Superintendent Quenten Clark said the proposal could be pared down.
SALEM – Board members in SAD 58 received thick copies of the proposed 2004-05 school budget on Tuesday afternoon.
But, that district’s Superintendent, Quenten Clark, stressed that the $9,143,814 figure was merely a dream request, and would be pared down considerably before voters have their say on it in June.
That proposed amount is based on department requests. The total is up more than 5 percent from last year’s approved budget of $8,673,721.
Factors, such as increased state and federal mandates along with a decrease in state subsidies, are responsible for much of the increase, as is the escalating costs for insurance.
Insurance, which the district gets through Blue Cross/Blue Shield is around a 10 percent increase. Last year, it cost $1,130,149 and the proposed amount for 2004-05 is $1,243,164.
Elementary teacher salaries are up from $1,858,645 this year to a proposed $1,933,380. Elementary principal salaries are up from $218,200 to a proposed $222,700, and elementary secretaries’ salaries are up from $76,680 to a proposed $78,984. Salaries for teachers at the Mount Abram High School are up from $686,526 presently to a proposed $713,321. Administrators’ salaries at the high school, which includes the principal, assistant principal and guidance counselor, are up from $169,000 to a proposed $175,350. Custodian and bus driver salaries are also up a bit.
One of the largest increases in is district facilities improvement. Last year, $175,132 was approved and for 2004-2005, the request is $379,585. Clark said there are no major improvement projects slated. However, there are many smaller improvements to be made, like fixing up roofs and replacing carpeting.
In most other categories, the costs are comparable. Meanwhile, some departments’ budget requests are down.
Last year, $211,471 was approved for the superintendent’s office. This year’s request is $208,808 with $180,583 of that being for salaries.
The decrease is mainly in the computer equipment line item, which received $11,000 this academic year and is proposed at $2,500 for the upcoming school year.
The Board of Directors’ budget is also down from the approved $41,350 this year to a request for $36,350 in 2004-05.
Secretaries’ salaries at the high school for three secretaries are down just a pinch from $61,203 to a proposed $60,980.
Plant operation at the high school and at Kingfield, Strong and Phillips elementary schools are all down in the proposal by at least a few thousand dollars. Meanwhile, plant operation at the Stratton school is up from an approved $38,389 last year to a proposed $40,304.
Now that directors have their budget books, they’ll have a few weeks to look things over before holding their first meeting about the proposal at the end of March.
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