Scarborough residents echoed recent Board of Education sentiments as they plead with the Town Council to not cut an additional $805,000 from the proposed school budget.

About 30 residents spoke at a public hearing Wednesday, asking the Council to not accept the Town Finance Committee’s recommendation to cut $715,000 from the budget on top of Town Manager Tom Hall’s previously requested $90,000 in cuts.

Many residents said cutting more from the $27.1 million spending proposal would damage the school department, hurt students’ education and decrease teachers’ abilities to teach.

“I think it will put a difficult hardship on our teachers and our children,” said Maureen Desveaux.

Larissa Pratt, who has a son and daughter in third and second grade, said she moved to Scarborough because of its education system, but it disappointed her that these cuts are being considered.

“I was disappointed to have to feel this concern,” she told the Council. “You are talking about cutting another $715,000 from this budget, and I’m concerned that we’re moving backwards.”

Board of Education members on April 29 listened to a short presentation from Superintendent David Doyle to discuss where additional cuts could be made.

Doyle recommended eliminating nine positions, four are teachers retiring after this year that wouldn’t be replaced, one is a technology teacher position that the board asked to have filled this year, and four include teachers in the kindergarten to fifth-grade levels.

In addition, Doyle recommended eliminating the foreign languages offered to third- through sixth-graders, which include French and Spanish.

Some residents also questioned the fairness of the cuts between the municipal and school budgets.

The Town Council, along with the Finance Committee’s recommendations, is considering cutting an additional $37,000 from the $14.4 million municipal budget.

“Looks like from my math the municipal budget is only being reduced 1 percent, and the school budget is being reduced by 2 percent,” Bob Libby told the Council. “That doesn’t seem to be too fair. I support the budget as it is, and I’m afraid if these cuts are mandated we’re going to find a decimated school system.”

In addition to discussing the school side of the budget, one resident cautioned the Town Council with how it uses the undesignated surplus to compensate for expected revenue losses in excise tax and building permit fees.

In mid-April, the council voted unanimously to reduce the amount of money it would use from the General Purpose Aid Fund, from $1.2 million to about $850,000, to help make up for the projected losses.

In early April, the Finance Committee, comprising Councilors Ron Ahlquist, Richard Sullivan Jr., and Shawn Babine, voted to use an additional $846,000 of the $5.2 million fund on top of Hall’s previously recommended $450,000.

“The use of $850,000 is not unusual, but for the next few years we should plan to use prudent amounts,” Ted Ellis told the council.

The Town Council did not speak at the April 29 meeting. It is scheduled to take its final vote on both budgets on Wednesday.

Doyle said after the meeting that he hoped the Town Council was listening to the residents.

“The community chambers were packed and overwhelmingly members of the community felt the cuts were too much,” Doyle said. “It’s the Town Council’s decision now.”

The budget it was going to vote on was $42.1 million with a property tax rate of $11.98 per $1,000 of a property’s valuation, 17 cents less than the current rate.

The budget the Finance Committee recommended was $41.8 million, which would reduce the tax rate from $12.15 to $11.84, a 31-cent decrease.

Scarborough’s residents will vote to approve the school budget on May 12 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Scarborough High School’s conference center.

In addition to the referendum questions, residents will also be asked if they think the school budget is too high, too low or acceptable.

Absentee ballots are currently available in the Town Clerk’s office.

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