Cape Elizabeth voters will decide June 11 on a proposed $26.9 million school budget for next year.
The school budget represents a 5.9 percent, or $1.5 million, increase from this year’s $25.4 million spending plan.
If it passes, the combined $42 million town and school budget would be 6.5 percent larger than this year and would increase the tax rate nearly 3.9 percent, from $19.02 to $19.76 per $1,000 of valuation, for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The 74 cent increase in the tax rate would add $222 to the annual tax bill for a home assessed at $300,000. The education budget accounts for 72.7 percent of the tax rate.
Included in the school budget is a negotiated salary and benefits package for staff, according to Superintendent Donna Wolfrom. It also incorporates funds to assess facility needs, a generator project, and added hours for new full-time teachers.
The School Board, Town Council and Superintendent began discussing the fiscal year 2020 budget last fall at the start of the school year. Starting the conversation around the budget early in the process ensured there weren’t surprises when the council came to vote, Town Manager Matt Sturgis said.
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