FARMINGTON – Mt. Blue Regional School District directors discussed $600,000 in expenditures and potentially increased revenue at Thursday’s meeting, with the board likely to set a proposed budget next Tuesday.
The state legislature is currently discussing the biennial budget, which will include funds for General Purpose Aid via the Maine Department of Education’s Essential Programs and Service funding model. Recent developments in the school funding debate have included Gov. Paul LePage proposing a number of changes to the EPS model as part of his administration’s proposed budget, including removing funds for System Administration. That cost center is currently paid for at 50 percent of the amount previously recommended by EPS, due to a cut made during former Gov. John Baldacci’s school consolidation initiative back in 2007.
Also driving the debate in Augusta is the November 2016 citizen’s initiative which imposed a 3 percent tax on high-earners to fund education. That has triggered discussion about increasing state financial support for schools, Superintendent Thomas Ward told the board, having spent the previous day in Augusta, as legislators work toward potential compromises. Ward suggested that it was “very probable” that the 50 percent removed from EPS for System Administration would be returned to the state funding formula, and that he also believed that additional funds could be added in the General Purpose Aid for education.
An important upcoming event will be next Monday’s state revenue report, which will attempt to project upcoming revenues. A more-favorable-than-previously-anticipated report could lead to additional money for the schools, Ward suggested.
On the negative side, however, Ward said that he had heard that a state budget may not be approved until late June, presumably after the initial meeting and vote for MBRSD’s budget. That complicates Mt. Blue’s budget process, as the district may receive additional revenue after the annual budget meeting. Four options were presented to the school board Tuesday evening, including whether to use the additional revenue to increase expenditures, add to a reserve fund or use it to decrease the budget’s impact on the local assessment or some combination of all three.
Increased revenue allowed MBRSD to increase its budget in the current fiscal year by 2.2 percent to $32,749,109 while reducing local assessments by $278,000, comparing figures from 2016-17 to 2015-16.
The board added a number of positions into the proposed budget Tuesday and Thursday, including several items removed from the draft budget by the administration prior to it appearing before the school board.
Teaching positions added to the proposed budget included increasing the American Sign Language teacher position from 50 percent to 100 percent at the cost of $24,970. That would allow the Mt. Blue Campus to offer courses beyond the novice level and meet an increase in the student requests for those classes. Directors supporting the addition said that knowing ASL could provide students with career opportunities.
“This is a potential jewel for the Mt. Blue Campus,” Director Scott Erb of Farmington said of the ASL program.
Other teaching positions added to the proposed budget include $30,022 for a part-time Science teacher at the Mt. Blue Campus, restoring a cut made years earlier as the high school adds a second cohort to the Bridge Year Program.
In Special Education, directors added back $20,165 for an Ed Tech II to staff the Resource Room at the Academy Hill School, restoring a cut made last year. Currently, the Special Education teacher is getting called away from the classroom to meet with students, leaving other students without proper access to services. Directors also added two Ed Tech I positions to the Mt. Blue Campus Resource Room, supporting special service students receiving instruction in the general classroom. Those positions cost a combined $38,506.
After some discussion, directors approved a $175,000 increase to the Special Education contingency account, which was approved last year at $25,000. Director Ryan Morgan of Farmington pointed to a $300,000 increase in unanticipated Special Education costs this year, forcing Ward to once again freeze the budget. The cycle of additional Special Education costs and budget-wide freezes shortchanged the district’s other student, Morgan argued, and a larger contingency could help insulate the district against future mid-year corrections.
Another high cost item included in the current iteration of the proposed budget is the inclusion of four social worker positions at the cost of $272,036. Those positions would be split among six schools, working with students not identified as needing Special Education services but who require mental health services. The district employs other social workers associated with the Special Education program; one position splits its time with the Special and Regular Education students at Mt. Blue Middle School.
The social worker positions would seek to address the statewide trend of more and more students entering school systems without basic social and/or functional skills, or with significant behavioral issues. In addition to rapidly increasing the size of Special Education programs statewide, students with behavioral issues can lead to disruption of the learning of other students. Franklin County was recently determined to have the highest rate of child abuse in the state, and to rank third in the state in children living in poverty.
