POLAND – The $18.6 million budget approved by the Regional School Unit 16 Board on Tuesday night now goes to Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland voters.

Notices posted in the three towns notify residents that the new district’s school budget meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at the Elm Street School gymnasium in Mechanic Falls.

Residents will vote on some 20 warrant articles that set the district’s 2009-10 budget.

Elected in January, the board has spent the past few months crafting a budget intended to fulfill promises made to local taxpayers. When the three towns got together a year ago to talk consolidation, officials wanted the new district to cost taxpayers the same or less than they were then paying.

According to Rick Kusterin, district business manager, if the budget passes as proposed, Mechanic Falls will be assessed $1,375,952, which is $92,000 less than what it is now paying for education. Minot will be assessed $1,561,533, which is $21,000 less than at present. And Poland will be assessed $5,773,612, the same as it is paying this year.

Superintendent Dennis Duquette noted that school consolidation is a way for the three towns to adjust to declining student enrollment – a problem that schools are dealing with statewide – and do so in a way that preserves as many current educational offerings as possible.

“Taking the health curriculum as an example, it’s getting hard to justify the health program at the Elm Street School what with enrollment declining, but by sharing that resource with Minot, we can keep the wellness program in Mechanic Falls and everyone wins,” Duquette said.

The proposed budget, Duquette pointed out, allows for greatly improved curriculum alignment across the three towns, insuring that students entering Poland Regional High School come in with a more consistent background, and includes restructuring, districtwide, of how computers are integrated into the classroom.

The school board’s recommended budget backs eliminating about 20 of the 24 staff positions that school administrators had originally suggested be cut and supports creating four new technology positions.

The amount of money being sought for instructional technology is up more than 16 percent for salaries and benefits and for supplies in equipment as well.

The amount allocated for transportation is down about $200,000 – 20 percent overall and nearly 24 percent in the salaries and benefits line with the elimination of two transportation directors and three drivers and buses as the new district realigns bus routes.

“Change is never easy. We have to become more resourceful now. The news coming from Augusta doesn’t paint a pretty picture,” Duquette said.