WALES — Regional School Unit 4 directors will decide Wednesday evening on a $22.45 million budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

If passed by the board, Sabattus, Litchfield and Wales voters will weigh in May 17.

The proposed budget is a 5.46% increase over this year’s $21.3 million.

Sabattus residents would see a 17.2% increase in contributions or $4.55 million compared to last year’s $3.88 million.

Litchfield residents would get a 12.5% increase, or $4.67 million compared to last year’s $4.15 million.

Wales would get a 14.1% increase, or $1.70 million compared to last year’s $1.49 million.

Estimated increases to in property tax rates would be $1.84, $1.37 and $1.65, respectively, per $1,000 of assessed value.

Cost centers with the greatest proposed increases are special education, 17.22% or $687,236.79, and buildings and grounds maintenance, 13.77% or $428,341.34.

Regular education instruction would get a 2.05% or $152,931.53 increase; staff and student support, 2.47% or $62,815.21; system administration, 2.79% or $23,522.32; other instruction, which includes summer school and extracurriculars, 4.68% or $23,267.33; and school administration, 1.86% or $19,148.51.

Career and Technical Education would see a 21.85% decrease. However, state subsidies for it have fallen 76% leaving Sabattus, Litchfield and Wales with increases of $17,025.42, $14,069.62 and $5,704.89, respectively.

Transportation and debt service cost centers would fall 9.34% and 3.98% or $116,873 and $18,814.23, respectively. Nutrition, budgeted at $100,000 for the 2022-2023 school year, would see a 100% decrease with the proposed budget.

The school board will meet 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the RSU 4 central office at 971 Gardiner Road in Wales.

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