READFIELD — After at least a decade without a budget committee, Regional School Unit 38 is planning to restart the panel to increase residents’ involvement in deciding spending on education.

Superintendent Jay Charette announced recently the Readfield-based school district will reestablish the budget committee as he sets forth goals for the coming year that include limiting the overall budget increase to 3% and creating a special education reserve fund for unexpected costs.

The move comes after Readfield residents Barbara and Bruce Bourgoine spoke at the Oct. 2 meeting of the RSU 38 board of directors. The couple suggested a budget committee would allow for a more robust process in which more people from the district can be involved in meetings and conversations on budgetary matters.

Charette referenced the Bourgoines when he unveiled his budget goals at Wednesday’s night’s board meeting. He said he wants to begin the process earlier this year, along with keeping the budget increase at no more than 3% and establishing reserve funds for special education and capital improvements.

Like the Bourgoines, Charette said he believes a budget committee can help the district establish goals.

“The committee will oversee and develop the annual budget; make sure funds are allocated efficiently, across various department and programs; and prioritize the district’s financial needs, balances and demands with limited resources,” Charette said, adding that the committee will have a role in creating a budget that aligns with the district’s goals and considers long-term planning.

Last year, the RSU 38 board went through several budget drafts before passing a $22.9 million spending plan during what several school districts across Maine reported was a particularly difficult budgeting season, with high inflation and the expiration of COVID-19 funding.

Members of the public were vocal about RSU 38’s budget, especially about the foreign languages that faced being cut. Ultimately, the programs remained in the budget because of vocal community support. 

The Bourgoines said Oct. 2 that a budget committee would allow the public to be more involved, including at the beginning of budget discussions.

Barbara Bourgoine taught in the school district, and Bruce Bourgoine served on the budget committee before the district became a regional school unit.

“Our thoughts are, budget considerations can be more holistic with a smaller group of people with budgetary experience and, then present it to the board for final decisions,” Barbara Bourgoine said at the Oct. 2 meeting. “It used to work that way at Maranacook … and it reduced pressure on the superintendent and school board members.”

The RSU 38 board of directors is composed of 14 members from the district’s four communities: Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield and Wayne.

School boards across the state have subcommittees that meet outside of the regularly scheduled business meetings and are made up of around four members of the board. Typical subcommittees that school boards have include: a finance or budget committee, curriculum, policy and personnel committees. Members of the subcommittee vote on recommendations that the chairpersons of the committees present to the school board for a formal vote.

“I think it will really help us understand the budget process better,” Wendy Brotherlin, a board member from Manchester.

RSU 38 used to have a budget committee, but Charette said it did not have the level of trust required to be successful. The full RSU 38 board would show up at budget committee meetings, instead of allowing committee members to meet on their own, hold discussions and make recommendations. As a result, the committee disbanded and the board used the time to discuss budgetary matters.

“It’s a fairly involved committee, with a lot of responsibility,” Charette said. “So one of the things, in order for this to work and have a committee, we have to trust (the members). So, when the committee brings the recommendations back from the board and forward again, we have to have a certain level of trust.”

Charette said he would like the budget committee to include a member from every RSU 38 community.

Several members of the RSU 38 board of directors, including Christine Gatto-Shea of Mount Vernon and Vice Chairperson Rebecca Lambert of Readfield, suggested having a member of the community on the board to provide input or serve as a liaison between the school district and municipalities.

They also asked Charette if meetings could be streamed over Zoom so the public can listen and participate.

“It doesn’t hurt to try that,” Charette said. “I’m open to whatever, as long as it makes the process smoother.”

Charette and Mandy Fitzgerald, the finance director for RSU 38, said they aim to have proposed budgets from school principals by Thanksgiving, so the first draft of the district budget can be assembled — with input from the budget committee — by mid-January.

District officials also said they are preparing a special education reserve fund to help with costly out-of-district special service placements, and a reserve fund to help cover capital improvements, including those related to the age of some buildings or emergencies.

“We want to establish a special education reserve to cover unanticipated special education costs. If you haven’t seen the news, we think that might happen to us,” Charette said, referring to the Augusta Public Schools, which saw its special education budget increase earlier this year by nearly $1.6 million due to unanticipated out-of-district placements.