The budget for 2004-05 was also

cut by $50,000.
By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – SAD 9 directors cut $50,000 from the proposed 2004-05 budget Tuesday night.

The move came after the elimination of several teaching positions and other positions and hearing a need to make a half-time computer integrator, which is a certified teacher, to full-time position at the Cascade Brook School.

There are vacant teaching positions for teachers that have positions eliminated to move into in the district, Superintendent Michael Cormier said.

Directors set the kindergarten-through-12th-grade budget at nearly $21.3 million, about $95,000 more than the existing budget.

Prior to making the additional cut of $50,000, the increase in the proposed budget over the existing budget was $145,000, less than a 1 percent increase.

But taxpayers would have seen an increase of about $274,000 in taxation because of reduced revenues.

Director Neil Stinneford of Weld made the motion to cut the $50,000 from the bottom line of the budget.

He told fellow board members he couldn’t tell them exactly where the cuts would come from.

“I can’t tell you just elementary … I can’t tell you how much in secondary,” Stinneford said. “This is what I think the district can afford.”

Stinneford said the savings would potentially come through negotiations.

Cormier said the danger of that is that if the board doesn’t save the money through negotiations, it means they have to cut two more positions.

Stinneford said Weld is looking at an increase in $40,000 in its share of the budget.

Director Robert Pullo said “I think we’ve cut enough positions.”

Director Robert Flick said he was concerned about just saying cut $50,000.

A lot of work has gone into the budget, he added.

Stinneford requested an executive session to discuss negotiations. He withdrew his motion to cut the $50,000.

After the brief session, Stinneford made the motion to reduce the budget by $50,000 again. It was approved by the majority of the board.

Among the positions directors cut prior to the reduction were:

• A second-grade teaching position at Mallett School.

• A fourth-grade teaching position at Cascade Brook School.

• Third- and sixth-grade teaching positions at Academy Hill School.

• Math, science and English positions at Middle School.

• A guidance registrar at the high school.

• A custodian.

• A bus driver.

The board also set the adult education budget at $333,442.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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