LIVERMORE FALLS — Regional School Unit 73 residents from Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls voted Monday to approve a $18.4 million budget for 2011-12. The proposal is $176,543.72 more than the current combined budgets of Jay and RSU 36 school systems.
The bottom line will go to referendum in the three towns on Tuesday, June 14, in the form of a yes or no validation question. Voting in Jay is from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Community Building; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Livermore at the town office; and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Livermore Falls at the town office.
About 40 people turned out to address the 18 warrant articles.
After choosing meeting moderator, Clint Boothby, voting went fast with little comment and the meeting concluded within 45 minutes.
The majority of voters added an additional $54,340 in to enter into a two-year purchase-lease agreement to buy 130 laptop computers for sixth-graders. The money was approved by the RSU 73 Board of Directors but didn’t make it into the final budget amount or warrant. Voters also added an additional $8,250 for retrofits to change signage and mascot images to reflect RSU 73, Spruce Mountain high and middle schools, and new mascot of the phoenix. The money was to appear in a separate article outside of the budget but was not legally able to do so.
Jay’s share of the proposed budget is $8.12 million, which is $120,687.97 more than was raised for the current budget. Livermore’s share is $1.65 million, which is $168,438.40 less than was raised for the existing budget. Livermore Falls’ share is $1.36 million, which is $350,087.39 less than was raised last year.
Most articles passed with minimum opposition in a raise of hands. Jay Selectman Tom Goding opposed most of the articles.
One article that had to be conducted by written ballot passed 31-7. It was the article that the school board recommended $1.32 million be raised and appropriated in additional local funds, which exceeds the state’s essential services and programs funding model by $960,089.02.
Voters also postponed action on the adult education article due to it not being correctly worded.
In a special school board meeting that followed the vote on budget articles, directors voted to approve a warrant for RSU 73 district-wide meeting for voters to consider raising and appropriating money for adult education at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 15, at Central Office on Cedar Street in Livermore Falls.
The amount that will listed in the new article is to appropriate $271,404 for adult education and to raise $120,000 as the local share. The local portion is to be shared equally at $40,000 from each of the three towns.
During the special board meeting, Director Darcie Comstock of Jay expressed the board’s sympathy publicly to Jay High School art teacher, Melissa Allen, and Jay middle and elementary schools educational technician, Pam Allen and their families. Their son and husband, respectively, Christopher Allen, 27, of Farmington died from injuries he received in a single-car accident on Sunday night on Temple Road in Farmington.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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