WALES — The Regional School Unit 4 board Wednesday approved an $18.9 million budget for fiscal year 2016-17, an increase of $341,000 from this year’s budget.

Of the six members present, five voted to approve the budget while Scott Weeks of Litchfield opposed the motion. Nancy Provost, Joan Thomas and Adam Dorman were absent from the meeting.

Weeks said he has been “hammered” by citizens over the 1.84 percent budget increase and didn’t think taxpayers would approve it. He suggested decreasing the budget before bringing it before voters.

Board Chairman Bob English identified with Weeks’ concern, but said the board had done ‘due diligence’ with the budget in order to support the students by providing the best education possible despite the lack of state funding.

Jessica Childs of Litchfield said the 1.84 percent increase is reasonable but believed the community would be more willing to approve a 1 percent increase.

The taxpayers absolutely have a right to be angry, Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said. What the state has done to schools is nothing short of criminal, he said. Even if the board created a budget with no increase, he said, the district would still have an increase of $432,000 in order to function, he said.

Hodgkin urged taxpayers to bring this matter to their selectmen and state representatives.

“We can’t take away math, science and history,” said Robert Gayton Jr. of Sabattus. “We have nothing extra now,” he said.

“I ask the taxpayers what do they want to lose from their schools?” Gayton said. “We need input from community members who have children in our system. The voter apathy in this district has always amazed me … I don’t get it.” 

Included in the budget is:

• $65,000 to staff Sabattus Primary School and Carrie Ricker School with a dean of students. The position is similar to that of an assistant principal but without a certain level of certification, Hodgkin said. Many students in these primary grades struggle with appropriate social behaviors and this role would offer support to Principal Kathy Martin and staff.

• $31,000 for an updated, more comprehensive math curriculum; and

• $30,000 for a new school bus.

In other news, the board discussed using $35,000 from this year’s budget for an architectural study on a potential addition at Carrie Ricker School. Hodgkin said the proper method for such an endeavor is to have a study done to determine cost before putting it before voters.

Hodgkin will be available to discuss the school budget in more detail at the Wales selectmen meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, and at 6:30 p.m. that night at the Sabattus selectmen meeting. Hodgkin will attend the Litchfield selectmen meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 25.

The fiscal year 2016-17 budget will be presented to the public at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Oak Hill High School gymnasium. The budget will go to a referendum vote Tuesday, June 14.

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