LIVERMORE FALLS — RSU 73 administrators proposed an additional $79,938 in cuts Wednesday to bring the proposed budget to $18.73 million.

The board will consider the new spending package at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the Cedar Street Boardroom in Livermore Falls.

Voters in all three towns rejected an $18.8 million budget by a 642-734 vote June 12. Voters had reduced an initial budget of $18.9 million by $203,000 on June 5.

The new proposal for 2012-13 is a 1.8 percent increase, or $330,589 more than the current $18.4 million budget.

The cuts proposed are $6,750 from the Board of Directors’ stipends. This brings the line closer to what was spent this year. According to the consolidation plan, directors receive $25 for each meeting they attend whether it is a regular meeting or an ad-hoc committee meeting.

Another $10,198 is proposed to be eliminated from the Livermore Elementary School administration budget. That reflects the difference between a retiring veteran secretary and a new secretary in relation to benefits, Superintendent Robert Wall said.

A reduction of $25,490 in a heating oil account is also proposed.

The other cuts are $5,000 in supplies from the Spruce Mountain High School South Campus and $32,500 to reduce a full-time social worker to half-time in the Crossroads behavioral program.

The supply reduction is related to all ninth-graders going to high school in Jay, Wall said.

The Crossroads program currently has a full-time teacher, three education technicians and a full-time social worker, which would be reduced to half-time in the new budget plan.

Special Education Director Tina Collins said that reduction would not affect student counseling time for the seven to 10 students the program serves.

Board Vice Chairwoman Mary Redmond-Luce said the budget reflects an increase not because expenses are up but because anticipated revenues from state and federal governments are being reduced.

In addition, the district anticipates receiving about $214,000 less in tuition from Fayette for a decrease in students projected to attend high school in RSU 73, Wall said.

The state anticipates giving the district $5.4 million in revenue, which is $98,548 less than it received this year. There is also more than $400,000 in revenue that was in the current budget from a federal Jobs Bill to support staff that is not available this year.

If the new budget is approved by the board and voters, Jay would be responsible for $8.9 million for prekindergarten through grade 12 education. It is an increase of $814,637 over the current year.

Livermore would see its school tax assessment increase by $41,717 to $1.69 million. Livermore Falls would increase by $22,148 to $1.38 million.

Each town would also be responsible for an additional $40,000 for adult education.

Wall pointed out during the meeting that prior to the consolidation vote in January 2011, a newsletter on the plan was sent to all postal customers.

On the back page of it, the administration stated, “The consolidation will probably not lower anyone’s tax bill, but it is a very good strategy to keep taxes from increasing significantly. It also will allow for the dollars currently spent to buy more based on consolidated efficiencies. In the future, the consolidated school system will slow the increase in local taxes.”

dperry@sunjournal.com

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