Cape Elizabeth’s School Board will hold a workshop Monday to figure out how to make a $110,359 budget cut imposed by the Town Council on the proposed 2015-2016 school spending plan.

The council’s finance committee, comprised of all council members, made the cut Monday to reach a no-increase bottom line for school spending and avoid adding 7 cents to the property tax rate. The committee made no cuts to spending proposals for municipal, county or community services that would add a combined 29 cents to the tax rate, according to budget documents.

The School Board initially approved a $23.6 million school budget that would have increased spending by 1.8 percent and resulted in a .4 percent increase in the overall tax rate of $16.80 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The proposed increase would have added $22 to the annual tax bill on a median-valued $314,285 home in town, according to a news release from board Chairwoman Joanna Morrissey.

“The 0 percent school department tax rate cap mandate from the Town Council will require the School Board to make some very difficult decisions,” Morrissey said in the release. “The School Board will make every effort to minimize the impact of these requested cuts on students and staff.”

The board’s budget workshop will be held at 7 p.m. in the library at Cape Elizabeth High School.

The council will hold a public hearing and vote on the municipal and school budgets on May 11. The council made no reductions to the municipal budget proposal, which would add 22 cents to the tax rate, nor to the county (3 cents) or community services (4 cents) budget proposals.

A referendum on the school budget will be held June 9, when voters can note whether they think it’s too high or too low.

Kelley Bouchard can be reached at 791-6328 or at:

kbouchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: KelleyBouchard

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