DIXFIELD — The RSU 56 board of directors will be considering a number of cuts to  trim the proposed 2025-26 school budget.

At the board meeting on March 11, Supt. Pam Doyen said at the Feb. 25 board meeting, the school board directed the administrative team to come in at a 5 percent budget to budget increase.

At that meeting, she said while there are still some unknowns, a rough estimate of the FY 26 budget is $15.24 million, a $967,954 increase.

Doyen said to reach a 5 percent increase, they would need to cut $446,683. She added that since the last meeting, they needed to add $192,822 for the out of district placements and board streaming.

“For the administrative team, this is the push and pull because everything coming at you next is a potential cut because of budget issues. It is not supporting the strategic plan you have in place,” she noted.

The cuts would include, not in priority order:
* A Dirigo Elementary School teacher — $79,026;
* At Dirigo Middle School, two interventionists — $82,017. Impacts both the middle and high school as world language would be shared in order to have enough offerings at DMS.
* A high school special education ed tech — $57,914;
* An elementary special education ed tech — $46,612;
* A library ed tech III — $62,814;
* Reduction in middle school social work days — $5,000;
* DES contracted social work — $36,250.

The FY 26 budget timeline includes a special budget workshop on March 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the high school with the board and people from member towns invited when the full budget will be presented. Snow date will be April 1.

The budget hearing/validation meeting will take place on May 27, with the budget referendum vote on June 10 in all four member towns.

If anyone in the community has ideas or suggestions, they can contact Supt. Pam Doyen at 207-562-4300, pdoyen@rsu56.org