PHILLIPS – The Maine School Administrative District 58 Board of Directors presented their proposed budget for the 2020/2021 fiscal school year by way of virtual meeting on Tuesday evening. That budget will go to Strong, Kingfield, Avon and Phillips voters on July 14.
The proposed budget for the 20/21 fiscal year is $10,352,500. As compared to the 2019/2020 fiscal year, that figure represents an increase of $594,285 or six percent. Those increases are primarily due to salaries, benefits and contracted services which make up more than 80 percent of the budget, according to MSAD 58 Superintendent Todd Sanders. Local tax payers would be looking at a contribution of $4,284,658 which is a $36,600, or .85 percent, decrease from the previous year due to an increase in state subsidy and the balance forward amount.
If approved by voters, the Food Service Director will be looking at an increase of hours. Sanders said the positions has been proven vital throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as the district continues to feed students despite remote learning. More than 50 percent of students in the district qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. Food Service Director Dora Yok reported that her team has continued to feed 545 students each day with the help of several grants she was able to get. The district currently enrolls 618 students
Sanders also reported that a new maintenance position is being put before voters; the position will relieve the need for many contracted services, he said.
The 17-article warrant is available for viewing by clicking here.
Why? Why? Why?…when we don’t even know if the students will be returning to the classroom.
It seems the justification for increase during the current economic downturn is that the state is increasing it’s subsidy share. Of many things to consider, one important fact is that state subsidy share is coming out of our collective pockets too.
Educating our youth is key to growth and a positive economy. That said, when the cost rises to unsustainable levels, the community must ask the hard questions and learn WHY it costs so much more today. Are our young students challenged to a greater extent than their parents? Is the content taught substantially more difficult to teach or for students to comprehend?
Is it time for a top-to-bottom review of our educational system? Are we getting what we are expecting? Should we expect/demand more of our educators? Should we expect more of our children?
I certainly do not have the answers but I do believe the questions need to be asked and the conversation must begin. Continued increases, year after year, are not sustainable in most areas of Franklin county…there must be a better way!
“Salaries and benefits and contracted maintenance services make up 80% of the budget.”
Exactly.
$10M+! is unsustainable for the area’s low income economy.
Time for an overhaul of the system and the old ways of thinking about how to “educate”.
After looking at the slowdown in cash flow going into the state and the struggle of small business or any business for that matter to survive its beyond comprehension to see another increase. Do you want people with this kind of mentality teaching your children? I am looking forward to the arguments to support this kind of fiscal responsibility. I think I am looking at the reason why there is no course on this subject. Its like going to the Zoo when you watch “smart people” with no common sense.
Just say NO for as many times as it takes.
Our state and business sector is taking a big hit right now. Our one term governor and our do-nothing legislature, own this mess. The tax part of the liberal machine in Augusta is in crisis mode. The income just isn’t rolling in but the welfare and “free stuff “ budget is still wide open. This doesn’t get much coverage in the biased news we get from our so called “journalists “. You can clearly see the reality of all this state sponsored foolishness when the towns have to address the “school” costs. There’s a reason they tag schools as “bottomless pits of spending”. The well is dry and there’s no magic money tree. This is the perfect model for what’s coming down on the state side.
Stop spending money we don’t have. We’ll all be around a lot longer than these fools warming chairs in Augusta and on these school boards.