JAY – Voters in RSU 73’s three towns will set the 2015-16 budget on April 7, at the district-wide budget meeting at Spruce Mountain Middle School.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria, with residents of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls addressing the cost centers that make up the $18.65 million budget proposed by the school board on March 26. That would represent a $240,000 decrease in expenditures compared to the current fiscal year’s budget of $18.89 million, a decrease of approximately 1.3 percent.
A significant portion of that decrease can be found in the Regular Instruction cost center, down from nearly $8 million in the current budget to $7,793,064. Retiring teachers, whose positions will be filled by personnel lower on the salary scale, make up most of that difference.
Voters will also weigh in on the adult education funding, which remains $40,000 from each of the three towns. Those funds are augmented by approximately $120,000 in grants to provide the program with its $240,000 budget.
Following the 18 school budget articles and the adult education article, voters will be asked to discuss two additional items that do not appear within the budget. The first, consisting of the installation of an elevator and renovations at Spruce Mountain High School, would raise and appropriate $275,000 for the district. The second question would raise and appropriate $108,000 to replace bleachers at Griffin Field.
The school board is recommending approval on both questions, but voters will have the final say on April 28, as part of the confirmation referendum. Neither expenditure is included in the $18.65 million budget figure.
In 2014, meeting attendees increased the RSU 73 budget by $30,000. Voters at that meeting approved $67,173 for Spruce Mountain High School’s Read 180 program. That was partially offset by cutting $37,174 through the elimination of an administrative support position at the high school.
Whatever budget is set on April 7 will need to be approved through the confirmation referendum on April 28. That referendum will be held in all three towns, asking voters if they approved of the actions taken at the April 7 budget meeting. Voters will then have a chance to vote on the renovations and bleacher replacement expenditures.
Really! An elevator? I don’t think there needs to be an elevator for a two-story building. Certainly not for $275,000 which is an awful expense and one that could be better used elsewhere.
Here we go again. Is this elevator the only option, as it seems very pricey. .
I’ve walked thru numerous schools lately, and I see more non teacher employees all over the place. Let’s put the money back into the classroom teachers who do the most work for the least money. Then let’s evaluate each and every non teacher position on a case by case basis.
With the mill taxes still up in the air, all three towns will be paying a larger and larger share of the school budget. It will affect Livermore and Livermore Falls just as much as it will Jay, if not more.
I agree the elevator is a big expense…however…if there is a student who is wheelchair bound, what are they to do? have classes only on the first floor? Have someone carry them up/down a flight of stairs with a chair on each floor? What if a parent is handicaped, and needs to talk to a teacher on the second floor? Or see their childs work/activities on the second floor? What if a teacher is handicapped..have them only have access to the first floor?? I am surprised they have gotten away with no elevator for this long. All public buildings should be handicaped accessible!
There was an elevator at the high school. Is this a second one? This budget is ridiculous. There needs to be more cuts than this. Last year the town of Jay cut their budget quite a bit and the school budget got bigger. We were told that when the reval with the mill was decided then it would be cut. Well the mill has had a lowering of the valuation and they still want more. Jay taxpayers are going to see an increase in their taxes.
I agree here we go again!! Complaining about what we spend on the schools and not giving a darn that our town budget is more than any town around us including Farmington! Also we already had a bleacher fund started do we know what has happened to that money? And why do we need a new elevator at the high school? It is my understanding that there is already one there.
Want to save money in the school budget ? Shut down the livemorefall’s high school ! why pay to heat it we won’t need janitors to clean or maintain it. We can’t even use the gym there it just sit’s there ! It could atleast be a community building If there going keep wasting money ! So if we close it we would have the money for the elevator !!!! Problem solved !
Yes, there is an elevator at the high school but it is quickly coming out of ADA compliance. Which is solely on the school district to pick up.
And I’m pretty sure that I read in the paper that the high school in LF is closed and is being given back to the town of LF.
Make sure you’re all heard at the town meeting, instead of being armchair quarterbacks.
The options for the towns is to vote ” no ” to the requested funding. For Jay voters. Isn’t time to vote ” no ” to a bloated municipal budget as well.
If the Jay citizens want to talk about a bloated budget, they need to look at the municipal more so than the school budget. The amount of staff in every department is twice what it is in every other town. The salary and benefits of these bloated departments is twice what it is in every other town and way above what it is for the school department. So jay citizens, let’s get control of our town mil rate while we still can. The days of Verso endless pockets are coming to an end so let’s start now before its too late.
It is time to vote no on a municipal budget that is now larger that the town of Farmington. And no to the school budget with a bleacher fund for property the district gave back to another town last month. When we cannot comment at public hearings, then voting no is our only voice.