Director Cherieann Harrison of Wilton made the motion to add the positions to the budget, suggesting that all four should be included rather than an incremental increase.
“I understand the idea that there are things we should be making incremental changes on,” Harrison said. “I feel like this is something we should be making a much larger change on and the four [social workers] that are suggested are needed.”
The board also approved expanding two Mt. Blue Campus counseling positions relating to Foster Technology Center and the high school to full-time positions, at the cost of $25,170 apiece.
Directors approved a reduced budget the International Student Program, with several suggesting that the program should be refocused in a bid to reduce costs and begin drawing more students. Over the past three years, the district has appropriated $20,000 for the program annually. Students also generate tuition for the district, roughly $50,000 over the past couple years, which is reinvested in the ISP. Administrators suggested a reduced expenditure and a chance to run the program with more assistance from other staff members. The board approved funding the program at $10,000 by a weighted vote of 474 to 379.
Other proposals, which were not approved, included the addition of another World Language teacher at Mt. Blue Middle School at the cost of $50,340, and the elimination of the School Resource Officer position at Mt. Blue Campus, which would have saved $44,764.
If approved with every alteration made by the board, the proposed budget would stand at $34,179,878, representing a $1.43 million or 4.37 increase over the current fiscal year.
Directors voted down an attempt to set the budget Thursday evening, with several directors stating they preferred to wait until Tuesday, May 2. The board had generally been planning to set the proposed budget that evening, meeting at 6 p.m. at the Mt. Blue Campus. The budget will be set at the annual budget meeting, which will be followed by a validation referendum.
This doesn’t look like a bare bones budget. Quite a few ancillary positions are getting added into the cost. That’s one of the primary reasons that education spending is expanding so much.
Vote no every chance you get.
every year parents and students demand more from their schools. more classes with fewer students, more teachers who aren’t given sufficient supplies, more special education and behavioral services for an increasing population with high needs, and newer and better equipment, technology, and facilities, not to mention rising costs of heating, transportation, and other utilities. and every year, those same nitwits freak out about the increased budget that inevitably results from increasing needs. you can’t have it both ways, folks. you can have an marginally to adequately educated populace or a little extra tax money in your pocket. pick one and stop making a fuss.
providing for the kids in our community today is an undeniably more sound fiscal policy than the alternative.
Every year we hear the same thing the kids need this the school needs that but when you go walk around the school its the same old equipment in the class rooms you talk to your kids teachers and they don’t have the supply’s they need but yet the budget increase to supply these things and the parents pay out of pocket and send supply for the class to use plus pay hire taxes so we pay twice the amount and get half the thing there has got to be a indapented party out there who could come in and look at every detail in our schools system and give a honest with no ties to one side or the other and tell us all ware cuts could be made and ware they couldnt be made I always see the cuts made for the students , teachers, custodians/ bus drives and the bus garage / maintenance time to start at the top this year let’s change it up and see how that goes
myopic,
“Those same nitwits freak out…” Okay this deplorable nitwit will stop exercising my 1st amendment on the school budget when you pay my tax bill. My real name is above for your check to the school system. Thanks by the way.
If you really care about the topic enough to want to engage in thoughtful reading that takes more than 20 minutes, this is a great article, and the (hundreds) of follow-up comments and discussion is very civil and enlightening as well:
http://slatestarcodex.com/2017/02/09/considerations-on-cost-disease/
Nation-wide, schools do cost hugely more than they did a few decades ago, and test scores have not improved in any significant way. What has improved is number of offered services (ed techs, psychologists, etc.), spectrum of offered classes, amenities (nicer buildings), and smaller student:teacher ratio. Apparently test scores don’t measure the value of those things.
