PARIS — The Budget Committee of the Oxford Hills School District will hold hearings in Oxford and Paris this week on the proposed $41.1 million budget for 2019-20. It’s a $1.5 million increase from last year.

The first hearing will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Oxford Elementary School on Pleasant Street; the second is at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Paris Elementary School on High Street.

The hearings will allow residents of the eight towns in School Administrative District 17 to get their first look at the spending plan and discuss it with school officials.

School administrators will meet with town officials at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the Central Office in Paris for a budget presentation. School staff will get a preview the week of April 23.

SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts said it’s probable that all eight towns will see higher assessments.

As of March 27, the assessments showed Oxford with the least increase at 1.70 percent, while Hebron, Waterford and West Paris had the biggest at more than 6 percent.

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The final budget will be presented to the board of directors at 7 p.m. Monday, May 6, at the Central Office.

The districtwide hearing is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 6, in the Oxford Hill Comprehensive High School Forum in Paris, where voters will discuss the budget, amend warrant articles and vote on it.

If approved, the budget will go to a validation referendum in each town Tuesday, June 11, for an up-or-down vote on the total number.

If it fails to pass, the district will operate on the amount approved last year until a budget is approved, according to state law.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

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