FARMINGTON — Residents of the 10 towns in Regional School Unit 9 will be asked Wednesday, June 1, to consider a $32.97 million budget for K-12 education and a $404,034 budget for adult education.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at Mt. Blue Campus on Seamon Road.

It’s the first of two votes on the K-12 budget. The second is June 14 at polling stations in each town.

The adult education is $18,544 more than this fiscal year, which ends June 30. It  reflects less-anticipated revenue.

The $32.97 million spending plan for 2016-17 represents a $929,273 increase over this year’s budget. The increase factors in anticipated revenues, $500,000 in carryover and other funding sources.

Taxpayers in the district towns will be required to raise a total of $10.29 million for the district to receive the state’s contribution of $29 million to fund public education from kindergarten through grade 12.

There are 17 articles on the warrant. A newsletter outlining the articles and the proposed budget was mailed to residents May 20.

“The budget process is a challenge for the board of directors and district administrators,” according to a letter from Superintendent Tom Ward and board Chairwoman Jennifer Zweig Hebert in the newsletter. “This budget supports the programs and items necessary to meet the needs of our student population. It also recognizes that budget increases are hard on taxpayers. It is a difficult balance to achieve.

“Although the 2016-17 budget shows an increase, we are pleased to announce that greater non-tax revenues means the burden on property owners will be minimal,” the two wrote.

The state Legislature approved $15 million more for General Purpose Aid to Education. That gave RSU 9 an additional $250,000 to offset the proposed budget, Ward said.

The district also has staff in place to meet requirements to bill MaineCare Services for the district’s day treatment centers. That will generate $300,000, he said.

The towns of Farmington, New Sharon, Temple and Wilton will see a decrease in assessments for both the school budget and adult education budget while other towns will see an increase that ranges between $2,367 for Chesterville to $39,514 for Weld. The latter town and Starks, which will see a $23,936 increase, had town valuation increases that contributed to higher assessments, Zweig Hebert said previously.

The district serves Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

Among the increases and decreases in the proposed RSU 9 $32.97 million budget are:

Increases:

• Grade-two teacher Academy Hill School, Wilton;

• Virtual high school teacher stipend at high school;

• Journey reading program;

• Two education technicians for adaptive skills, special services;

• Eight education technicians added in current year, special services;

• Plumbing teacher and education technician;

• Half-time school nurse increased to full time;

• Laptop computer insurance for grades seven through 12, portion paid for by federal funds;

• Laptop computer carts for three elementary schools;

• Lease/purchase for three state-approved buses;

• Fire alarm system at Cascade Brook School;

• Boiler replacement at Bus Garage; and

• Classroom renovation at middle school.

Decreases:

• Half-time teachers for science, business education and alternative education, high school;

• Grade-five teacher at Cascade Brook School;

• Two multigrade education technicians, Cape Cod Hill School;

• Library books;

• Half-time assistant principal at Mallett School;

• Elementary classroom supply budget reduced;

• Resource room teacher, special services;

• 20 percent English-as-second-language teacher districtwide;

• School health coordinator position;

• Custodial supply budget reduced; and

• Reduced fuel and heating oil costs.

Source: RSU 9

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