OXFORD – When SAD 17 residents go to the polls Tuesday they will see that the $29.83 million school budget is broken down into 11 questions.

The basic budget, including referendum Articles 10 and 11, is $29.83 million, a 2.42 percent increase over last year.

SAD 17 Business Manager Cathy Fanjoy said the district is required by law to present the articles in separate questions to conform to state statutes.

“This presentation can confuse voters,” Fanjoy said.

For instance, Articles 5 though 8 talk about providing funding for adult education, the vocational operational budget, vocational debt service and vocational adult education. These articles are asking for funding already included in the $29.67 million listed in Article 4 called summary question.

The proposed budget articles follow:

Article 1. Foundation Allocation. This is asking voters to raise $11,141,935 million to support the budget. If that amount is raised, the state will put in $12,431,064 million. If the district does not raise this amount the amount of support the state will provide will decrease.

Article 2. Debt Service. This is asking district voters to raise $581,798 to pay for the bonds for all the buildings and leased property the district has incurred in the past 15 to 20 years. The actual payment is $3.79 million, but the state says that districts only have to pay .5 mills for the valuation of property in the entire district. The valuation for all eight towns of SAD 17 is $1.08 billion.

Article 3. Additional Local Funds. This is asking voters for $1,052,219 to make up the difference between all projected revenues and all projected expenses. This is not supplemental but money beyond the minimum amount required by the state.

Article 4. Summary Question. The first four articles list the amount that the district needs to raise and this article gives them permission to spend it.

Article 5. Adult Education. This one asks voters to approve $181,608 for adult education, the same amount as last year. This amount is already included in the $29.67 million total budget. State law requires separate approval of this article.

Article 6. Vocational Operating Budget. It asks voters to approve an operating budget of $2,259,590 million for Vocational Region 11. This amount is already included in the $29.67 million in Article 5. State law requires separate approval of this article.

Article 7. Vocational Debt Service. It asks voters to approve debt service of $1,011,519 million. This pays 40 percent of the construction costs of the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. Buckfield, which sends students to Region 11, pays 11.45 percent of the total Region 11 costs. This amount is already included in the $29.67 million in Article 5. State law requires separate approval of this article.

Article 8. Vocational Adult Education. This article is asking voters to provide $16,000 for Region 11 adult education. This amount is already included in the $29.67 million in Article 5. State law requires separate approval of this article.

Article 9. Non-General Fund Expenditure. This authorizes SAD 17 directors to spend funds received from grants, programs or other sources.

Article 10. Bus Purchases. The district is asking for $115,303 to lease-purchase three school buses and purchase one new bus. The state will refund money for purchasing buses in one year and money for lease-purchasing in two years. This money is not included in the basic budget in Article 5.

Article 11. Capital Improvements. This asks voters to approve $50,000 to pay for safety improvements at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, district painting projects, water coolers for the Otisfield Community School and acquire land for expanded access to the Guy E. Rowe School in Norway.

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