FARMINGTON – It is estimated that SAD 9 will receive an overall increase of $1.7 million in state subsidies over the next two years under the new Essential Programs and Services formula, according to Superintendent Michael Cormier.
Although the increase should be good news, Cormier said, there are so many unknowns in the new formula that he is not sure it will be good for the district and the nine towns it serves.
It is estimated the state will fund Essential Services and Programs at about 80 to 84 percent in 2005-06 and 90 percent in 2006-07, Cormier said.
The formula reimburses co-curricular activities at about 25 percent, which includes athletics. The formula estimates reimbursements of co-curricular activities at $87,300 next year. The total amount budgeted this school year is $215,809.
The district is appealing the state’s projected transportation subsidy of $1.1 million for 2005-06, which is $271,767 less than the existing budget, Cormier told SAD 9 directors Tuesday.
The formula doesn’t take into account rural school systems that cover large territories, he said.
The district has already made cuts in transportation, including reducing staff last year, he said.
Towns will also be assessed differently using a formula that takes into account the number of students a town sends to a school system and the valuation of the town, Cormier said.
Current projections show SAD 9 receiving state aid of $12.1 million in 2005-06 and $13.2 million in 2006-07, which reflects an increase of $1.7 million overall, with the bulk of the projected increase to come in the second year. The current state subsidy is $11.5 million.
The formula gives certain dollar amounts for specific programs and sets up a budget model for a school system based on what the formula determines is needed for numbers of teachers, supplies and other items.
Using the state figures for the Essential Programs and Services model, the SAD 9 budget should be $21.6 million for 2005-06 and $21.7 million in 2006-07. Those figures do not include all of the district’s debt service.
The existing budget is nearly $21.3 million.
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