MEXICO — Directors of Regional School Unit 10 on Monday approved a $27.73 million budget for 2017-18.

The spending plan would increase local assessments by an average of 2.84 percent, Superintendent Deborah Alden said Tuesday.

Voters will weigh in on it a hearings later this month.

Directors started in March with a budget proposal was $29.23 million.

“We did a lot of brainstorming and thinking outside the box and we looked at everything, we worked hard as an administrative team to come together and be creative to make it happen,” Superintendent Deborah Alden said.

Starting July 1, the district will operate with five fewer towns because Byron, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield and Peru voted last year to withdraw from RSU 10. That leaves seven towns: Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury, Hanover, Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner.

Among the cuts made for the next fiscal year were: English Language Learner services, positions in transportation and management services, a technology director to be shared 40 percent with SAD 44 in Bethel, an assistant business manager position, custodial services for four buildings, a custodian position to four hours a day, teachers professional development by 50 percent and the food service program by $10,000.

“It’s kind of a guesstimate when we put money toward the (food service program) amount,” Alden said.

Cuts proposed but not passed included: $32,000 from athletic training services; 10 percent from activity stipends, which would have cut extracurricular activities and some junior varsity programs at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School and Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico and Mountain Valley High School in Rumford; $50,000 for 14 teacher-leader positions; and two fewer librarians and two more library technicians.

Public hearings on the budget are set for 6:30 p.m. May 17 at Rumford Elementary School gym and at 6:30 p.m. May 18 at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School auditorium.

The budget validation referendum is set for June 13 at each town’s polling station.

Alden said the referendum on a $900,250 bond to pay for a new roof on the high school is set for July 11.

The next school board meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

RSU 10 logo.

RSU 10 Technology Director Kevin Kaulback discusses the purchase of MacBook Air computers versus Chromebook computers with the board Monday. The board did not make a final decision on which computers will be chosen for high school students.