RUMFORD – Residents of the four SAD 43 towns have a chance to learn about the proposed $14.3 million budget tonight, then act on the proposal Thursday night.
Both meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in Muskie Auditorium of Mountain Valley High School.
Although the proposed budget has gone up by about 2.6 percent over the $13.9 million adopted for school year 2005-2006, each town’s assessment will decline because of an additional $1.2 million in state aid to education, SAD 43 business manager Paula Puiia said.
As proposed, Byron’s assessment will go from $138,000 to $136,000; Roxbury from $313,000 to $287,000; Mexico from $969,000 to $829,000; and Rumford, from $6.91 million to $5.89 million.
The higher budget is attributed to higher staff salaries and benefits, which rose about 3 percent this year, and continually climbing fuel and insurance costs.
In addition to acting on the total school budget, which is divided into 10 articles, people will also be asked to authorize the expenditure of $214,000 from the district’s technology reserve fund to buy equipment and pay for infrastructure.
The 2006-2007 budget adopted Thursday night will go before voters during the June 13 referendum election in each district town for a yes or no vote on the total figure, and another vote as to whether the amount is too high or too low.
If the budget is rejected, the district would have to begin the budget approval process anew, beginning with another districtwide meeting, like Thursday’s.
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