The Brunswick School Board wants public input on the initial budget plan for the district.
The $54.6 million budget represents a 3.14% increase in spending and would hike the town’s tax rate by an estimated 2.12%. If approved, it would raise property taxes on a home assessed at $300,000 by about $150.
The board will hold a public hearing on the budget at Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Feb. 28. People can also fill out an online form that the board will review. That form can be found at brunswicksd.org by clicking “Community Newsletter.”
The major planned cuts include the elimination of the school’s regional Teaching Restorative Experiential Knowledge special education program at Brunswick Landing for students in grades 9-12, which would save $145,000. Superintendent Phil Potenziano said the program used to have about 20 students but is now down to 12, five of whom are from Brunswick. Those students would be transferred to Brunswick High School and placed in similar programs.
The TREK program offers hands-on learning experiences, including boat building classes at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and volunteer opportunities at Midcoast Humane in Brunswick.
Ruth Joyce, the Brunswick School Department’s acting director of special education, recently told the school board the program can be challenging to run due to staffing turnover and its status as a remote program, among other factors.
“It’s a hard decision … because it’s been an exceptional program,” she said.
Potenziano said the equivalent of 10.5 full-time positions are also planned to be eliminated, saving $959,000. Five of the positions are vacant, while the rest have yet to be identified.
The superintendent called it a “very difficult budget year” due to rising utility prices and new costs like the just-enacted Paid Family and Medical Leave law, expected to cost the department about $300,000.
Potenziano said the department plans to forgo some projects like a $500,000 repair to the Brunswick High School roof and $150,000 to replace classroom windows.
The budget includes the planned purchase of 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.
“This budget ensures that we’re going to continue to maintain a high standard of quality educational programming and resources for our students, while also supporting our staff,” the superintendent said. “We’ve sharpened our pencils and made some reductions.”
The school board is expected to adopt a final budget plan on March 13, though it’s subject to further approval by the Town Council.
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