Residents of School Administrative District 58 towns will have a chance to weigh in Tuesday on a proposed $9.19 million 2016-2017 school budget at a districtwide meeting.
The meeting is the last opportunity for voters to ask questions and suggest changes to the proposed budget before it goes to the polls on June 14.
The budget meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Mt. Abram High School. SAD 58 encompasses the towns of Avon, Kingfield, Phillips and Strong.
The overall budget is down 2.3 percent from last year’s $9.41 million budget. The district’s board of directors formulated the budget over the last two months and approved the proposed figure on April 14.
“We have looked for every single efficiency that we can take in the budget. It’s a tight budget, but we feel we can make it work,” Superintendent Susan Pratt said Friday.
The total $9,190,427 represents combined increases and decreases. A factor in the budget’s decrease from last year is an increase of $159,152 in state funding. Pratt said state funding is up this year because of a slight increase in enrollment within the district.
Given that the decreased budget also represents decreases in each of the towns’ contribution to the budget, Pratt is hopeful the budget will be well received by residents Tuesday.
Proposed contributing shares for each town are: Phillips, $844,233; Strong, $873,121; Kingfield, $1.4 million; and Avon, $421,410.
The 2016-2017 budget also represents a decrease in the district’s debt service with the final $108,882 loan payment for Stratton Elementary School being made within the current budget cycle.
The proposed budget includes $34,500 for the establishment of a part-time social worker position. The social worker would spend one day a week at each of the district’s three elementary schools.
Additionally, the budget includes a $17,700 increase for the replacement of the district’s iPads with MacBook Air laptops for students in grades six through 12.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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