DIXFIELD — RSU 10 Superintendent Craig King proposed more cuts to the 2014-15 budget Monday night, bringing it to within about $1 million of the $36.5 million goal.

Among the cuts presented were eliminating positions for a clerical worker, a custodian/bus driver, two educational technicians, a math teacher, a science teacher, a social studies teacher, a prekindergarten through grade eight teacher, and reducing a librarian and an administrator to half time.

At the March 31 board meeting, 30 positions were proposed for elimination.

Other savings could be found by reducing middle school intramural and interscholastic programs and decreasing some athletic and nonathletic programs.

Also considered are pay-to-play fees for athletes, closing the central office building, withdrawing membership from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and ending late-bus runs.

King is also requesting that the Western Foothills Educational Association open contracts to consider a possible pay freeze. If that happens, he believes the goal of $36.5 million likely would be met.

RSU 10 is expected to get $1.1 million less in state education aid. It is also seeing reduced costs for health insurance and fuel oil, he said.

“We have two hard years ahead of us. Then we can reconfigure the buildings,” he said.

The district is considering the use of all its buildings for savings and efficiencies.

King said he plans to have a preliminary budget for review at the April 23 budget workshop.

The budget development schedule is:

April 23: Workshop at 6 p.m. at Dirigo Elementary School in Peru.

May 20: Public hearing at 6:30 p.m. at Dirigo High School in Dixfield.

May 21: Public hearing at 6:30 p.m. at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.

May 29: Districtwide budget vote at 6:30 p.m. at Dirigo High School.

June 10: Budget referendums in Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru, Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Byron, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Hanover.

Copy the Story Link