FARMINGTON – SAD 9 directors will review a $24 million draft school spending plan for 2008-09 on Tuesday and hear public comment on $677,000 in proposed reductions and program changes the package includes.

Among the cuts are numerous teaching and support staff positions. Also included are relocation of the central office from New Sharon to Mt. Blue Middle School basement in Farmington, and the special education office to Academy Hill School in Wilton. Directors will also explore closing the Weld School.

The proposed budget reflects less than a 1 percent increase or $232,942 over the current budget.

“Unfortunately, the state revenues will not cover any of the increase and, in fact, are projected to decrease for next year,” Superintendent Michael Cormier said.

There will be no balance from 2006-07 to reduce taxes in 2008-09 as there has been in years past, he also said Friday.

“Usually we have had about $200,000 to help reduce the tax impact, and this year we don’t have any … and that’s an additional cost to local taxpayers,” Cormier said.

Other factors include the uncertainty of the continuation of Medicaid reimbursement funds and increases in energy costs.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at Mt. Blue High School library.

The draft budget was developed by the administrative team using the template for the state’s Essential Programs and Services model, Cormier stated in a budget book memo. The template includes guidelines regarding staffing and student ratios and education programming to support implementation of the Maine Learning Results.

“The administrative team worked very hard to bring in a budget that reflected the difficult economic times faced by our communities and state,” Cormier stated. “Every program was examined and discussed and several programs were adjusted to bring the district more in line with the EPS model and to contain costs.”

A major goal in building the budget was an attempt to maintain class size at current levels, Cormier stated.

“This meant we had to closely examine all other programs and teacher positions and make reductions,” Cormier stated. “We also closely looked at the effective use of our facilities and have proposed several adjustments in that area.”

Administration is also recommending that closing the Weld school either next fall or in June 2009 be explored in this budget, Cormier said.

It is projected there will be no children in grades kindergarten through two at the Weld School in the fall of 2008 and if there is, the recommendation is to transport them to the Cushing School in Wilton.

That school, if it remains open for 2008-09, would have one teacher and house students in grades three to six.

“The administrative team worked to create a responsible budget that will address district needs,” Cormier wrote. “Over 78 percent of the district budget is allocated to salaries and benefits and our energy costs continue to skyrocket.”

It has been a very difficult and challenging budget to develop and the reductions and adjustments listed are not things that were done lightly, he added.

“The administrative team’s preference would be to have maintained current program options but, in these tough economic times, that didn’t seem feasible,” Cormier stated.