Just to clarify I’m here standing up for the students that are not special needs a lot of people push the issue saying that they deserve the right as any other student and they do but they don’t deserve more they allow only so much money per student for a year of school but the special education students have no cap per student this isn’t far to my children so what give them the right to spend all they won’t on some students and hold others to a limit EVERY student in the public school system should have the same amount spent on them and anything above that should be put apon the parent
When you say the board of directors approved all these additions, does that mean that all directors voted for these increases? I would like to see it written has to which director voted in favor or against all these additions. This would be the fair way to look at it. This would also show how the weighted votes work for or against he towns.
So it begins.It looks like you the tax payers will be asked to increase the school budget by 1.43 million dollars or 4.37%.I predict that you the tax payer will initially vote this down,then a new budget will be proposed at approximately a 2.5% increase and it will be passed mostly because you the tax payer would rather complain than get out and vote.Just an a added question to all the people in the RSU 9 area,how many of you had a 4.37% increase in wages this year?
I think that there are ways to save money in this budget. There are a lot of administrators district wide. Last year you added a full time Athletic Director and made a part time assistant principal a full time. I understand that we need services for students but there is also a need to be completely transparent. It is time to truly present a budget to the public that you know where every dollar is going. If there was complete trust in the budget and the school admistration tax payers would be willing to pay more. Until this happens there will be push back from taxpayers.
John, some kind of audit or efficiency study is needed for RSU9. An overhaul is long overdue. Starting at the top, cuts and replacements are necessary. MYOPIC, We’ve had a marginally to adequately educated populace for several years with no noticeable change after increasing the budget by about $1,000,000 each year. Please check High Schools in Maine- Testing results- Public Records online. Mt. Blue High School falls substantially short of the average proficiency of most high schools in Maine in Math and English Language Arts. Also, please check MEA WEBSITE-summaries for test scores 2015-2016 MT.BLUE 40% ENGLISH and LITERACY ,SCIENCE 53% MATH 28% Ranking of Maine High Schools- MT.BLUE 37 out of 106. Taxed ENOUGH, PREDICTION— if the budget passes at the annual budget meeting, MAY 31 , I think, then at the validation referendum, it will be voted down. After reworking, at 2nd referendum, voted down!!! I believe, finally TAXPAYERS have had enough!!! We’ll see.
Having joined the school board this year, I have visited every school, talked with each principal and tried to really learn as much as I could. I also read comparisons with other districts.
First, it is absolutely demonstrably FALSE that there is a lot of waste or excess spending. We spend less per pupil than average, and compare well with other districts. Indeed, it amazes me how the schools and teachers get by despite being under funded – alas, so many teachers pay a lot out of their pocket. I’ve even talked with Ed Techs, who are severely underpaid, and they often pay out of pocket for their students. The dedication amazes me.
What was added to the original budget is, I believe, really needed. These are needs that will make a huge difference for our students, especially low income students who are at risk. That is a huge chunk of our population. I realize that things like social workers appear to those from earlier generations as strange – but hearing the principals talk, and reading the stories, it’s clear that this will make a difference.
And taxes…I’m hoping state revenue offsets a lot of this – there are signs it could. And I wish we had some kind of progressive tax that allowed those struggling to pay less. But overall we owe it to the next generation not to short change them in school.
I get that the budget might not pass, and that things very needed will be cut. That will pain me, but that’s life – the peoples’ will be done. But it is definitely NOT AT ALL TRUE that there is a lot of waste, or lack of efficiency. I think some of the complainers haven’t taken the time to really understand the situation. One thing that will help with test scores is to help those at risk students – when students come from poor households that don’t stress academics, they won’t do well even with very good teachers. So go ahead and vote down budget after budget, have the state come in and assign a budget. But you’ll be hurting the next generation, and probably making it harder to lure businesses to this area.
Scott, no doubt you are sincere in your view and beliefs, but nothing sours my attitude more than someone saying that I ” owe ” someone something.
I’m sorry but I think I ” owe ” veterans who fought to keep our freedom. I think I ‘” owe ” seniors who have paid taxes for all of their lives.
Public school funding needs to be restructured. Continuing to fund them via property owners is failing.
