By Ellie Fellers,Special to the Sun Journal

GRAY – SAD 15 directors were told Wednesday to expect a draft budget for 2006-07 by Feb. 1.

Administrators have begun developing a spending plan and reviewing anticipated grants and revenue projections. Voters in Gray and New Gloucester will vote on a proposal June 13.

In other business, New Gloucester school board member David Sutherland updated the board on school buildings. A two-year project to renovate five district schools begins this summer, he said.

On Dec. 16, the district was notified by Susan Gendron, commissioner of the Department of Education, that it will have $4,081,611 from the state to use for renovations.

Portland Design Team is outlining the steps and schedule for designs for Dunn and Memorial elementary schools and Gray-New Gloucester Middle School. Window construction and air quality projects will be done at Russell Elementary School this summer.

In the summer of 2007, work on Russell School and Gray-New Gloucester High School begins.

The contract negotiations between the school board and the Gray-New Gloucester Teachers Union are still not settled, Superintendent Victoria Burns said after the meeting.

A fact-finding session with Maine Labor Relations Board in December was canceled due to illness and is scheduled soon.

Roughly 160 teachers, librarians and nurses have been working without a contract since it lapsed June 30, 2005.

The fact-finding meeting will result in nonbinding recommendations between the two parties.

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