WINSLOW — The budget for town schools increased in the 2016-17 fiscal year mostly because of technology costs that no longer receive support from the federal government, school officials said.

The total approved budget this year is $14.38 million, an increase of $174,835, or 1.23 percent.

Eric Haley, superintendent of Alternative Organizational Structure 92, said he thinks the budget was fairly “fiscally responsible” this year. The final budget was approved by voters Tuesday, 151-30.

AOS 92 also includes Waterville and Vassalboro. The communities share a superintendent but have separate school boards.

Haley said that the collaboration between the Winslow Town Council and the School Board went well.

“We wanted to give the best for townspeople and the best for the children,” he said in a phone interview Thursday.

The largest increase came from technology spending, up 32.76 percent, or $102,092, from last year. Before, the school underwrote the costs with federal money identified as “e-rate money.” E-rate money comes from a cellphone tax and is designated for schools.

That money is drying up, Haley said.

The budget had to increase to pay for a new lease with the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, or MLTI, Haley said. MLTI buys computers, either Chromebooks or Apple laptops, and iPads for schools. Because it buys in bulk, the schools get a discounted rate. Winslow schools give each seventh- and eighth-grader a laptop or iPad to use, and the lease on the products is up every three or four years, Haley said. The schools also get computers for sixth-graders and others to use.

The budget for this fiscal year has $413,769 set aside for technology, which is less than the $485,228 it had budget in fiscal year 2010-11.

The second-largest increase is in health services because of a staffing change. The part-time nurse at Winslow Junior High School is going to work full-time next year, so that budget increased by $32,840 or 17.7 percent.

The largest decrease for Winslow was in special education spending, which is down 1.49 percent or $30,205.

The new director of special education analyzed staffing this year and made some changes based on where people were most needed, Haley said, which resulted in fewer staff members.

Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239

mstamour@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @madelinestamour

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