With so much money spent on education in this country I am shocked no one has come up with a sustainable way to fund schools. I know why too, because there is never enough, ever.
Another school budget increase of 4.37%. ARE YOU CRAZY!!
Enough is Enough. I am all for education, but the money must make it into the classroom and not all of the layers of administration and dozens of other positions that add nothing to education other than a bloated budget.
Is anyone out there getting a 4.37% increase. We all know this bloated budget will get voted down in all towns but Farmington. We’ll have to have another vote or two, and then they will finally wear us out, cut about $100,000 and the budget will finally pass. I think we have seen this game before.
Mr. Erb:
Do you see businesses lined up at the town lines waiting to come to Farmington, Wilton, or any other town within RSU 9? Do you see lines of people lined up to buy property and houses in the RSU 9 district? As I watched the live stream, one director stated that the board has not increased any of the supply accounts for students for years! This is directly taking away from the kids in school. Yet you continue to add people, create positions, and ultimately spend more in salaries and benefits. I am not saying the employees in RSU 9 do not deserve a fair wage, but the two largest employers are RSU 9 and the college, where everyone makes good money. We need to have budgets than can we can afford and sustain. I am glad you have the means to add increases to the budget as it apparently will not affect you. How about those who lost their jobs at verso? Those who have to work two or three jobs for 5-10 hours a week, and still have nothing because they are paid minimum wage. I would suggest instead of being short sighted, and think you are going to save the world, you need to look at the big picture.
It appears that some of our school board members can afford higher taxes.Maybe when they send in their tax money they could add a little cash to help the rest of us.We can talk and talk on this comment page but nothing will change unless everyone chooses to use their right to vote.
Talk to everyone you know and VOTE NO !!!!!!
How about we talk to people who were elected to represent us, our school board directors, get informed of the facts of this budget, and vote what we believe?
Last year reduced the taxes required from most of the towns, let’s see what this years budget looks like an why it is what it is before vote.
Looks like most of you people have RSU9 figured out! Sue, please don’t be one that gives up after the 1st vote. That’s how they win. this year more and more people are joining the ranks to stop the spending at RSU9. It seems like a slap in the face with such a huge budget increase in light of the concern shown by taxpayers to keep it reasonable. Have you all noticed that the Administration and the Board are now blaming the kids, your kids, our kids, the students for the large increases in the budget? Yes, the teachers need support, in more ways than money. A local union with no backbone to support those teachers with legitimate complaints. Waste, Mr. Erb, the list is a long one starting with a $555,185 district administration budget! How much of this money helps the kids? How about 66 or 88 passenger busses running all over the RSU9 area with 3 to 5 kids aboard? Or just 1? A maintenance budget cut $400,000 plus last year with no effect heard of by anyone? I’ll moderate. Good evening.
Mr Erb, you stated “What was added to the original budget is, I believe, really needed. These are needs that will make a huge difference for our students, especially low income students who are at risk. That is a huge chunk of our population”
If they are a huge chunk as you stated how do you expect their parents to pay more? Work 2-3 jobs ? What about the elderly who make up the rest of Maine’s population. How will they continue to absorb these tax increases?
Agreed it’s for the next generation but graduates don’t stay in Maine. Every year we pay more but still hear teachers have to buy supplies out of their pocket?
When was the last time cuts to the Administration level were made?
I agree we should all get informed. If I am not mistaken, the reduction in most towns last year was largely a result of the changes in property valuations, not the budget established at the school.
Only a few years back, the taxpayers were convinced that we needed a 60 million dollar school in order for the children to learn. This of course was proposed as functionally and financially necessary. At the time we were told by the board that there was declining enrollment and would be closing many of our rural schools in the district. This was propaganda that served the desire of the week and has put us in a spot where our interest payments per student are nearly three times the average of other area schools, according to a recent news article.
Get educated. Get informed. Get involved. Get out to vote.
