Superintendent Tim Matheney courtesy photo
SOUTH PORTLAND — South Portland City Council gathered for a joint meeting, bringing together the school superintendent, members of the South Portland Board of Education, city council, and Finance Director Ellen Sanborn. The purpose of the Jan. 2 meeting was to engage in a comprehensive discussion on the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) budget, an annual event that provides an opportunity for initial guidance on potential tax increases and shapes the forthcoming budget recommendations.
Scott Morelli, city manager, along with Sanborn, emphasized the financial landscape of the city, highlighting a 9 percent decrease in the tax rate from $15.56 to $14.14 in fiscal year 2024. Officials said South Portland maintains the lowest median tax bill and tax rate among neighboring communities.
Following the financial overview, South Portland School Superintendent Timothy Matheney took the floor to discuss the budget for 2025. Matheney emphasized the district’s unwavering commitment to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion while maintaining financial responsibility. Despite a leveling off of enrollment, he identified factors impacting the decrease, such as the loss of temporary housing and a sizable senior class.
“We want to make sure we are enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. And, being financially responsible both to our taxpayers and the effectiveness of the district,” Matheney said.
Matheney acknowledged the complex state subsidy formula, anticipating varied changes across different areas. He revealed a 16 percent increase in special education over the past two years and highlighted the establishment of a department to support multilingual learners.
“We don’t anticipate overall major changes statewide in the amount of dollars that are in the state subsidy because of the complexity of the formula. We may see something increase in some areas and some decrease in some areas,” Matheney said.
Regarding the loss of COVID-era funds, Matheney said, “We are currently using those COVID-era federal dollars for 19 staff positions. That is losing $1.5 million in staffing funds that we need to figure out.
“We’ve already started to approach those really tough decisions of those 19 staff which are our most valued, what can we accommodate within a very reasonable budget we put forth.”
The superintendent addressed the district’s desire to expand pre-K programs and recognized their impact on narrowing the achievement gap. “We would love to continue that process if at all possible,” Matheney said.
Councilor Tipton inquired about debt services, and Matheney said, “We might save a little bit on debt service. The good news is fiscal year 2024 is the higher-water mark.”
Councilor Linda Cohen expressed support for a new position, a grant writer for the school and city to explore available funding opportunities. “If there’s money out there, and other municipalities are getting it, let’s go for it,” she said. “Level the playing field.”
Matheney highlighted the district’s two biggest challenges: a more diverse student body with complex needs and the loss of significant COVID-era dollars. Matheney acknowledged that there would be some additional state aid due to more multilingual learners and special education. Matheney said only $9 million of this year’s budget is state subsidy, roughly less than 10 percent of the budget.
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