BETHEL – In less than 25 minutes Monday night, SAD 44 directors unanimously approved a proposed $9.33 million budget.
The decision came after months of work that included paring staff positions and capital improvement projects.
“I’m very pleased with tonight’s passage by the board,” Superintendent David Murphy said after the meeting.
“This budget is a real tribute to the school board, because they took a hard stand in the beginning, and they were able to hold the line,” he said.
Directors also unanimously OK’d a proposed $212,687 Adult and Community Education budget for 2005-06. It represents a 4.35 percent decrease over last year’s budget of $222,371.
District taxpayers in Andover, Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock are to vote on the budgets by referendum Tuesday, June 14.
Murphy said the $9,339,349 general fund budget for 2005-06 is $490 less than last year.
At previous meetings, directors initially eliminated a Telstar Regional High School college guidance counselor and English teacher, and a fifth-grade teacher at Crescent Park School.
Those positions, however, were restored after $142,500 was saved from the budget when amounts needed for some capital improvement projects were reduced, a $20,000 contingency budget was eliminated, and $93,000 was saved by deferring the start of a pre-kindergarten program to 2007.
Staff cuts that remain, however, include a two-thirds-time elementary school guidance counselor; a Telstar education technician I, health and physical education instructor and library education technician; a home economics position; two custodians; a half-time transportation position; a half-time elementary position in Andover; and a districtwide special education technician.
Additionally, $75,000 was pared when directors chose to shift to a single bus run, with the district’s 19 buses carrying both secondary and elementary students.
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