By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

OXFORD – The proposed SAD 17 budget has been increased by almost $50,000. This includes reinstating some teaching positions and late bus routes, and eliminating fees students would have had to pay to play sports or park at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. The late bus routes would be for middle school and high school activities.

Budget Committee Chairman Andrew Derstine said Saturday that some items have been reinstated in the budget to accommodate the wishes of concerned parents and teachers who spoke at a series of budget meetings held throughout the region.

This evening, the Budget Committee’s proposal for a $31,191,716 budget for 2005-2006 will go before the full SAD 17 Board of Directors for a vote. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Waterford Memorial Elementary School at 147 Valley Road in Waterford.

The latest budget proposal represents more than a 2.6 percent increase over last year’s budget of $30,382,658. Superintendent of Schools Mark Eastman initially proposed a $31,142,225 budget in an attempt to keep the increase at 2.5 percent.

Derstine said Saturday the latest budget proposal still is about $700,000 shy of what would be needed to maintain the current level of programming at district schools. A new state education funding formula accounts for a significant portion of the shortfall.

Derstine said the formula, which calls for increasing state contributions to school funding, is being implemented slowly over four years. The district this year will receive only about 84 percent of what the state should be paying, Derstine said.

At a Budget Committee meeting Wednesday, he said, the board considered a proposal to include two separate warrants for the June 13 school budget referendum. One would present voters with the limited budget proposal and the second would ask whether voters wanted to fund the additional $700,000 to maintain the school programming.

Derstine said Mark Eastman was asked to consider the legality of the second warrant. He is expected to report his findings today.

No field trips

The majority of items cut from the budget are maintenance-related, Derstine said. A $10,000 painting budget has been eliminated, for example, as well as some money for repairing fields. Late buses to accommodate after-school programs at district elementary schools have been cut, as well as some software, a wilderness leadership program at the high school and district funding for all K-12 field trips. The latter was a $17,500 cut, Derstine said.

A half-time gifted and talented position at the high school and a half-time teacher for Hebron Elementary School have been cut, as well as an elementary school guidance position and some maintenance positions.

“The majority of these cuts are to be one-year cuts,” Derstine said, explaining that school district officials hope to reinstate the programs and positions as the state funding increases.

There will be a district-wide public hearing on the proposed budget May 13, assuming the budget is accepted by the board of directors, Derstine said. The referendum then follows in June.