School departments across the state are navigating a tough year for budget proposals.

Lewiston’s proposal is $130 million, an 11% increase over this fiscal year that ends June 30.

Superintendent Jake Langlais has proposed eliminating 30 positions to minimize the impact to taxpayers. Salaries and wages, special education, and health insurance rates are driving up the budget and are largely beyond the control of the school department.

Eliminating the positions — seven are vacant — is saving $1.8 million, Langlais said at the most recent school committee workshop.

The committee will give its input next week at meetings Monday and Wednesday. So far, the committee has only seen budget presentations. They’ll have the ability to add positions back or cut it further.

Here’s a closer look at the proposed budget:

REVENUE SOURCES

Lewiston receives $89 million — or around 80% — of the $130 million proposed budget from state subsidy. The remainder is up to taxpayers to raise.

A state law determines the funding for school districts based on property valuations.

Lewiston is the top receiver of state subsidy in Maine. In comparison, Portland receives 18% of its budget from the state, South Portland receives almost 30% of its budget in state subsidy, and Auburn, while economically different and with a smaller enrollment than Lewiston, receives 70%.

If Lewiston’s budget passes without changes, taxpayers would be responsible for raising $34.86 million. It’s a 12% increase from this fiscal year.

It’s unclear what the property tax rate will be with the proposed budget because the city is still working on its property revaluation.

Revenue sources include gate receipts from sports games, building rentals and what the school department receives for services such as MeCare. The total of other sources is $5.78 million, which includes $3.5 million from the school’s fund balance.

Lawmakers are attempting to change what they consider an outdated funding model to better reflect local economic conditions.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The special education budget is $39 million. It accounts for the highest overall increase to the proposed budget — 14% — over the current year.

Kristen Crafts, special education director, said last week that out-of-district student placements and the associated costs, including transportation, are the largest budget drivers. 

The special education department serves 1,145 students, 107 of them require out-of-district placements, Crafts said. The school department is required, by law, to cater to all students with a disability and if it can’t, it must send a student to a place where their needs can be met. 

Through the establishment of CLIMB, a program that aims to keep students with high needs in-house, the district has saved money in areas where it can provide the services. 

Of the $39 million special education budget, almost $12 million goes to students who require out-of-district placements. The remaining $27 million goes toward in-school students and paying staff salaries, Crafts said, which includes $4 million more to pay for education technicians and behavior help professions in the CLIMB program.

The CLIMB program itself is not inexpensive, Langlais said, but over time it will save the district more money by keeping students in the district.

The cost to place students out of the district this current year is $12.7 million, while next year it’s decreased to $11.8 million due to savings on transportations and tuition, Crafts said.

Additionally, the special education department is spending $150,000 per month on contracted providers for speech and language services, which is another major increase. There aren’t many people applying for the jobs and it’s part of a bargaining unit, so the school department is unable to negotiate the salary, Crafts said.

WAGES, UTILITIES & INSURANCE

Salaries and wages, utilities and health insurance account for other increases to the budget.

Salaries and wages usually account for 90% of a school department’s budget.

Neither the superintendent nor the school committee have control over the salary and wage increases because it’s negotiated with the respective bargaining units. The school department has well over 1,000 employees.

Health insurance rates are also uncontrollable and are determined on usage. School officials budget for a 15% increase, but it could be anywhere from a 1% to 15%. The final number is expected within the next month.

As for utilities, Facilities Director Josh Breau told the school committee that the purchase of a new van and energy costs are the main budget drivers for his department. The transportation budget is $10.4 million, up 11.2% from the current year. Energy costs went up $742,000 and the van costs $60,000, Breau said.

The next school committee meeting is Monday at 5:30 p.m. at The Green Ladle at 156 East Ave.