Great article, Poor Richard. Thank you for sharing.
one day a farmer was looking at a stream in the woods. he realized if he dammed up part of the stream and diverted it to a series of irrigation canals, he could provide water not only to his own farm, but to every farm in the nearby village. after he presented this idea to the village’s council of elders, they praised his insight and commissioned him to take up the task. upon setting out to build the dam, he realized that there were not enough stones to do the job correctly. he asked the whole village to contribute some stones to the project, from which they would all benefit through increased food production, income, and commerce. when the villagers came by, they only brought a few small rocks, insisting that they were all they could spare. the farmer-turned-dam builder knew he had to make do. but heavy rain upstream caused several washouts, and the small stones occasionally washed away. as it was his duty, the farmer continued to ask the village for assistance in his routine maintenance and improvements of the dam. but every year, the villagers looked at him with contempt, that he should have the nerve to ask them for help, and offered only the bare minimum of small rocks. yet, when the dam washed out and the water failed to be diverted to the village, the villagers were angry. every year we give you rocks, they cried, and every year you ask for more! now where the &*$@ is our water?
Myopic; like your little story. However, if the farmer had done more research, he would have known he would fall short of rocks and never started the project. He would have used his education to come up with a more viable plan, one that would have maybe taken longer to complete but would have proved valuable. Like rocks, money does not solve all the issues we face. Maybe we need better leadership, research and planning, not more money.
cwarren, what a great response! Helped make my day! Keep on! AND don’t forget to vote, as if I NEEDED to remind you!
If our kids are gonna make a decent living they need a good education. For years the population could get by without a good education because good paying jobs did not require one. Those days are over. It is sad but true. Less logging, less paper making, are not because of the cost of the school system. The majority of businesses and jobs coming into town are lower wage ones that require little education. Those are the jobs that are available unless you get a degree. No education then you to have to work two jobs. I want better for my kids. We can’t warehouse the kids until they are old enough to run a chain saw anymore. We don’t need as many trees or paper anymore and our kids need better skills. Foster Tech is an excellent opportunity for these kids.
Professionals who work at the university and the hospital are capable of paying their share of property taxes. I bet that collectively the residents of Fenderson hill pay a greater proportion of property taxes than many businesses who have been TIF bribed to create a dozen minimum wage jobs. If you are a professor, a doctor, a nurse or other professional what is going to be more important. Schools or property taxes?
Ask any realtor how important a school system is. Compare Mount Blue to RSU 73 and try to guess where that doctor that has been recruited to work at FMH is gonna live. Maybe you don’t care where the rich folks live, but you should, the more of them in your town the less the average person’s taxes are going to be.
It is not the cost of school administration but the cost of providing specialized education. I guarantee that at the university, mill, and hospital you have as much administration and better paid. We are talking about a $32,000,000 enterprise not a four person wood working shop.
Too many buses then perhaps the school system should shrink to just Farmington and Wilton.
As far as special education that is a federal mandate. The local schools don’t create programs for the sake of it. Just go to a youth sporting event and watch some of the kids in the stands and picture that disaster in a school room. The kids need help and the schools are doing their best.
I get the pain on the taxpayer. I lost my paper company job and make 1/3 what I used to. My wife had to go back to work. My property taxes have skyrocketed 300 % in about 12 years. Sounds like I am the average Mount Blue parent I guess.
But my kids are not in the Mount Blue school district… I am in the exact same same spot but do not have the same access to good schools for my kids . The moral is it is not better in other towns but you have a much better school system for your town. Stop blaming the school system… blame Augusta for shortchanging every taxpayer in the State of Maine by not funding education like the law says they should be.
On administration: RSU 9 is like a $32 million business. Every business needs to be administered if it’s going to function – in the private sector CEO’s for such an entity would get paid a lot more than the highest paid administrator in RSU 9 (as would the CFO, COO, etc.) Even if cut the salaries of every administrator, it wouldn’t make much of a dent in the budget because of math – there aren’t that many who earn a high salary. You can’t get tax relief by cutting administration, but you might lose leadership that’s required to keep these complex entities functioning well.
