PITTSFIELD — Residents at a special budget meeting for the Pittsfield-based school district voted Monday night to let the school board cover teacher retirement costs through additional state subsidy revenue.

At the meeting in the Warsaw Middle School cafeteria, the school board of School Administrative District 53, which also includes Burnham and Detroit, moved to amend the school budget and cover roughly $95,000 of teacher retirement costs with increased money from its state subsidy. The vote was  unanimous. Roughly 20 people attended.

Voters in Burnham, Detroit and Pittsfield will vote on the amended budget in the Nov. 5 election. The cost doesn’t affect residents’ tax bill, at least this year, according to Kelley Carter, chairman of the budget committee.

“How much the state will fund in the future is unknown,” he said. “It may come to the local taxpayers in the future.”

SAD 53, which also includes Burnham and Detroit, voted last year not to budget for teacher retirement costs, opting to wait for the state to decide what to do with the costs.

The state subsidy is up to about $6,030,000, compared to last year’s total of $5,930,000. The difference covers the $95,662 of teacher retirement costs.

The referendum vote is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 5. Voters in Burnham, Detroit and Pittsfield residents can vote at their respective town offices.

Jesse Scardina — 861-9239
jscardina@centralmaine.com

Copy the Story Link