BUCKFIELD – Selectmen voted Tuesday night not to sign a letter to SAD 39 officials requesting no budget increase for three years. They said they think it’s unrealistic, but they agreed the budget needs to be cut.

The letter was addressed to SAD 39 Superintendent William Shuttleworth and the district’s directors and drafted by Sumner selectmen. Sumner, Buckfield and Hartford make up SAD 39.

Shuttleworth said if he had to hold the line on spending, staff and programs would be cut. He said the district is educating students for a cost that’s several hundred dollars below state average. The state is paying about 44 percent of education costs.

“If they paid the 55 percent we wouldn’t be having this discussion,” he said, referring to state spending goals.

Selectman Lawrence Stanley said holding the line was not realistic, but towns are watching school spending and the Buckfield board is looking to cut all it can. He said he knew there were ways to cut costs.

“Maybe wages could be looked at before contracts are signed. Why is there dental insurance for the teachers?” he asked. “Town employees don’t get dental insurance and that is expensive.”

Selectman Joanne Bly, a school district teacher, said she thought a line item budget was needed rather than having everything lumped together.

“Maybe we could find areas to cut in this case,” she said.

Selectman Oscar Gammon asked Shuttleworth if the district had considered a fuel depot, which would save money.

Shuttleworth said they had looked into it but it was costly.

Gammon said it would pay for itself in a very short time.

When asked if the Budget Committee had representatives from each of the three towns, Buckfield, Sumner and Hartford, Shuttleworth said he would check.

In other news, the Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for a new firetruck was denied.

Roger Bennett was advised of the state junkyard law that prohibits an excess of unregistered, uninspected vehicles on personal property.

The property of James Bishop and Allen Young are also considered junkyards and must be cleaned up. The board gave them an extension to Feb. 3.

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