Staff Writer
The members of the Eastern Regional School Unit (RSU 39) board of education remind residents who are registered voters in the communities of Caribou, Stockholm and Limestone that there will be a public district budget meeting held on Wednesday, May 25 beginning at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at the Caribou Middle School.
This meeting is to acquire approval through a public vote of the 2011-12 school budget, the first in a two -step process. The second step is a validation vote that will be held on June 14 at regular polling locations in each community.
Frank McElwain, superintendent of the RSU 39 stated, “We are certainly sensitive to the financial strain that our recent economy has placed on all of us. This budget works to strike a balance between the financial capacity of the communities with our mission to meet the learning needs of students. We appreciate your support of our schools as we work to insure the successful education of our students.”
The following articles will be presented for a public vote for expenditure authorization.
• Article 1: Regular Instruction; Board recommends: $7,074,039.
• Article 2: Special Education; Board recommends: $2,481,851.
• Article 3: Career and Technical Education; Board recommends: $1,173,416.
• Article 4: Other Instruction: Board recommends: $663,522.
• Article 5: Student and Staff Support; Board recommends: $1,721,895.
• Article 6:System Administration; Board recommends: $566,981.
• Article 7: School Administration; Board recommends: $875,238.
• Article 8: Transportation and buses; Board recommends $876,341.
• Article 9: Facilities and maintenance; Board recommends $3,026,921.
• Article 10: Debt service and other commitments; Board recommends $0.00.
• Article 11: All other expenditures including Nutrition; Board recommends $99,307.
Article s12 through 14 are consideration to raise funds for the proposed school budget.
• Article 12: To see what sum RSU 39 will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and to wee what sum RSU 39 will raise and assess as each municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15688. The recommended amounts include:
• Total appropriated (by community) Caribou — $12,055,027.77; total raised and assessments (by community) $2,559,969; Limestone — $2,594,313.16; $508,333.50; Stockholm — $293,386.73; $107,568.
RSU total appropriated — $14,892,727.66; RSU total raised — $3,175,870.50
The RSU 39’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minimum amount that RSU 39 must raise and assess in order to receive the full amount of state dollars.
• Article 13: What sum RSU 39 will raise and appropriate for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by RSU 39 voters for non-state-funded school construction projects, non-state funded portions of school construction projects and minor capital projects in addition to the funds appropriated as the local share of RSU 39’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from pre-k through grade 12. Board recommends: $0.00.
• Article 14: (Written ballot required). What sum the RSU 39 will raise and appropriate in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model. Board recommends $639,532 for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $299,640.93.
• Article 15: To see what sum RSU 39 will authorize the Board of Directors to expend for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012, from RSU 39’s contribution to the total coast of funding public education from pre-k through grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act, non-state-funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine revised Statues, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools. Board recommends: $18,559,511.
• Article 16: In addition to amounts approved in the preceding articles, shall the board of Directors be authorized to expend in Federal Education jobs Bill Funds and such other funds as may be received from federal or state grants or programs or other sources during the fiscal year for school purposes, provided that such grants, programs or other sources do not require the expenditure of other funds not previously appropriated. It is currently estimated that the Board of Directors will receive $128,445 in Federal Education Jobs Bill Funds, which are included in the expenditures authorized by this article.
• Article 17: Shall the RSU 39 appropriate $227,277 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.
