LIVERMORE FALLS – SAD 36 directors voted Tuesday to approve a $9.15 million spending plan for fiscal 2008, which is $479,656 or about a 5.5 percent increase over the current budget.

However, the package would deliver a $1.30 per $1,000 of valuation reduction in the assessed tax rate for education, Superintendent Terry Despres said Tuesday.

The budget developed through a revenue-driven process has reduced the tax rate for education from 14.67 per $1,000 valuation in fiscal 2003 to $10.55 per $1,000 of valuation in the proposed budget, Despres said.

Under the proposal, the state’s share of the budget is estimated to be $5.7 million, if voters approve spending about $3.1 million in local money.

The district will assess a combined $3.1 million to the towns of Livermore and Livermore Falls to cover the budget. Livermore’s share of the budget is expected to increase to $1.56 million or 50.12 percent, which reflects an increase from $1.49 million or 48.47 percent from fiscal 2007, according to information presented by Despres.

Livermore Falls’ share is anticipated to be $1.55 million or 49.88 percent, down from $1.59 million or 51.53 in 2006-07.

Livermore’s share increased due to a higher state evaluation of $147.95 million, Despres said. Livermore Falls’s state valuation is $147.25 million.

Despres said homeowners in Livermore would not see their taxes increased due to education and Livermore Falls taxpayers should see a decrease in taxes pertaining to education.

The proposed budget for kindergarten-through-grade-12 operations is $9 million. The additional money included in the budget is $55,000 for food service, which includes continuing to pay off an accrued debt for the program that ran at a loss for several years and $91,760 for SAD 36’s share of the adult education program it shares with Jay.

Directors voted to set a budget hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 31, at the Cedar Street Learning Complex. They also approved a referendum vote on Tuesday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Livermore and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Livermore Falls at the polls in respective town offices.

When Despres credited directors for their efforts keeping the tax rate down, Director Denise Rodzen of Livermore Falls said she didn’t feel the board had anything to do with the budget.

She abstained from the votes saying that she didn’t feel she had done her job as a board member on the budget with the proposal coming to the board for review for the first time Tuesday.

Despres asked if her if the budget process over the last four years has benefited the taxpayers of the towns and she said, “yes.”

Years ago, directors reviewed the budget over several meetings before approving it.

The budget reflects returning to two bus runs from the single-run system that has been in effect for two years due to a decrease in state support to buy buses and pay bus monitors, Despres said.

The budget protects students’ education and the two towns, if a school consolidation proposal at the state level goes into effect next year.

There will be no loss of jobs under the budget, just some shifting of personnel in some areas, Despres said.

It also covers expected increases in health insurance costs and fuel and energy costs.

Projects included in the budget are replacement of glass on an exterior wall outside the gymnasium at the high school, installation of school security measures, a new boiler at the elementary school and hot top work at the Cedar Street Complex and at the middle school.

The package also expands the reading program in grades kindergarten through eight and concentrates on balanced programs pre-kindergarten through 12. The budget also reflects administrative restructuring.