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 Local news and information from Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Sedgwick, and Surry, Maine. |
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News Feature
School Union 76 superintendent Robert Webster reported a smaller-than-expected carryover from the 2010-11 budget to the Sedgwick school board on Tuesday, January 17, at the regular monthly meeting. For the past few years, the budget has included a surplus of roughly $200,000 from the previous year, which was counted as revenue toward the proposed total budget for the following year. Instead of the approximately $275,000 Webster had estimated would be available, the surplus stands at approximately $77,000—all of which is likely to be spent this school year. Webster said this is due to maximizing the amount of surplus used for the 2010-11 budget, combined with an over-estimate of exactly how much surplus would be available. Webster attempted, at the request of the Sedgwick selectmen, to “spend down” the surplus during the budgeting process, minimizing the amount of money to be raised from property taxes for the year. “I was too aggressive with the spending down [in the budget], and I made a bad forecast of how much money would be available for the 2011-12 budget from the 2010 fiscal year audit,” explained Webster. According to Jim Wadman, the union’s auditor, a healthy school carryover is about 2.5 percent—in Sedgwick’s case, about $50,000 on the nearly $2,000,000 budget. In an attempt to save money this year to offset the decrease in surplus, Principal Don Buckingham has put a freeze on all non-essential expenses at the school, and is encouraging extra thrift wherever possible. The board commended Buckingham and the school staff for their efforts. In order to fund the 2012-13 school budget, which is three percent over the 2011-12 budget, Sedgwick will need to raise more from property taxes at its annual town meeting. Buckingham sent a letter to parents on January 18 informing them of the projected shortfall and the push to reduce expenditures in the current year. In the letter, Buckingham writes: “It is our job here at the school to reduce expenditures drastically without compromising student safety and learning.” The biggest challenge is not keeping costs to a minimum this year but the substantial increase to taxpayers for the 2012-13 budget, when there is no surplus and taxes raised would need to be $200,000 to $300,000 more than for the 2011-12 school year, continued Buckingham in the letter. He urges each parent to “let your voice be heard. In just over a month, on March 3, the town will have an opportunity to vote on whether or not we can continue to move ahead or, once again, make our students go to the end of the line…we cannot afford to go backwards.” Sedgwick resident Garry Schneider asked the board if there will be fewer students at the school next year. The board said there will be 126 students next year, and confirmed that number is lower than this year’s enrollment. Schneider asked why the budget is increasing three percent if there are fewer students. Board chairman Clare Grindal replied the board had negotiated modest staff raises but cannot control rising costs, such as heating fuel, health insurance and transportation. “At what point are we going to consider combining with another school?” asked Schneider, who said his property taxes have increased 600 percent since he bought his property 20 years ago. Grindal said there is no school currently interested in combining with Sedgwick. Schneider also asked if taxpayer money supports the pre-k program. Buckingham said other than minor costs to heat the space, no. “The funding of the program has not changed one iota,” he said, adding that nearly every incoming kindergartener this year came out of the pre-k program. “Taxpayers have to pay for education from grades kindergarten through 12,” said Schneider. “Taxpayers in town are not obligated to pay for pre-school.” Buckingham said students coming from pre-k perform better in kindergarten and that developmental issues can be identified sooner. Webster said the proposed budget for 2012-13 is smaller than the budget five years ago, when several classes were combined and positions reduced. In other business, the board discussed the potential move of the union’s central office to Deer Isle-Stonington High School. Michael Sheahan, the board’s representative on the Union 76 Study Committee, reported the discussion of rent to be charged to Brooklin and Sedgwick is ongoing. The board discussed the number that might be charged to the two towns. Board member Ashley Pesek noted the CSD would have substantial cost savings after the move, and said she hopes at least some of those savings would be passed on to Brooklin and Sedgwick. “If there’s no cost savings for all, why would we want to move the office?” she asked. The board meets next on Tuesday, February 28, at 6 p.m. |
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