BRUNSWICK
The Brunswick School Board on Wednesday voted to slash more from its proposed budget, but did not meet the $500,000 benchmark the town council requested.
The town council asked the school board to reduce its $38 million budget by an additional half million dollars in order to keep the property tax impact at 3 percent, including the municipal budget and the county budget. Of the school’s $38 million budget, $24 million is the responsibility of residents. The board voted to cut $252,000.
The council must now decide whether to force the cutting of the suggested $500,000, accept the budget and set the tax rate higher, or absorb the remaining $250,000 by taking from the town’s undesignated fund balance to keep the tax impact at the decided 3 percent.
From the initial proposal presented earlier this year, the school board has pared the budget down by about $850,000 — by not renewing several teaching positions and forgoing maintenance, among other cuts.
Board member Elizabeth Sokoloff said the board has already cut into the marrow of the budget, and warned it poses too much of a risk to cut more without knowing how much money will be kicked back to districts by the state. Sokoloff said she would like to see the town and district bear that risk together.
Earmarked for additional cuts to be considered included a curriculum coordinator position, a special education secretary, a response to intervention teacher, freshman sports, professional development, and a school resource officer position. The board was split 4-4 in the vote to cut the full $500,000, and the measure did not pass. Board Chairwoman Joy Prescott was absent from the special meeting.
The board decided to say the additional areas and positions earmarked for reduction will be unfunded, not cut from the budget, as additional money is expected from the state after the legislative session ends. The amount of money will not be known until after the budget goes to a vote in June.
Board member Benjamin Tucker said the board has been put in a difficult situation by the governor’s proposed budget, which will cost the district $1 million in state subsidy if the budget is passed as proposed. Tucker said the board is doing its best dealing with the issue, and said more money will be coming back to the district, although the amount is unknown.
Tucker said Superintendent Paul Perzanoski and Town Manager John Eldridge have worked well together in coming to a resolution in identifying areas of reduction, but added he would not support the budget if he did not believe additional funding would restore them.
“The subsidy article is the basis of my support for this,” he said.
Last year, the Legislature passed a law that allows a provision to be added to the budget that stipulates if additional subsidy is kicked back to the district from the state, the additional $500,000 in cuts will be restored to the budget, and any remaining money will be used to mitigate the tax impact. This provision would allow the restoration without going through the budget process again.
Teresa Gillis said she would be unable to sleep at night if she voted for the cuts.
“I’m here to do what’s best for the kids, and these cuts are not in their best interest. I won’t vote in favor of cutting anything else,” she said.
Member Sarah Singer said what bothers her is hearing from the public about how the district fails to take care of its facilities and educate students. Singer said the district cannot meet those obligations without the money to do repairs, employ a resource officer to keep students safe, and to offer students the best education. She said she could support the town council taking more money from its undesignated fund balance to offset the tax burden, saying it is commonly known as a rainy day fund.
“As I have said, it is raining now. We are putting students and programming at risk,” she said, adding it is the fundamental commitment of a community to educate its children.
Singer said she dislikes being forced into the position the board is in, adding the blame rests squarely on the governor.
The state is supposed to fund public K-12 education at 55 percent overall, but only shares 50 percent of costs currently, and shells out about $1 billion in funding to districts across the state. The spending formula that determines what each district will receive is based on student enrollment, state property valuation, and available state funds. In 2017, the state contributed $10 million in subsidy, or 39 percent, of Brunswick school’s costs, according to data from the Maine Department of Education.
Budget adoption is slated for May 25 and the public vote is June 13.
jlaaka@timesrecord.com
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