Oxford Hills school board faces new round of budget cuts Monday

OXFORD — The Oxford Hills School District Board of Directors will be asked to cut an additional $231,000 from its budget Monday night.

The money will come from a variety of sources including maintenance, support staff and the contingency fund.

The Budget Committee approved the cuts last week to meet a $743,371 curtailment of state aid for this current fiscal year.

"This is phase two of the curtailment," Assistant Superintendent Rick Colpitts said Friday. Phase 1 of the budget cuts took place last spring when $512,287 was cut.

The Budget Committee will recommend to the full board that the phase 2 curtailment cuts include $50,000 from the contingency fund, $30,000 from the prepaid leases and $30,000 in Medicaid reimbursements. The leases for new netbooks, which have been given to students at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, came in $30,000 less than the amount budgeted, according to the Budget Committee.

The Medicaid reimbursement cut may have to be reviewed again if changed in federal regulation due in January mandates.

Other cuts include, $25,000 for supplies and equipment, $15,000 for support staff, and building rental costs. A half-time education technician position will remain unfilled for a savings of $7,500.

In April, Superintendent Mark Eastman was able to tell the Board of Directors that the influx of about $500,000 in stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 allowed the Budget Committee to reinstate all seven staff positions that were cut and other items cut earlier this year to meet mid-year cutbacks in state funds.

Eastman has warned the board that strategies have to be put in place to deal with future cutbacks.

The strategies to help the school deal with the budget crunch are both long term and short term, he said.

Some of the strategies, such as a hiring freeze for nonessential staff and eliminating field trips, have already been put in place. Others, such as selling unusable inventory, could be looked at, but many would not have the significant money-making ability that the district needs, Eastman said.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the central office in Oxford Plaza.

ldixon@sunjournal.com