PARIS — Maine School Administrative District 17 presented its 2024-25 budget of $51.5 million last Wednesday during a public forum held at its central office in Paris.

The proposed budget, which includes that of Maine Vocational Region 11 located on Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School’s campus, is an overall 7.5% over the current academic year.

Salaries account for 73% of the overall budget. The next largest cost center is facilities, which makes up 11%.

The budget aligns with the SAD 17’s strategic priorities, locally termed as its Four Pillars: healthy and resilient students; maximize facilities to support learning; recruit, retain and grow talent; and rigorous, relevant and responsive learning, according to district Superintendent Heather Manchester.

Special education costs will increase 9%, instructional support by 19%, technical education by 23% and facilities by 39%. Staff salaries and information technology expenses are also increasing.

Six positions that are new to the budget but have been staffed are being transitioned from grant support. Two are responsible for experiential learning. The other transitioning roles are for two technology specialists and two social workers.

Another new role is that of the extended learning opportunities coordinator. It has also been staffed previously and is responsible for placing students in internships with local businesses. Grant funding will cover 62% of the position during the coming academic year.

Items that were cut from the proposed budget include project-based learning supplies for Oxford Hills Middle School, a middle school secretary, advanced placement testing funds, and outdoors facilities equipment, including snow removal and mowing equipment and a retaining wall at Waterford Memorial School.

Three teaching positions in the district will be phased out due to low class sizes.

With facility maintenance and repairs in the public crosshairs after the district closed Agnes Gray Elementary School this February, they have become a higher priority. Manchester told the Advertiser Democrat that door replacement, paving, equipment, cafeteria tables, playground chips and window repair are included in the facilities budget. Other areas, especially utilities but also brown tail moth treatments, have also increased. A new fire panel needs to be installed at OHCHS.

Independent of its annual budget, Manchester also presented a standalone capital improvements budget, funded with $2 million and paid for with the local share.

According to Maine Department of Education’s formula that projects the cost for essential programs and services (EPS) for students, the SAD 17’s educational costs should be just under $40 million, $11.6 million less than next year’s proposed budget.

The geographic makeup and number of schools in Oxford Hills requires higher transportation, technology and facilities expenditures. The district also has higher special education needs than the state’s standard equation calls for.

SAD 17’s local assessment will increase by 14%, or a cost of $428,746. Despite qualifying for less in state subsidies than it requires, Oxford Hills’ per pupil spending is $15,870, less than most other surrounding districts and below the state average.

Local share increases for each of SAD 17’s eight sending towns are as follows:

Harrison: $572,501 / 14.92%
Hebron: $132,598/13.93%
Norway: $573,497/ 12.19%
Otisfield: 472,928/16.53%
Oxford: $614,787/14.05%
Paris: $491.367/13.98%
Waterford: $310,619/13.21%
West Paris: $187,274/15.77%

The 2024-25 budget will be presented to SAD 17’s school board during a special meeting scheduled for April 22 and its regular May 14 business meeting.

The referendum ballot for both the budget and capital improvement plan will be during state elections June 11.

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