Superintendent Ted Sharp rolled out a proposed $26.1 million budget for the coming fiscal year, at a meeting earlier this month.

Sharp’s proposed budget represents a $1.2 million hike, up 4.9 percent, over the this year’s $24.9 million spending package. Sharp, who has been on the job seven months, said his proposed budget marked the second lowest school budget increase in Gorham in the past nine years. The present budget accounted for a 3.9 percent jump over the 2004 budget.

Under the new Maine education funding formula for essential programs and services, Sharp anticipated that Gorham would collect $2.3 million more than the town received for the present budget. With his proposed budget, he said that $1,044,000 of that amount would go back to the town for tax relief.

Even with the extra $2.3 million subsidy, the state would be still funding Gorham schools below the 55 percent of the state’s commitment. In the proposed budget, the local share paid by Gorham taxpayers would be 44.2 percent while state aid would account for 53.4 percent. Other revenue sources would account for the reamaining 2.4 percent.

In his budget presentation, Sharp said the budget continues the purchases of two school buses each year. His budget was affected by increases in workers compensation and increased costs of utilities. He said all the schools were heated by oil, with the exception of the new middle school. Salaries represent 52 percent of the budget and benefits 22 percent.

Members of the school committee reviewed Sharp’s proposed budget in talks at its meeting on Wednesday, March 23. The school committee is expected to approve its budget on April 13 and send it to Town Manager David Cole. The Town Council will likely review the schools budget in a workshop on April 26, prior to a public hearing in early May.

The school committee and the town council will have a joint meeting on Tuesday, April 5, to discuss state tax reform impact on Gorham.

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