbry said five staff positions will be reduced or eliminated across the district, including the position of principal at North Elementary School, to make ends meet in the coming budget year. The position of a full-time music teacher will not be filled, and an art teacher and a school nurse will be reduced to two days a week. A literacy specialist’s position also will not be filled.

Colbry said he will be visiting the boards of selectmen in all six district towns in the coming two weeks to answer questions about the budget.

The school board will make revisions to the budget before the final draft is voted on May 3 by the full board. A public hearing will be held on the final budget May 16.

The district budget meeting, when residents get to vote, is set for May 29.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

SAD 54: NINE-YEAR COMPARISONS

Percentage of spending share by town

Canaan: 2004, 4.9 percent; 2012, 6.9 percent

Cornville: 2004, 3.9 percent; 2012, 5 percent

Mercer: 2004, 2.6 percent; 2012, 3.5 percent

Norridgewock: 2004, 9.2 percent; 2012, 10.3 percent

Skowhegan: 2004, 74.6 percent; 2012, 67.3 percent

Smithfield: 2004, 4.5 percent; 2012, 6.8 percent

Copy the Story Link