BINGHAM — Residents of School Administrative District 13 in Bingham and Moscow approved the $3.1 million school budget Wednesday night.

Spending lines were passed easily by voting from the floor of the meeting, despite an increased load for local taxpayers, said school Superintendent Virginia Rebar.

The total that each town has to raise in local taxes for the 2012-13 budget is $696,627 for Bingham, with a population of 962 and $933,352 for Moscow, with a population of 512. Rebar said the local assessment is more for Moscow because of higher state property valuations.

That total in local taxes for the coming year is $324,600 more than the current budget, Rebar said.

The effect on the towns’ tax rates will not be known until the school spending figures are added to municipal spending and the towns’ shares of the county tax, she said.

The increase in the local contribution is the result of a combination of factors, she said, including increases in unemployment, worker’s compensation and retirement costs.

Several education technician positions were cut from the budget, as was a $2,000 stipend for the athletic director and hours for food service employees were reduced. Stipends also were cut for coaches in track, middle school and varsity cross country and middle school baseball. A foreign-language teaching position at the high school will be cut to half time if the budget is approved, as will a high school special education teaching position.

The budget validation referendum question is set for each town on Tuesday. Polls are open 8 a.m. -8 p.m. at the Quimby School in Bingham and the same hours at the Moscow Town Hall.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

 

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