Lewiston School Department’s budget proposal for next year calls for an 11% increase in spending even as it eliminates 30 positions — 23 of which work directly with students.

Superintendent Jake Langlais presented an overview of next year’s proposed $130.6 million budget at Monday night’s school committee meeting. He plans to discuss more in detail at the committee’s special meeting Wednesday night.  

School officials took steps to reduce the budget in the areas possible, Langlais said, but uncontrollable costs such as negotiated teacher and staff salaries, benefits and inflation are driving up spending, Langlais said.

“We’ve talked about a growth mindset with the budget and growing a pathway. In this budget, I’m finding it difficult just to maintain. I don’t think we have the resources to grow much of anything,” Langlais said. “I think we can work to maintain it and some things will be reduced, but I hope the efforts we made will maintain it.”

MAIN BUDGET DRIVERS 

The Lewiston schools receive nearly 70% of its funding through state subsidy.

Of the $130.6 million proposed budget, the city is responsible for raising $35.4 million, up 12.39% over the current year.

Many of the factors driving the budget up are unavoidable costs, Langlais said.

• A new energy contract increased by $750,000.
• Transportation costs have increased by $2.5 million due to a new state formula that is calculating costs differently, along with new contracts. 
• Workers’ compensation has increased by $1 million due to personnel issues. The superintendent said it could be for a range of reasons, such as an employee injured at work.
• Negotiated salaries, benefits and increased insurance rates.

QUESTIONS FROM SCHOOL COMMITTEE

The school committee inquired about the affected positions, budget drivers and revenue.

Langlais wants to ensure the affected employees receive communication from administration about their positions before he talks about the positions publicly, but said seven of the positions are vacant and 23 work directly with students.

“I think the reason I have such a pause is because of the idea that we would provide less for the kids. No one wants this,” Langlais said. “Also, the idea that these are people’s livelihoods, it’s how they put food on the table and take care of their families. It’s heavy when we talk about people and not vacant positions.” 

School committee member Meghan Hird requested a copy of the district’s classroom spending, suggesting there might be “rogue” spending by teachers adding to the school department’s Amazon account.

“Where we are looking at cutting 30 actual people, would you rather have free range for whatever pen you want, or a teacher in the classroom?” Hird said.

The superintendent said most teachers pay for classroom supplies out of their own pockets or as gifts from parent teacher organizations, but he will get her a copy.

NEXT STEPS

Langlais will present the special education, regular instruction and facility maintenance parts of the budget at the school committee’s meeting Wednesday, where he promises to detail the positions affected by the budget cuts.

Wednesday’s meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at Connors Elementary School at 400 Bartlett St.

The City Council will review the budget March 16. 

The school committee will have the opportunity to make changes before it is sent to voters May 12.