LIVERMORE FALLS — RSU 73 directors voted 8-3 to approve $145,467 more in cuts to put a proposed $18.59 million budget before voters.

The budget goes to voters in a district-wide meeting format, similar to a town meeting, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, in the cafeteria of the Spruce Mountain Middle School in Jay.

It is the third attempt to pass a budget. Budgets were defeated in June ($18.8 million) and July ($18.7 million) at the validation referendum votes.

Chairwoman Denise Rodzen of Livermore Falls and directors Vicki McLeod and Darcie Comstock, both of Jay, opposed the vote.

An attempt to cut $206,286 from the rejected $18.7 million budget voters rejected last month failed in a 3-8 vote with Rodzen, McLeod and Comstock in favor.

On the table prior to the vote on reductions was $487,715 in cuts. Up for consideration were eliminating the pre-kindergarten program, all field trips, library books, high school sports such as  golf, tennis, skiing, track and field, and cross country. Also a high school football assistant coach, middle school track and cross country, and junior varsity sports were under discussion.

In addition, on the chopping block were intramural adviser, elementary school activities and drama at high, middle and Jay Elementary schools, and $113,042 in anticipation funding. The latter was for moving forward in trying to align high school curriculum and exploring options to house high school students among other items.

What the board opted to cut instead of dipping deeper into student programs were a half-time secretary, $23,427; three-fifths behavioral program social worker, $32,505; behavioral program education technician, $21,452; diesel fuel, $35,000; business office supplies, $3,000; insurance changes, $41,890; and half of the anticipation funding, $56,521.

While administration was going through options for reduction they also found that they needed to add $46,876 for technical contracted services for copiers that had been omitted from the initial budget. Factoring in that amount made $145,467 in reductions.

Before motions were made, board members and the audience had a discussion on why the budget keeps failing.

Some said it was because people are angry, feeling they were misled prior to the consolidation vote of merging Jay School Department and RSU 36 in Livermore and Livermore Falls in 2011. They said that people were told all students from the high schools would fit in the former Jay High School, now known as Spruce Mountain High School North Campus.

Rodzen said that it may have been said during the planning committee meetings because no one factored in the gym space that couldn’t be considered academic classrooms. It was mentioned that more space would be needed in the proposed plan that was passed by voters in all three towns, Rodzen said. That plan and minutes can be found on the website of rsu36.org.

Others were angry about the proposed closing of the former Livermore Falls High School, now known as Spruce Mountain High School South Campus and that consolidation was supposed to save money.

Closing the Livermore Falls school was in the consolidation plan for the second year but voters rejected a $5.3 million addition and renovation plan to the North Campus in May.

Rodzen said the plan states that savings would not be seen until the third year of consolidation when schools merged. Voters also removed $150,000 from a previously proposed budget in June that was targeted at getting high school students under one roof with possibly portables.

Others say people are mad because of the continued cuts to the budget and not putting high school students at one campus. With Monday’s cuts it brings reductions from the initial budget of $18.9 million to $428,748.

A task force is now studying each school and facility grounds to see if the district could rearrange grade levels so that an addition is not needed, Rodzen said. “We heard what people said,” she said.

Residents called on board members to get more people out to vote.

Rodzen said that it is the community members that need to get people out to vote, otherwise it looks like the board is trying railroad the budget through.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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