The Scarborough Town Council gets its first look at a revised school budget, which is nearly $1 million smaller than the School Board initially offered, at a meeting Wednesday.

After Town Manager Ron Owens recommended the Town Council take $450,000 out of the school budget increase a few weeks ago, the Finance Committee nearly doubled that amount, bringing total cuts to $925,000. The $35 million school budget, as proposed, still shows a $1.6 million increase from last year.

Town Councilor Michael Wood, a member of the Finance Committee, said he was concerned about the Scarborough School Department’s plans to hire around 20 new teachers and support staff.

“I wasn’t convinced that the pressures that were upon them this year required that kind of hiring,” said Wood.

Wood said this is a difficult year financially for Scarborough residents, in light of the economic recession, and that the Finance Committee has strived to keep Scarborough’s total operating budget to a 3 percent increase, or less. As it stands, the increase in the tax rate would be a little less than 3 percent.

“You want to give everybody what they want, because they are all very sincere and passionate people, but in my mind, this really is a year of needs, as opposed to wants,” said Wood.

It is the School Board’s responsibility to decide where exactly the budget cuts will be, but at this point, no decisions have been made. School Board member Annalee Rosenblatt said they have yet to discuss what the cuts translate to, as they are waiting for the Town Council to give the proposed budget final approval.

In previous years, Town Council approval finalized the budget, but under the new laws of consolidation, the town must hold a referendum vote within 10 days of the Town Council’s approval.

Owens said he didn’t believe existing school programs and staff would be affected.

However, Scarborough Superintendent David Doyle said that is not necessarily the case. Doyle said there was about $730,000 allocated in the budget for new staff and programs. With cuts at $925,000, the School Board will have to find other areas from which to cut the remaining $195,000, after new staff and programs are cut.

“The existing program is going to be impacted, at least to some degree,” said Doyle.

“I guess I was disappointed (to hear of the cuts),” said Doyle. “The reality is that some of the those new positions, we may need. We wouldn’t have asked for them if we didn’t feel we needed them.”

But one parent, Darlene Koukos, is interested to see how the cuts will play out. She is happy with class size at the schools, and extracurricular activities are important to her.

“My concern would be where the cuts are coming from and how they’re going to be cutting. I don’t want my kids’ education affected by it,” said Koukos.

A CLOSER LOOK

The Scarborough Town Council will have its first reading of the proposed 2008-2009 school budget, Wednesday, May 7, at Scarborough town hall.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. at the town hall.

The Scarborough Town Council gets its first look at a revised school budget, which is nearly $1 million smaller than the School Board initially offered, at a meeting Wednesday.

After Town Manager Ron Owens recommended the Town Council take $450,000 out of the school budget increase a few weeks ago, the Finance Committee nearly doubled that amount, bringing total cuts to $925,000. The $35 million school budget, as proposed, still shows a $1.6 million increase from last year.

Town Councilor Michael Wood, a member of the Finance Committee, said he was concerned about the Scarborough School Department’s plans to hire around 20 new teachers and support staff.

“I wasn’t convinced that the pressures that were upon them this year required that kind of hiring,” said Wood.

Wood said this is a difficult year financially for Scarborough residents, in light of the economic recession, and that the Finance Committee has strived to keep Scarborough’s total operating budget to a 3 percent increase, or less. As it stands, the increase in the tax rate would be a little less than 3 percent.

“You want to give everybody what they want, because they are all very sincere and passionate people, but in my mind, this really is a year of needs, as opposed to wants,” said Wood.

It is the School Board’s responsibility to decide where exactly the budget cuts will be, but at this point, no decisions have been made. School Board member Annalee Rosenblatt said they have yet to discuss what the cuts translate to, as they are waiting for the Town Council to give the proposed budget final approval.

In previous years, Town Council approval finalized the budget, but under the new laws of consolidation, the town must hold a referendum vote within 10 days of the Town Council’s approval.

Owens said he didn’t believe existing school programs and staff would be affected.

However, Scarborough Superintendent David Doyle said that is not necessarily the case. Doyle said there was about $730,000 allocated in the budget for new staff and programs. With cuts at $925,000, the School Board will have to find other areas from which to cut the remaining $195,000, after new staff and programs are cut.

“The existing program is going to be impacted, at least to some degree,” said Doyle.

“I guess I was disappointed (to hear of the cuts),” said Doyle. “The reality is that some of the those new positions, we may need. We wouldn’t have asked for them if we didn’t feel we needed them.”

But one parent, Darlene Koukos, is interested to see how the cuts will play out. She is happy with class size at the schools, and extracurricular activities are important to her.

“My concern would be where the cuts are coming from and how they’re going to be cutting. I don’t want my kids’ education affected by it,” said Koukos.

A CLOSER LOOK

The Scarborough Town Council will have its first reading of the proposed 2008-2009 school budget, Wednesday, May 7, at Scarborough town hall.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. at the town hall.