Residents of Freeport, Pownal, and Durham voted to move the Regional School Unit 5 budget forward for next month’s ballot during the annual school board meeting at Freeport High School on May 13.

The $47.6 million budget represents a 7.1% increase from the current year’s $44.4 million budget. The estimated tax impact for the towns is a 5.4% increase in Durham, a 3.9% increase in Freeport, and a 5.8% increase in Pownal. Absent from the budget was the repurposing of Pownal Elementary School, which officials had planned to convert into an early childhood pre-K and preschool center.

RSU 5 is seeking proposals from consultants to conduct a comprehensive systems and sustainability study for the entire school district. The study provides an in-depth analysis of RSU 5 infrastructure and staffing to see if the district’s resources align with its strategic plan set forth by Superintendent Tom Gray last year. The deadline for the proposals is June 8, and RSU 5 will have a final report in November.

“Even with the use of fund balance and other cost-saving measures, this budget required difficult decisions,” said Michelle Ritcheson, chair of the school board.

The $3.1 million in negotiated salary and benefit increases is the largest driver of the RSU 5 school budget. Roughly $800,000 from the school district’s undesignated funding balance will go toward salary increases and critical special education services, including $107,700 for a speech-language pathologist, $53,850 for a teacher of the deaf, and funding of $195,000 for out-of-district placements.

During the annual school budget meeting, Freeport resident Maura Pillsbury put an amendment forward to add $214,000 to the recommended $20.1 million set aside for regular instruction. The amendment failed to pass, and residents passed the recommended $20.1 million.

“Over 80 students and teachers at Freeport Middle School signed a petition asking for the French world language cultures teacher position to stay in the budget,” Pillsbury said.

Pillsbury’s amendment aimed to keep the French world language teacher position at Freeport Middle School and restore the English as a second language teacher.

Residents of Freeport, Pownal, and Durham will vote on the adopted RSU 5 budget on June 9.

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