LEWISTON — The estimated tax impact of the proposed school budget is just under $1, Superintendent Jake Langlais told the School Committee on Wednesday.
At $11.72 per $1,000 of assessed value, Lewiston residents would pay a school tax rate approximately $0.99 more than last year, if approved in its present form.
The School Committee could still alter the proposed spending plan before voting to approve it at their meeting Monday, however Langlais said he’s aiming to stick to a $1 tax impact.
“That dollar range, I think, is something people feel like with a (property) valuation coming down the road and not knowing what’s in the future, it’s a number people are willing to talk about,” Langlais explained, citing communication with Lewiston taxpayers and discussions within the finance committee.
Since his initial proposal several weeks ago, Langlais and the School Committee have cut $2.7 million from the budget. The proposed spending plan is now $99.6 million.
Much of these savings were created by cutting 36 mostly vacant positions within the school. No staff member will lose their job due to the cuts, Langlais said.
Since last week, the finance subcommittee has identified a family and school liaison and health-related educational technician, which they believe can be cut.
Langlais said school administrators also think they can identify a teacher position to cut.
“That teacher position is not something that sits vacant, it’s something that we’re exploring could we live without if we had to,” Langlais said. He did not share which school administrators were considering removing a teacher.
“I really think this is a responsible budget that allows us to continue to do good things, but again, it has been reduced by $3 million,” Langlais said. “That is a substantial number … I don’t know what organization is carving out 36 positions while also still maintaining a dynamic approach.”
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