Maine School Administrative District 52 directors are expected to decide April 9 on a proposed $39.4 million spending plan for 2026-27.

The proposal represents a $2 million increase of about 5.9% from this year’s school budget for the towns of Turner, Greene and Leeds.

“We anticipate being able to reduce this again now that we have heard our health insurance increase will be a maximum increase of 11.5%. We budgeted for a 14% increase,” Superintendent Cari Medd wrote in an email.

The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. April 9 in the gymnasium at the Turner Elementary School at 91 Matthews Way in Turner.

A preliminary districtwide vote will be held at 6 p.m. May 7 in the auditorium at the Leavitt Area High School at 21 Matthews Way.

The budget validation vote will be held from 1-7 p.m. on May 21 at polling places in Greene, Leeds and Turner.

There are no big-ticket items in the budget and no programs eliminated, Medd wrote.

“The drivers of the budget increase are the following:  health insurance, special education, the need for contracted services for bus trips due to a lack of drivers, and the loss of adult education subsidy ($590,000) … due to a change in the law,” she wrote. 

The adult education program is still getting funding, Medd said, but the district is losing extra funding received in the past.

The district has been very strategic in the use of its fund balance to keep the ongoing maintenance and capital improvement plans on track while minimizing the increase to the taxpayer, she wrote. 

“This year, approximately $700,000 was removed from the initial budget and designated to be paid for out of the district’s facilities reserve fund,” she said.