SALEM – The majority of the 125 voters from the towns of Avon, Kingfield, Phillips and Strong set a $9 million as proposed earlier this month by the MSAD 58 directors, despite several attempts to make cuts during the annual budget meeting Wednesday night at Mt Abram High School.
Voters made motions but each time failed to cut several cost centers that included one teacher position, an overall reduction in the special education budget, removing the athletic director/new dean of students position, along with the athletic trainer at the high school. Attempts were also made to reduce the budget total by eliminating late bus runs in the transportation budget and to scrub a new pre-kindergarten program in the district.
With each reduction motion, the 125 voters said no by a more than a 2 to 1 margin, to the cuts proposed. The district budget total of $9,086,820 was set after two and a half hours of motions, debate and voting, often by written ballot as requested by another vote at each article. Preliminary figures indicate the proposed budget increased by $18,062 over the current budget, which represents a .2 percent overall increase.
Resident Andy Phillips of Phillips began at Article 1 by making a motion to cut $55,000 from the regular instruction cost center to reduce the teaching staff by one position.
Superintendent Brenda Stevens noted that anything cut at the budget meeting will be up to the school board’s discretion as to exactly where to make the cut. In a written ballot, 89 voters rejected the motion to cut, with 36 in favor of it. Similar votes came with motions to non-specifically reduce the special education budget. Phillips motioned to cut a total of $20,000 from the “other instruction” cost center to eliminate $10,000 towards an athletic director position and $10,000 for an athletic trainer.
“The school nurse could do it,” Phillips said of the athletic trainer position.
Director Kim Jordan of Kingfield countered that by saying, “the school nurse is there for when the damage is done, the athletic trainer prevents the damage being done. We need an athletic trainer at games at 7 at night.”
The athletic director position combined with the assistant principal at the high school was cut last year in exchange for having full-time principals at all of the district’s schools in an overall effort to save money, Stevens explained. Three existing staff members tried to cover the duties of the job, but said it proved too difficult and Principal Marco Aliberti was “run ragged,” said Thomas McLaughlin, a science and carpentry teacher. “It had a severe impact on this school.” Several people applauded his statement. The motion failed and a following vote approved the full proposed amount.
Another attempt to make a cut was the $43,610 for the new position of dean of students. That position was added by the school board to replace the assistant principal position, so as not to require administrator certification and to be in school only when it’s in session in order to cut down on costs, Stevens said. The new dean of students, to be combined with the athletic director duties, “is what is best for our students, staff and school,” she said. A majority of voters, 88 against making the cut, with 36 in favor, preserved the position.
Andy Phillips made a motion to cut the transportation budget by $18,556 “to eliminate late bus runs after school,” he said. But Director Faith Richard of Phillips said the activities after school which include academic studies for AP classes, for example, were the only way for many students to participate in the program.
Director Jordan noted that students with new driver’s licenses aren’t permitted by law to have other students ride in the vehicle they’re driving for nine months after getting their license.
“The law would be broken; we don’t want to see kids piling into cars to get a ride home,” she said if the late bus was eliminated. Director Jason Plog of Avon added as long as the law doesn’t allow for other passengers in a car driven by a new driver, “my hands are tied by the laws of the land even if I’m against it. The kids have to get home.” Voters agreed and approved the funding amount directors proposed.
Resident Cindy Hatfield attempted to cut $30,000 for the pre-kindergarten program proposed to begin at two days a week for children 4 years old. “This is not a time for starting new programs,” she said, adding she wants to be able to pay her taxes.
Strong resident Susan Pratt, who is the superintendent for Rangeley’s school system, said she supports public pre-k and noted grant money for a program initiated in a district will be available at a reduced cost to the local district.
The program “needs to be available across the system otherwise we’ll be creating more inequity than there already is,” she said. The majority of voters agreed. After all the articles had passed as proposed, the meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
On June 10, voters in the district’s four towns will head to the polls for the state-wide referendum. There, they will also be able to vote on the school budget. The warrant will consist of single question, asking voters if they approve of the action taken at Wednesday’s meeting. A ‘yes’ vote would approve the 2014-15 budget, while a ‘no’ vote would restart the process.