On taxes: yes, property tax funding of schools sucks. The theory is that people with property must have money, but in a district like ours that isn’t how it works. I do think the budget proposed will probably yield at most small tax increases, nothing dramatic. Also, some children move out of Maine, some stay – but that’s irrelevant. In a global world moving is becoming ever more common. We want the children of families here to be well educated and for those in poverty to be able to work their way out – regardless if they end up living in Wilton or Seattle.
I get if people vote no because of their taxes. That’s legit. What I object to is the false claims that the budget is bloated, that there is a lot of waste, that administration costs are high or causing budget problems. Those things are absolutely false. Objectively false. I’m convinced we need this budget or else we short change the next generation. I respect those who say that the community can’t afford it, and thus they have to vote no. I can’t respect those who insult the school system or its administration.
One thing I’ve learned on the board this year is that Dr. Ward is really committed to trying to cut anything that can be cut, and keeping communities satisfied. He did not want a number of things the board approved for that reason. He is an ally to those who want to keep the budget down, he takes that seriously – in fact, I’m touched by how seriously he takes issues like poverty and the difficulties our population has.
It’s a dilemma. One reason we need social workers (the $272,000 addition) is because we have a population with a lot of poverty and social problems. That’s also why we have trouble funding the positions needed to help those kids. I’m hoping people support the budget, and if it gets voted down, well, will hurt what schools can do, but people will figure out a way to try to minimize the problems – like they always do.
Bottom line: I acknowledge that the taxes are a problem, and relying on property taxes is a horrid way to fund the schools (that’s one reason the 3% tax on over $200,000 passed – it’s only on income made over that amount). If you vote no for that reason, well, I get it. But please, don’t demonize the school, it’s administrators, or those who work hard. They really care and put in long, long hours. I’m amazed by how deeply our principals, administrators, and Superintendent truly care. You can be against the budget without being against the people working hard in RSU 9.
You can pay now by properly educated our youth or you can pay later when these children live at home until 30. Or worse yet, have children of their own they can’t afford. Or they become heroin addicts out of lack of hope for a better life.
Stop being so cheap already. Don’t forget someone paid for a ‘good’ education for you.
How can it cost $16,000 to teach each kid in this district per year?? How is that even possible? And why is the property owner the one stuck with the bill all the time??
Check out the past budget year, the reduction in most towns taxes was because of the relatively small increase in the budget, and due to an increase in state aid. Let’s see what the whole budget and tax needs are before we jump, jump jump, all over the place…
What if we invested as much time and energy spent pointing fingers and demanding cuts to finding ways to bring long lasting property tax relief to individuals on fixed incomes to developing sustainable small businesses that pay livable wages, and fostering a public image that convinces people to move here because Franklin County has so much to offer it would be foolish to live anywhere else?
It is 100% reasonable to ask any school board of any district to act as gatekeepers of the public dollar, just as it it is reasonable to ask school administrators to avoid wasteful and thoughtless spending.
So, I’ll put my offer on the table to come and problem solve with me. Take a look around my room at Mt. Blue Campus, take a look at the work my students have been doing, and help me find some efficiencies that match up with how much you think schools should be spending. I’m sure my colleagues and I have overlooked some opportunities for savings — I think most anyone operating with a budget has that experience — things you wish you hadn’t bought, ideas that didn’t play out the way you thought, mistakes you made that sent you back to the hardware store three times in an afternoon.
And then let’s talk about some ways we could work together in the community to bring some long standing relief to others. How might we help folks on a fixed income become entrepreneurs and make enough money not just for their taxes but to help with other living expenses as well? How might we put a cap on property tax increases at a certain age, so retirees and the elderly do not have to bear as significant a burden? How might we bring some decent paying jobs to the area by supporting ten.. twelve.. fifteen small businesses that hire ten folks each with living wages and benefits, rather than relying upon one big firm to show up as a savior?
I totally understand people being frustrated. I’m fortunate to have the job I have and to have lived in this community for the past twenty years. I appreciate the benefits I receive and a stable work environment. And still, I work multiple jobs throughout the year as well to provide the sort of childhood and opportunities to my kids that my parents — a drug store manager and a secretary — gave to my sister and I in the 80s and 90s. This isn’t because the people of Franklin County don’t support schools or because my paycheck is unfair.
