Gorham Town Council Tuesday cuts the school budget $300,000 and parents are chattering.

GORHAM — The Town Council Tuesday passed an overall $52.6 million budget – including municipal, Cumberland County tax and schools – while trimming the proposed school budget $300,000.

While the Town Council approves a budget amount, it can’t dictate to school officials how to spend money, and a councilor’s proposed amendment to protect  money budgeted for capital improvements was unsuccessful.

The School Department’s total spending plan passed by the Town Council for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is about $37.4 million after the cut, up $1.3 million over the one for the present year, according to figures released Wednesday.

“This cut will now reduce some planned capital activities for the coming year, and entirely cut a few but will not directly impact student programming in any way,” Superintendent Heather Perry said Wednesday in an email to the American Journal.

The school budget now goes to voters in a validation referendum on Tuesday, June 13.

Parents have taken to Facebook about the school cut and about potential fallout impacting municipal elections in November. One posting on the “Support Gorham Schools” page urges support of the budget at the polls while another advocates voting in new town councilors in fall.

The town’s new budget increases the tax rate from $17 to an estimated $17.78 per $1,000 of property valuation, according to Sharon Laflamme, town finance director. “This can change if the school receives more subsidy from the state and/or the valuation is higher than estimated,” Laflamme said in an email.

Under the estimated rate, taxes on a home valued at $300,000 would jump an additional $234.

The municipal budget approved is $14.1 million, up $28,000 over the amount recommended by Cole. Town Council budget additions Tuesday included $7,300 requested by the citizens’ group Happy Healthy Gorham.

The Cumberland County tax assessed Gorham is $1.1 million, up $69,123 from this year. The municipal budget including the county tax equals $15.2 million.

Earlier this spring, the School Committee sought a $37.9 million spending plan. Julie Springer of Quincy Drive, speaking for parents attending Tuesday’s meeting, urged the Town Council to pass the school budget as presented. “This budget is truly needs-based,” Springer said, receiving applause from the audience.

After considerable debating that included School Committee Chairman Darryl Wright and Perry stepping to the public podium, Town Councilor Sherrie Benner moved to cut the school budget by $300,000. Benner’s amendment revamped a reduction amendment proposed by Town Council Vice Chairman Ronald Shepard that failed in a 3-3 ( Paul Smith, Benjamin Hartwell and Shepard in favor and Marla Stelk absent) deadlock.

Benner’s amendment passed 5-1 (Shepard opposed, Marla Stelk absent).

Shepard sought a $300,000 cut in the schools’ operating budget along with transferring another $630,000 into a reserve account to be used for capital improvements with oversight of projects by the town manager. The proposal appeared to be aimed at preventing school officials from spending elsewhere money earmarked in its budget for capital improvements. School officials had budgeted $930,000 for capital improvements.

One posting on Facebook reads, “The original cut requested was $900k (I think the whole capitol improvements line) with $600K going to the town budget – basically saying they didn’t trust the school committee to appropriate the money well, so they wanted direct oversight of it.”

Town Council Chairman Michael Phinney said at the meeting the council thinks capital improvements are important and want the funding protected.

The Town Council, Town Manager David Cole said in Tuesday’s meeting, assumes the budget cut would impact capital improvements. But Wright said in the meeting his committee had not discussed where the cut in funds would come.

After the Town Council OK’d the school budget, the School Committee retreated from the council chambers and met separately.

“The $300,000 reduction trimmed by the Town Council was unanimously approved by the School Committee to come from our Capital Improvement Planning (CIPS) lines,” Perry said.

Robert Lowell can be reched at 854-2577 or [email protected]