Brunswick schools Superintendent Phil Potenziano said he’s “turning over every stone” to identify savings as he prepares the department’s budget.
“This is a very difficult budget year,” he said at a recent school board budget workshop.
Potenziano presented a $56.6 million preliminary budget projection, which would be a nearly 7% increase over the current budget, based on requests from department heads. He said that figure could change when he formally presents his proposed budget to the school board on Feb. 7.
“I’m assuming a 6.93% year-over-year budget (increase) is not what we’re looking to proceed with,” he told the board. “We’re working hard to save money any ways we can.”
The department is expecting a $979,803 increase in salaries and benefits for regular instruction teachers based on contract pay hikes and higher insurance costs. For special education teachers, the hike is expected to be $1,091,413. The department expects further cost increases in some supplies and fuel and in the form of the new Paid Family and Medical Leave law.
At Brunswick High School, the superintendent said the department plans to replace the aging gym bleachers for $250,000 and replace part of the roof for $69,000. At Brunswick Junior High School, the department plans to replace the curtain wall windows for $160,000 and establish an entrance vestibule for safety for $75,000. At the Coffin School, the department plans to repair leaking exterior brick for $75,000. The bleachers and windows were included in a capital improvements request that the Town Council must approve.
Potenziano said the department plans to forgo some projects like a $500,000 repair to another section of the high school roof and $150,000 to replace classroom windows.
“We’re making a calculated effort to say, ‘It’s not that it doesn’t need to be done, but right now it’s still OK,'” he said. “In two to three years, we have to do that.”
He said he doesn’t plan on adding new staff positions. Last year’s budget, which was a 9.2% increase over the previous year, included funds for an additional teacher, instructional strategist and two educational technicians for several dozen new multilingual students from migrant families who recently moved to town. He said the department’s student enrollment increased to 2,435 this month from 2,352 a year ago.
The department is planning to purchase two propane buses, one for $142,750 and a wheelchair-accessible one for $148,915. The department expects the state to reimburse it $131,450 for each bus in fiscal year 2026 and it plans to apply for federal grants that would provide $20,000 in funding for each bus.
The superintendent said the department plans to reduce spending on some materials, supplies and consultants to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We’ve asked principals and directors to look at how we could be efficient with cost-savings,” he said. “If we’re going to save money, I need to turn every stone.”
The department is soliciting public input on the budget through its website.
After the superintendent presents his budget plan on Feb. 7, the school board will hold a public hearing on Feb. 28, then adopt a budget plan on March 13.
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