Staff Writer
There will be a public hearing at the Caribou Performing Arts Center tonight( may 26) at 7 for voters from Caribou, Limestone and Stockholm for the purpose of determining the RSU 39 budget meeting articles. During this public hearing registered voters will decide 11 articles authorizing expenditures in cost center categories. In articles 12, 13 and 14, voters will determine what sum the RSU 39 will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from K-12, and what sum each of the three municipalities will be responsible for.
Article 15 summarizes the proposed school budget amount; Article 16 authorizes expenditure of grants and other receipts and article 17 authorizes the adult education program and raises the local share.
Cost enters and board of directors recommendation are as follows:
• Article1: Regular Instruction — board recommends, $7,332,458.94.
• Article 2: Special Education — board recommends, $2,424,040.05.
• Article 3: Career and Technical Education — board recommends, $1,182,780.33.
• Article 4: Other Instruction — board recommends, $694,307.08.
• Article 5: Student and Staff Support — board recommends, $1,663,307.28.
• Article 6: System Administration —board recommends $576,166.51.
• Article 7: School Administration — board recommends $852,137.36.
• Article 8: Transportation and Buses — board recommends $917,593.40.
• Article 9: Facilities Maintenance — board recommends $2,819,009.18.
• Article 10: Debt Service and Other Commitments — board recommends $0.
• Article 11: All other expenditures — board recommends, $99,687.87.
• Article 12: Total cost of funding public education from kindergarten through grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and to see what sum RSU 39 will raise and assess as each municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from K-12 as described in the essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes.
Board recommendations: Total appropriated by Caribou — $12,033,126.94; total raised assessments, $2,231,460; total appropriated by Limestone — $2,495,616.36; total raised assessments, $445,050; total appropriated by Stockholm — $352,689.97; total raised assessments, $101,775.
Total RSU 39 appropriated $14,881,433.27; RSU 39 total raised, $2,778,285. (RSU 39’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from K through grade 12, as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minim\m amount that RSU 39 must raise and assess in order to receive the full amount of state dollars.
• Article 13: Annual payments on debt service previously approved by RSU 39 voters for non-state-funded school construction projects and minor capital projects — board recommends $0.
• Article 14: Written ballot required Additional Local Funds .
• Article 15: Sum that RSU 39 will be authorized to expend for the fiscal year (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011) from RSU 39’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from Kindergarten to grade 12. — board recommends, $18,561,488.
• Article 16: Expenditure of grants and other receipts. It is currently estimated that the RSU 39 Board of Directors will receive $203,740.90 in federal stabilization funds, which are included in the expenditures authorized by this article.
• Article 17: To see if RSU 39 will appropriate $228,038.25 for adult education and raise $85,000 as the local share; with authorization to expend any additional incidental or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of the adult education program.
During tonight’s public hearing (Wednesday, May 26) voters will hear about each of the RSU cost centers prior to voting; when each has been approved, either through immediate authorization or by further adjustment, the proposed 2010-11 RSU 39 Budget will be considered authorized to be placed on the June 8 ballot, at which time voters will be asked to approve the total sum of the budget.
