RUMFORD — Residents approved all 22 articles at the May 27 districtwide hearing and initial vote for the $45 million Regional School Unit 10 budget at Mountain Valley High School.

The proposed increase over the current fiscal year is 4.9%, or $2.1 million. In the proposal, 19 positions were cut, although 12 of those staff cuts include vacant jobs, upcoming retirees or those planning to leave. There are currently 430 employees in the district.

A budget validation referendum vote at the polls is set for June 9 in Buckfield, Hanover, Hartford, Mexico, Roxbury, Rumford and Sumner.

There was little discussion at the Wednesday hearing, except for a couple of articles where the majority of 86 participants declined two amendments.

On one article, regarding other instruction, the school board recommended $1.06 million. Resident Jerry Wiley, of Buckfield, said at the start of the budget process the administrative team had recommended $3.2 million in cuts. To meet that goal, he asked for an amendment to reduce this article by $172,000 to $888,349. The amendment failed without the need of a count.

One article included authorizing RSU 10 to purchase two school buses for $280,000 as part of the expenditure for transportation, and in a different article permitting the school board to go to the state for bonds to pay for the two bus purchases.

Resident Diane McAllister, of Buckfield, questioned why they were paying for the two buses in one article, then were asked again for money for the buses in a later article. Business Manager Leah Kaulback said that if the state did not authorize the bond to pay for the buses, the district would not have the funds to pay for them.

An amendment was made asking that purchasing the buses would be contingent on state approval of the bonds for them. However, that amendment also failed.

The other cuts in the budget include: eliminating the Mountain Valley High School Alpine/Nordic ski program; one of three social workers at Mountain Valley Community School; one of three school guidance counselors at the community school; an office secretary at the community school; a principal position at the community school; a guidance counselor at Hartford-Sumner Elementary School; one of two Extended Learning Opportunities coordinators; two teachers at Hartford-Summer Elementary School based on class sizes; two special education Ed Tech I teachers; a general Ed Tech III teacher at the community school; and a library education tech at the community school.

The impact of the proposed budget on the seven member towns is: Buckfield, 4.86% increase, or $100,000; Hanover, 7.6% increase, or $45,600; Hartford, 11.7% increase, or $197,000; Mexico, 5.6% increase, or $95,500; Roxbury, 7.1% decrease, or $83,000 less; Rumford, 2.44% increase, or $170,000; and Sumner, 9.7% increase, or $103,000.

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