The board says the proposal could help the school district.
LEEDS – SAD 52 could receive more than $1 million more in state aid for education in 2004 if voters approve Question 1A on Tuesday, said town Selectman Errol Additon.
A retired dairy farmer and a substitute teacher, Additon served on the School Committee for seven years. He and the other selectmen from Leeds were among the earliest supporters of the tax reform measure when the Maine Municipal Association proposed last year. Numerous boards of selectmen and councils from across Maine have endorsed Question 1A over Question 1B, which is supported by Gov. John Baldacci.
The MMA is lobbying for voter approval of 1A. The citizen initiative would provide an estimated $200 million in property tax relief by requiring the Legislature to reform the tax code allowing for reimbursement to towns of 55 percent of the total cost of kindergarten through grade 12 education, including 100 percent of the funding for special education.
Supporters of the MMA proposal gathered signatures at the polls across the state last November.
Voters will have three choices:
• 1A, the MMA-backed initiative, would force the Legislature to change the tax code so that towns would receive 55 percent of the local cost of education from the state and the state would reimburse 100 percent of the cost of special education.
• 1B, supported by Gov. John Baldacci, would increase the amount of state reimbursement to towns at a slower pace.
• 1C would not change the percentage or method of reimbursement.
Additon said SAD 52 would receive nearly $12 million in reimbursement from the state in 2004 if voters approve 1A. The amount of the reimbursement would be about $10.6 million if 1B passes, he said. He said his calculations were based on the current formula used for reimbursement. That formula could change if either 1A or 1B were approved, he said. If it stayed the same (passage of 1C), SAD 52 would receive about $10.9 million.
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