FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 will hold a districtwide vote Monday, June 1, on a proposed $32.25 million budget for 2015-16. It is $1.2 million move than this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Voters from 10 towns will also consider a proposed $385,490 adult education budget that is $13,379 more than this year’s budget.
The vote will be held at 7 p.m. in the Bjorn Auditorium at Mt. Blue High School on Seamon Road in Farmington.
The amount approved by voters Monday will go to a validation referendum Tuesday, June 9, in each town.
There are 18 articles to decide, including one that authorizes a reduction in local tax assessments in the event of an increase in state funding for public schools.
About $600,000 of the proposed $1.2 million increase is attributed to the special education program. The district has a growing population of students who need special services, according to Superintendent Tom Ward.
“We have worked very hard to save the district money by reducing the number of students who are placed out of district and instead have our own day treatment programs in our schools,” Ward wrote in a newsletter to the communities. The district can save between $50,000 and $100,000 per student who need special services, depending on the placement. The district saved more than $500,000 for one year treating students within the district, Ward said previously.
“As we grapple with changes in society, we have to acknowledge the increased demand for mental health support,” Ward wrote in the newsletter. “We recognize that often addressing these needs has to happen before students can focus on learning. This level of services is required in all levels (pre-kindergarten) to graduation.”
Under the budget proposal, the district would have three day-treatment centers rather than four. The plan allows for more social workers and school psychologists, and increases the number of hours for educational technicians to support the needs.
It is expected the district will be reimbursed in two years’ time for some special education and will be able to bill MaineCare for about $220,000 for services.
The spending package also adds a few teaching positions to keep class sizes down at the elementary school level and to give students at the high school the option to take anatomy and physiology, and engineering and design.
Under the proposal all of the towns would see an increase in education costs under the proposed budget. Part of that is attributed to the state raising the educational tax rate.
The proposed town assessments for 2015-16 for the school and adult education budgets are:
Chesterville: $987,813.65,091, up $109,772
Farmington: $4.9 million, up more than $400,000
Industry: $851,129.89, up $93,895.98
New Sharon: $1,092,436.23, up $115,119.65
New Vineyard: $732,794.94, up $90,662.68
Starks: $355,270.60 up $43,303.22
Temple: $476,018.99, up $48,890.22
Vienna: $731,800.22, up $77,882.64
Weld: $485,802.76, up $49,884.80
Wilton: $3.1 million, up more than $200,000
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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