JAY — At the Regional School Unit 73 budget meeting on Thursday evening, April 11, voters took less than half an hour to approve 20 articles regarding the 2024/2025 $24.6 million proposed spending plan.
The plan, which will begin July 1 and end June 30, 2024, is 6.1% more than the $23.21 million budget approved by voters last year.
The only article drawing a question from the public regarded authorizing the board of directors to “transfer amounts exceeding 5% of the total appropriation for any cost center or among cost centers for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, provided that transfers shall not be permitted to increase the authorized total school budget.”
“Can you say that in terms that we can understand,” Pam Spaulding of Jay asked.
“It gives us permission, if we are over in one line to move [funds] from another line as long as we don’t go over the total budget,” Superintendent Scott Albert replied.
The article on raising $3.8 million additional funds beyond what the state recommends be allocated for essential programs and services in the district required a written vote. It passed, 39-1.
At the Feb. 15 board of directors meeting, Albert noted the budget had been reduced $39,241 which lowered the initially proposed increase from 6.3% to 6.1%. Directors also voted then to remove three $10,000 subsidies for food service and increase the carry over amount by $30,000 to offset the reduction. The towns of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls would originally have been asked to provide those subsidies.
Voters will go to polls in their towns between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. April 23 to consider the budget as a whole.
“We have been very lucky in the five years I have been superintendent,” Albert said after the meeting. “We have had the support of the community.”
In other business Chair Robert Staples thanked three directors who are not seeking another term on the board for their service. Holly Morris represented Livermore while Joel Pike and Chantelle Woodcock represented Jay. “All of you will be greatly missed,” he added.
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