By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

There is good news for Casco and Naples taxpayers when it comes to paying for public education.

The proposed $32,134,019 SAD 61 budget will actually result in a decrease in assessments for Casco (estimated at 2.57% or $167,119) and Naples (estimated at 6.45% or $517,029).

Casco’s school bill would be $6,326,285.

Naples’ bill would be $7,495,498.

Bridgton, however, is staring at an estimated 3.10% increase or $297,112 pushing the town’s school bill to $9,894,413.

Property valuation is a major driver in the tax assessment formula.

Finance Coordinator Sherrie Proctor provided a general overview of the proposed 2022-23 budget during a public hearing Monday night, via both Zoom and in-person. There were no questions from the general public.

The process started in November when the district’s leadership team (along with staff input) proposed a “needs-based” budget that totaled just over $33 million.

The requests were then reviewed by the SAD 61 School Board’s Finance Committee, and later the full board. The figure headed for voter approval is $32,134,019, which represents a 1.4% increase.

Contractual salary increases for 2022-23 are between 3 to 4%, Proctor noted, and SAD 61 is currently negotiating with the teacher union. The present contract expires August 2022.

For years, SAD 61 used the old Bridgton Memorial School as a place to store items. With the building needing repair and the Town of Bridgton interested in the property, SAD 61 is proposing to construct a 60-foot by 100-foot storage building on the high school/Essential Service Building campus.

To build the facility without impacting taxpayer assessments, SAD 61 proposes to move $900,000 from the undesignated fund to Capital Reserve ($400,000), Facilities/Maintenance Reserve ($200,000) and Regular Instruction Reserve ($300,00).

Funding for the storage facility would be drawn from Capital Reserve ($500,000) and Facilities/Maintenance ($200,000).

Reductions include:

• 4.5 teaching positions (high school retirement not replaced; Songo Locks School; Lake Region Vocational Center ed tech; special education teacher; Lake Region H.S. psych .5).

The retirements and staff changes resulted in a decrease of $69,360 in the regular instruction budget line. It totals $10,844,856.

• Several retirements

• Lake Region M.S. Library — teacher to ed tech III, through retirement

• Maintenance projects

• Two buses (over the last two years with COVID and social distancing, SAD 61 purchased several buses with grant funds)

• Equipment

Proctor noted that SAD 61 still has federal grant money received during the COVID-19 pandemic, which will fund:

• Educational materials to support student learning.

• Professional development for staff to support learning objectives around interventions and differentiation.

• Additional staff (teachers, social workers, interventionists, tutors and coaches) for one more year (2022-23) to help students reach educational and social emotional goals needed for their grade levels.

• Implementation of a Pre-K program for 2022-23 at Stevens Brook Elementary and Songo Locks Elementary.

Superintendent Smith pointed out that SAD 61 received authorization to expend COVID grant money on the new Pre-K program, which will allow the school district to implement the program at “no cost to the district next fall.”

Like kindergarten, potential Pre-K students will undergo an assessment. SAD 61 will hold assessments for next year’s kindergarten students first, and then a few weeks later, will assess possible Pre-K students. Parents can either schedule an assessment appointment online or they should contact the school’s principal to register for a screening.

Smith admitted SAD 61 will not be able to enroll allyoungsters in the Pre-K program in the start-up. Class size will be 12. The half-day program will include two classes in the morning and two different classes in the afternoon at Songo Locks (total 48 students), while Stevens Brook will have one class in the morning and one in the afternoon (24 total students). Bus transportation will be available.

“We hope to expand to cover all eligible kids,” Superintendent Smith said.

Students selected for the Pre-K program will be notified, while others will be placed on a waiting list.

Other budget article breakdowns

Special Education — $5,934,292, increase of $116,665.

Factors: Psychologist position reduced from full-time to half-time; reduction of one position from efficiencies in combining programs; $42,600 increase in out-of-district placements based on projected student needs/placements.

Career and Technical Education — $1,945,863, an increase of $55,893.

Factors: One ed tech position removed from the Carl Perkins Grant into the local budget as the grant will only support a position for three years; reduction of an ed tech through a retirement; supply increases.

Other Instruction — $728,979, an increase of $26,946. The article includes summer school, co-curricular activities and athletics, including transportation to those events.

Factors: Stipends added to address Middle School expansion basketball, High School first team basketball, an Art Club and a Gaming Club at the high school.

Student and Staff Support — $2,730,271, an increase of $12,561. This article includes guidance, library, nurse/health services, technology, curriculum and student testing.

Factors: Increase in SAT/AP testing, but a decrease in district assessment with state support; an additional technology tech requested due to the increase in technology devices purchased with COVID funds; a slight increase in nurse/health services since SAD 61 now has a RN in each school building (prior, some had an LPN).

System Administration — $1,011,793, an increase of $1,233.

Factor: Unemployment costs due to COVID-19 pandemic have stabilized so SAD 61 was able to decrease this line by almost $5,000.

School Administration — $1,680,899, an increase of $12,024.

Factor: Adjustments through staff changes only.

Transportation — $1,934,956, an increase of $218,606 (includes regular and special education).

Factors: Increase in fuel costs; increase in special education transportation and monitors for in and out-of-district student support; adjustment of bus run times since the opening of Crooked River Elementary.

Facilities and Maintenance — $3,416,258, an increase of $32,222.

Factors: Increase in supplies and fuel costs; decrease in maintenance projects, part due to the appropriate use of fund balance and Reserve Funds; first payment on a Revolving Renovation fund loan through the Department of Education to address health/safety issues (such as asbestos, door controls, air quality and fire alarm systems) at LRHS, LRMS and SBES.

Revolving Renovation Fund projects approved total $774,950; 30% forgiven, so loan amount of $521,465 over 10 years is about $53,000 per year.

Debt Service — $1,855,853, a reduction of $65,084 due to the reduction of interest charged on principal and actual Crooked River bond payment amount.

Current debt: LRHS, LRVC, Essential Service Building Construction/Renovation will be paid in full in years 2026, 2030 and 2031. Crooked River Elementary School will be paid in full in 2040.

All Other Expenditures — $50,000. This article funds community use of facilities program.

Next Steps

The SAD 61 School Board will vote on the proposed budget and sign the budget warrant on Monday, April 4.

The district budget meeting is Tuesday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. in the Lake Region High School gym.

The budget validation referendum is Tuesday, May 24 in Bridgton, Casco and Naples.