BUCKFIELD — The 2018-19 proposed budget for Regional School Unit 10 is $1.25 million less than this fiscal year, but there are several other differences that are noteworthy, Superintendent Deb Alden said at a public budget hearing Tuesday.

One of the major differences between the two spending plans is that funding of the district’s vocational programs through Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico and Region 11’s Oxford Hills Technical School in Paris will go directly from the state to those programs, Alden said.

Alden also shared other “negative impacts” of the $26.48 million budget for the upcoming year, which begins July 1:

• The budget includes $1.9 million less in miscellaneous revenues, including from Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Peru and Byron, which withdrew from RSU 10 in November 2016.

• Only about $500,000 is expected to be carried over to 2018-19, also an effect of the five towns’ withdrawal.

• Seven buildings need maintenance.

• A $250,716 increase in local contributions is required by the state government.

Alden also listed the following “positive impacts” of the budget:

• There is no increase in health insurance costs paid by the district for employees.

• The district’s Pennacook Learning Center in Rumford received a grant that will allow the school to be part of a regional special education program. That means the district can share the school’s services with other districts and share the costs of the school — a savings of about $280,000.

• The budget includes an increase of $700,500 in state support for special education.

• The debt to Oxford Hills Technical School has been paid off and MaineCare debt has been paid off.

• The adult education budget for the next fiscal year is $182,439, an increase of $17,000 from this year.

The annual budget meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.

A budget validation referendum is scheduled for June 12 in RSU 10’s seven member towns — Rumford, Mexico, Roxbury, Hanover, Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner. 

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

A budget validation referendum is scheduled for June 12 in RSU 10’s seven member towns:

Voting hours by town:

• Buckfield, Buckfield Municipal Center, 34 Turner St., 8 a.m.– 8 p.m.

• Hanover, Hanover Town Office, 21 Ferry Road, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Hartford, Hartford Town Hall, 1190 Main St., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Mexico, Calvin P. Lyons Meeting Hall, 134 Main St., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Roxbury, Roxbury Town Hall, 1095 Roxbury Road, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Rumford, American Legion, 184 Congress St., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Sumner, Sumner Town Office, 633 Main St., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Regional School Unit 10 directors listen to Superintendent Deb Alden at a public hearing on the 2018-19 budget Tuesday at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. From left are Richard Dyer of Hartford, Chairman Jerry Wiley of Buckfield, Jennifer LeDuc of Rumford, Travis Palmer of Rumford, Greg Buccina of Rumford, Peter DeFilipp of Mexico and district Business Manager Leah Kaulback (Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times)

People listen to a presentation on the Regional School Unit 10 budget Tuesday night at Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. (Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times)

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