NEW GLOUCESTER — Belt-tightening is in the works to rein in spending in the Gray-New Gloucester school system based on a letter from Maine’s commissioner of education about the current educational funding shortfall from the state.

Superintendent Victoria Burns told the board on Wednesday about Commissioner Susan Gendron’s letter of Oct. 14 that anticipates reductions to the district at least as great as in 2009.

Last year, Regional School Unit 15 lost $300,600 in state subsidy.

School board member Sandra MacDonald of the district’s Finance Committee said plans for reduction will range from $450,000 to $1 million.

“We are identifying what will be cut through this budget year,” MacDonald said. “We won’t know until late December or early January what the figures will be and so we are preparing now so we won’t be blind-sided next year.

RSU 15 received a state subsidy of $8.2 million for the 2009-10 school year, a reduction of $701,860 from the 2008-09 fiscal year.
The district’s total budget approved by voters in June totals $20.34 million.

In other business, the H1N1 flu vaccine will be administered at a clinic for students tentatively set for Nov. 12 and 13. Parents of high- and middle-school students will receive information through the mail while elementary students will bring the information home to parents.

Superintendent Burns said so far no case of swine flu has been reported in the district that serves Gray and New Gloucester students.

Finally, Jim Wadman reviewed the district’s audit report. Wadman commended the district for steady improvements in the district’s procedures.

“There are no compliance issues whatsoever,” Wadman said.