PARIS — Utilizing $890,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act, directors of Maine School Administrative District 17 voted Monday to replace an aging portable classroom at Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway.

Voters must approve using the federal funds at the polls June 13, the same day they vote on the annual district and Vocational Region 11 budgets.

The federal pandemic relief money allows for a one-time infrastructure investment and includes an educator’s salary that will transition to the district in the future. If voters approve the money, the district will ask the state to approve its plan to construct a building and will have a year to complete the project. Architects and contractors are working on preliminary plans.

The school district uses a double-wide portable building that is in poor condition.

The 180-acre preserve on Roberts Road is owned by Western Foothills Land Trust and offers year-round recreation for the community with over 7 miles of trails and groomed cross country ski trails. Through a partnership that includes Healthy Oxford Hills, SAD 17 has operated an experiential learning program at the preserve since 2011.

Also Monday, Superintendent Heather Manchester presented her proposed $47.4 million budget for 2023-24, which is supported by the Budget Committee and was the topic of a public meeting April 11. It is 1.3% more than this fiscal year, which ends June 30.However, due to almost $1 million less money from the state, local assessments will increase.

The board of directors voted to send the budget to voters.

In recent years, Oxford Hills received a higher share of state funding because of the district’s high poverty and high number of disadvantaged students. Now, the state is returning to pre-pandemic formulas to calculate allocations.

One big challenge, Manchester said, is that according to the state’s education cost formulas, MSAD 17 should be able to provide essential programs and services to its student population for $39.4 million.

Several factors contribute to the district needing $8.2 million more than the state projects, mostly related to the district being the largest geographically in Maine. One issue is having five small rural schools serving their communities at higher local cost. Another is that bus transportation exceeds the state’s allowance and must be covered in part by local dollars.

“This formula from the state does not work for” our district, Paris Director Troy Ripley said. “We can nickel and dime our departments, but as a board I believe we should put some energy toward our elected officials to make the formula workable for a district of our makeup. Until we do, it’s going to be a tough road every year, trying to make up $8 million through our local share.”

Manchester said last week that she had a similar conversation with a Maine Department of Education official in Augusta about the formula and learned it is likely to be revised over the next few years.

Director Mark Heidmann of Harrison suggested the board create a subcommittee to engage elected officials representing Oxford Hills towns on the need to rework the essential programs and services allowances.

The proposed budget does not provide for more security and safety for the district’s schools in Paris, Norway, Oxford, Otisfield, Harrison, Hebron, Waterford and West Paris. And it does not address the need for higher levels of social and emotional learning for its youngest students.

“We really need to look at how we conduct business,” Budget Committee Chairman Robert Jewell of Paris said. “Everyone on the Budget Committee, I think, was shocked to hear about how bad things are at the elementary level. Every single principal (said they are struggling. They don’t have the support that they need. We have multiple schools having multiple lockdowns.

“We are not giving our elementary students, teachers and staff the support they need to do their job with the way that society is today,” he said. “This budget doesn’t even come close to addressing that. It is unbelievable. The board needs to realize that this is where we are.”

Jewell said one way to address the increasing needs for elementary students is to review graduation requirements and curriculum for high school. The state requires students complete 12 credits, while Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School students have to earn twice that. He suggested streamlining coursework and reducing credit obligations there would provide more resources for students in grades kindergarten to six.

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