While we all appreciate the efforts our school committee and administration go through to make best use of our tax dollars, I am not convinced the current budget best fits the needs of the Lewiston taxpayer. Coming from the Lewiston Finance Committee Chairperson that might a bit unusual, but the time has come to rethink the entire school budget.

For years most school budgets were created by a reverse funding process. That process begins with determining what the maximum amount of state and federal aid you qualify for and then build a budget around that regardless of how much it costs the taxpayers. Its defenders could then say with a straight face – but if we cut we will lose X dollars in state funding, too, so it will hurt even more. Instead, we need to move to a development process any other budget would go through. First, determine current needs and costs and then look to the costs and funding issues.

By far, my other big concern is the lack of funding by the state. The voters mandated 55 percent reimbursement minimum levels and yet we have not seen that occurring and our local legislative delegation has not advocated enough to make that occur. These same legislators have been quick to find money to fund Clean Elections, which benefits them directly, but not to find the money for our schools. I hold the entire Legislature responsible for this issue, regardless of party. In addition, the funding rules require a reduction in state funding, if you get other monies from the federal government.

Lewiston has attracted a large number of students and families who seek the special education services best provided in a service center community. Unfortunately, the state funding mechanism for that is on a two-year lag, thus growing the program has a direct and immediate cost locally. While no one would say stop accepting new students, perhaps it is time to allow the private sector outside the schools to provide the services. We already have agencies which provide it to others or to those we cannot serve. Maybe if the state had to pay these providers at double the cost before even considering the lag in payment funding that further saves the state, they might awaken and fully reimburse schools each year as a cheaper alternative to their budget.

Finally, I see a growing administrative budget that does not directly benefit our students. We must reduce the administrative costs and place that money where it best belongs: in the salaries of our teachers. We must also institute pay-for-play in all sports, and enlist booster clubs and admission fees for events to better cover those costs. Our job as a school is to educate tomorrow’s society, and athletics should be treated like any other extracurricular activity.   

Robert Reed is chairman of the Lewiston Finance Committe and a former city councilor.

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* Robert Reed: Why I oppose the Lewiston school budget

* Heidi Sawyer: Why I am voting YES on the school budget