FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 directors Tuesday will consider setting a proposed budget for 2015-16 to send to voters for a second time.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. July 7 in the Forum at Mt. Blue Campus on Seamon Road. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. with an executive session for an expulsion hearing in regard to a middle school student accused of distributing marijuana on school property prior to school ending last month.

Voters rejected a $32.25 million spending plan in June, which was up $1.2 million from 2014-15. Only three of 10 towns approved the budget.

Directors have reduced the initial budget proposal by about $206,000, bringing it to about $32 million, Superintendent Tom Ward said Monday.

With a state budget approved, the Legislature reduced the education tax rate from a proposed $8.41 per $1,000 of property valuation to $8.23. That will mean a decrease to the towns of $301,495.83, he said.

The board has tried not to cut items or services that directly affect students, Ward said.

The board rejected the elimination of a second additional teaching position at the Cascade Brook School in Farmington to keep the teacher-student ratio at about 20-to-1, he said. The school serves grades three through five.

Directors, in a 432-517 weighted vote, not to cut the position on June 25, according to meeting minutes.

They also kept both special education teachers proposed for the middle school, Ward said. A motion to cut one of the new special education positions was rejected by a 387-562 vote, according to minutes.

Among the items the board reduced were the volunteer coordinator position to half-time, and the budgeted oil amount by $25,000. Directors also eliminated a new half-time French and half-time teaching position for the middle school and reduced the contingency account for special education by $25,000, Ward said.

The annual budget meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at Bjorn Auditorium at Mt. Blue Campus.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

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