LEWISTON – If the $44.46 million budget proposed by Superintendent Leon Levesque is ultimately passed, school spending would go up at a pretty hefty percentage.

But taxes would remain practically the same.

The school budget Levesque proposed Monday night would mean a hike of about $40 for a home valued at $100,000.

Meanwhile the Lewiston School Department would:

• build a new culinary arts building at the high school complex, and paying much of the debt for the new building ($342,000) upfront;

• eliminate “pay to play” fees of $20 now charged to student athletes;

• for the first time, provide free busing (a $20,000 cost) to high school students;

• provide busing to more middle school students; and

• start prekindergarten programs at Farwell and Longley elementary schools.

One reason Lewiston schools could do all that and keep taxes nearly flat is because the city is receiving $2.8 million more in state money for education. But that money comes with a condition: Lewiston property taxpayers must spend more on education.

If the city doesn’t spend a minimum of $14.4 million a year on education, it will lose some of the state money, Levesque said.

“The idea from the state is, ‘We’ll do our share, but the community will do its share. If you don’t, we’re going to reduce our share,” Levesque said. The state wants communities to spend minimum amounts, as well as a maximum amounts, in order that all Maine students receive equitable education. Lewiston has been spending less on education than what the state recommends, Levesque said.

If Levesque recommends cutting school spending by $500,000 this year, the city stands to lose $1 million from the state. So the school department finds itself in a position of having to spend more. “That’s the dilemma we find ourselves in,” Levesque said.

But saying that city hall is having a hard time to harness taxes, Levesque said he found several ways to shift costs from the city to the schools without jeopardizing the extra state money, including:

• transferring a $253,000 surplus from the school budget to the city budget;

• taking over the $39,810 cost of having a police officer at the high school;

• paying more for use of the Multi-Purpose Center, where the Longley School is housed; and

• taking over more costs from the city for maintaining athletic fields, $11,875.

Levesque cautioned the years of getting more from the state are limited. When Lewiston’s spending reaches the minimum amount recommended by the Essential Programs and Services state funding formula, the city will not see the kind of increases it has received from the state.

It’s important, Levesque said, to build a budget that has flexibility so if “suddenly there’s a shortfall from the state,” programs don’t have to be cut.

The School Committee meets tonight with the Lewiston City Council to talk about budget and taxes.

Committee favors busing high school students

School Committee members also heard a report on providing free busing to high school students. There was no vote, but several members said they favored it.

“To my knowledge Lewiston is the only high school that doesn’t provide transportation,” Levesque said. Buses are safe, and students die behind the wheel every year, he said.

“A young girl died recently on the way to school. We know this happens,” Levesque said, referring to Amy Cerrato, 16, of Sumner who died April 4 when her vehicle struck a bus as she was driving to the Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.

As proposed, more Lewiston Middle School students would also be bused to avoid students from crossing busy streets.

School transportation director Butch Pratt said 327 households of 455 high school students were surveyed and asked would they use busing if it was provided. One third of seniors said they would take the bus. Most would not “because it’s just not cool,” Pratt said. The other results were: 78 percent of juniors would likely use the bus; 77 percent of sophomores would likely take the bus; and 72 percent of freshmen would likely ride the bus.

Committee member Thomas Shannon said he’d like even more students to be bused than what is was proposed, but that this was a good start. Chairman James Handy said teachers have told him some students don’t show up at school during bad weather because they have to walk. Busing would improve attendance, Handy said.

Officials also said they hoped it would reduce student and parents vehicles driving to the high school on East Avenue.

In other business, School Committee members gave preliminary approval to tougher eligibility rules for students to participate in sports and other school activities.

The committee will take up the tougher eligibility rules and the busing policy in future meetings.