HODGDON, Maine — A second proposed Hodgdon School District budget proposal cuts an additional $278,639, eliminating five positions.
Following a referendum vote that rejected the $7.9 million MSAD 70 fiscal year 2025-2026 school budget by more than 200 votes, the district superintendent has drafted a new budget that will be presented to the public during a budget vote meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at the Hodgdon Middle High School.
District voters will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss the budget and propose changes to specific line items before a vote.
“Altogether the budget has been cut by $278,639 for this next budget vote,” said Tyler Putnam, the superintendent and high school principal, on Wednesday.
A 338-180 referendum vote opposing the first budget proposal forced school officials to build this new spending plan that reduces the financial ask for residents of Amity, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Linneus, Ludlow and New Limerick to $462,063 from $740,702.
Initially, the school board approved a fiscal year 2025-2026 district budget with a $981,541 increase on May 5.
But according to Putnam, school officials listened to resident concerns and decreased that number by $250,843. With the latest reductions, district officials have dropped the original increase by $529,482, or 54 percent, making the total proposed increase $452,059.
The revised budget includes the elimination of the following positions: executive assistant to the superintendent; data input coordinator; director of maintenance and transportation; home school coordinator; and an educational technician for special education.
Additionally, $29,063 was taken out of non-personnel cost centers, Putnam said.
Other Aroostook County school districts have also been trying to juggle rising costs, dwindling state dollars and voter concerns about property tax increases.
Voters in MSAD 27, RSU 39 and the Madawaska School Department also rejected proposed budgets this year.
The most recent budget changes reduce the total allocation for MSAD 70 towns, although they still reflect an increase over last year, keeping pace with rising state valuations of towns. The local required share is based on town valuations.
Amity’s total allocation — required local and additional local — was $163,495, now reduced to $150,018; Haynesville’s allocation went from $113,216 to $101,836; Hodgdon’s went from $713,013 to $654,241; Linneus’ went from $811,878 to $744,956; Ludlow’s went from $274,998 to $252,331; and New Limerick’s went from $1.2 million to $1.102 million.
Haynesville’s $113,216 allocation was decreased in this year’s budget by $5,149 from last year and with the most recent revisions it is now $101,836.
Putnam said if the most recent budget version passes at Thursday’s budget vote meeting, there will be a referendum vote in August.
“If the budget is rejected, I will meet with the finance committee to review our options and start the process again,” he said.
