DIXFIELD – Voters attending SAD 21’s annual budget meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at Dirigo Middle School face a 10-article warrant.

The proposed total 2003-04 budget is $6,784,425, a $315,740 increase over last year’s budget for the district’s towns of Canton, Carthage and Dixfield.

Warrant articles seek approval for the following directors’ recommendations:

• $1,003,280 as the Region 9 School of Applied Technology budget as approved by the Cooperative Board for the year 2003-04 (Local Assessment: $234,267).

• $202,886 as the Region 9 Learning Center budget as approved by the Cooperative Board for Adult and Community Education for the year 2003-04 (Local Assessment: $18,686).

• $5,173,828.51 as the sum the district will appropriate from the foundation allocation for school purposes and $1,421,617.54 as the sum the district will raise as the local share of the foundation allocation.

• $411,610.68 as the sum the district will appropriate from the debt service allocation and $99,010.30 as the sum the district will raise as the local share of debt service.

• $455,369.14 as the sum the district will raise in additional local funds.

Article 7 seeks voter authorization to spend the proposed budget’s $6.78 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, and ending June 30, 2004.

The money comes from the foundation allocation, debt service allocation, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, local appropriations, state subsidy, and other receipts for the support of schools.

Article 8 asks voters to authorize school directors to issue notes not to exceed a period of three years in the name of the district to buy a school bus in an amount not to exceed $70,000 and appropriate the same.

Article 9 seeks authorization for directors to appropriate and spend additional state, federal and other aid and grants received during the 2003-04 fiscal year for school purposes, provided the funds haven’t previously been appropriated.

The last article seeks to raise $40,000 to establish a reserve fund to be accumulated toward construction of a parking lot at Dirigo High School and authorizes directors to spend the money during the 2003-04 fiscal year. If approved, the $40,000 will be in addition to the regular operating budget. The money will be placed in an interest bearing account.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com