OXFORD – School Superintendent Rick Colpitts presented a $35.1 million school budget to the Oxford Hills School District Board of Directors on Monday night saying, “We’re doing a lot with very little.”
The superintendent is recommending a spending plan of $35,162,603 for 2012-13. It’s a 1.48 percent increase over the 2012 budget of $34,650,792.
The proposed budget includes a $964,616 increase in local assessment over this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
The assessment figures show increases in the local share ranging from $661 in Oxford to a high of $278,267 in Norway.
The increase in the local share to slightly more than 6 percent was necessary to avoid making staff and programming cuts, Colpitts said.
However, he said, once the school district learns how much federal money it will lose in the coming fiscal year, specifically in special education and Title 1 funds, there may be a need to cut two or three positions. No positions are being identified until school officials receive more specific information about potential federal dollar losses.
The proposed budget includes money to reconfigure the grades at Waterford and Harrison elementary schools. The plan would bus prekindergarten, first and second grade students from Harrison to Waterford; and bus third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders from Waterford to Harrison.
Colpitts said a multi-year plan must be developed to increase the local share of the budget that “is reasonable.” The towns have had a flat rate for the past several years.
“The truth is any further cuts, and we are cutting our ability to serve kids,” he said.
ldixon@sunjournal.com
OXFORD — Hearings and votes on the 2012-13 budget for the Oxford Hills School District are scheduled as follows:
* April 4 — Oxford and Otisfield residents, Oxford Elementary School, 7 p.m.
* April 5 — Norway and Paris residents, Paris Elementary School, 7 p.m.
* April 10 — Officials from district towns, Central Office in Oxford, 7 p.m.
* April 11 — West Paris and Hebron residents, Hebron Station School, 7 p.m.
* April 12 — Waterford and Harrison residents, Harrison Elementary School, 7 p.m.
* May 7 — Final budget presented to Board of Directors for approval.
* June 7 — Districtwide budget hearing at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris at 7 p.m.
* June 12 — Budget validation referendum at polling stations in all eight towns.
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