By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
Registered voters in the RSU 39 communities of Caribou, Limestone and Stockholm, in attendance at the May 25 district budget meeting held at the Caribou Middle School, voted to accept the 2011-12 RSU 39 school budget in the amount of $18,559,511, as recommended by the RSU 39 board members.
Dale Gordon, chairwoman of the RSU 39 board of education welcomed the sparse number of citizens attending the public meeting/vote. Gordon’s remarks were followed by the election of Robert Edgecomb as moderator for meeting and Laurie Chapman, administrative secretary, was appointed to serve as ballot clerk.
Frank McElwain, superintendent of RSU 39, briefly explained the purpose of the vote, which is the first of two steps in the budget approval process. Once the public has voted and approved the document at the district budget meeting, the 2011-12 RSU 39 budget then goes to a validation vote that will be held on Tuesday, June 14 at the regular polling locations in each of the three communities. McElwain also provided an explanation of the budget document.
Residents voted by a show of hands on each of the individual budget articles with the exception of article 14, which was done by written ballot.
Article 14 states: To see what sum RSU 39 will raise and appropriate in additional local funds(recommend $639,532), which exceeds the state’s essential programs and services allocation model by (recommended $299,640.93), as required to fund the budget recommended by the board of directions.
* The board of directors recommends $639,532 for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the state’s essential programs and services funding model by $299,640: facilities, special education and extra curricular costs.
By written ballot, a vote of 29-0 unanimously approved Article 14.