If I want something to change about the number of jobs around here, about the number of people living around here, I need to use some of the skills I have and the people I know to try to do something about it. If you’re interested in seeking some of those solutions as well, give a holler.
Franklin county has many complicated social issues that impact every member of our community including our children. In an independent report of the Shared Community Health Needs Assessment of Franklin County in 2016, Franklin county ranked worse than the State average in the following areas: Domestic Assaults reported to police, Violent Crime Rate, Obesity, Infant Deaths, Low Birth weight in new borns, Births to the 15-19 year old mother population, Chronic Heavy drinking, Adult Tobacco smoking usage, Adults and Children living in poverty, Children living in poverty, Median Household Income, Single-parent families, Health Ratings, Time loss at work due to poor health, Chronic Conditions, Overall Mortality, Individuals unable to obtain or delay obtaining necessary medical care, Percent uninsured, Those receiving ambulatory care hospital admissions, COPD Diagnosis, Asthmatic Adults and Children, Pneumonia Hospitalizations, Colorectal mortalities, Acute Myocardial Infaction Mortality, Stroke Mortality, Diabetes Hospitalizations, and Incidences of newly reported chronic Hepatitis B.
To see the full report: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/phdata/SHNAPP/documents/county-reports/whole-reports/Maine%20Shared%20CHNA%20FRANKLIN%20County%20Report-2-29-16.pdf
It is unfortunate that there is a need for social services to expand in our schools. Yet, that need is strongly evident. It is the School Boards responsibility to make sure safeguards are in place for our children. The budgeted funds for the social workers, were for our General Education students. These students currently have no social workers on site for their specific needs. Those needs regrettably are growing.
To hear the debates and discussions that led up to the school boards choices, please visit the live stream where the budget hearings are archived. https://livestream.com/FTCDigitalMedia
$16,000 per student, well there you go, that’s why your taxes are out of control. That’s nearly $2,000 month per child. $100 day. Pretty clear half the people in town work in the school district and the other half work to pay the costs of the school district. You talk about poverty, well that’s exactly why. I for one don’t believe we are getting our money’s worth on this tax sham.
I don’t see anything cheap about paying that kind of ridiculous bill per student. Especially, for a school this size where the numbers are spread over a larger population. I think I see a leadership problem where the pupits at the top can’t lead so they use tax payer $$$ to smother frosting all over the Kangaroo Kampus up on the big hill.
$16,000 per student and they will be back for more.
Fixed Income ….good luck with coping with this disease.
Misinformation is frustrating.
The cost per student is not $16,000. I went to this website: http://maine.gov/education/data/ppcosts/index.html There I downloaded the most recent (2015-16) data comparing school districts on operating costs and cost per student. RSU 9 was one of the very few BELOW $10,000.
But this is how the debate goes. People say something like “they’re spending $16,000 per student.” Then others say, “well that’s why your taxes are out of control.” Of course, taxes have not been going up quickly at all – last year saw a decline from the school side in all but one town. Hardly “out of control.” And where they come up with the $16,000 figure is beyond me.
So please, don’t believe everything. Check for yourself. We need facts, not alternate facts! Also, compare us to other districts, not to what one imagines “should be the case.” The real world is full of requirements and things that schools have no choice but to spend.
Finally – thanks Cherieann for posting the data on poverty, abuse, etc. I was initially against adding $272,000 to the budget for four social workers. Like so many of us, I thought that teachers and “traditional” programs was where we should focus. But when this was discussed the Principals talked about the difference social workers would make. Teachers have told me that social workers might be the most important people for some pupils who aren’t learning at home how to behave or handle themselves. It could be the most impactful money spent. Yet it is a hard sell because people don’t realize the challenges our young people face.
Again, I won’t begrudge you voting because you have trouble with paying taxes. Please, though, get accurate information and recognize how hard the teachers and administrators work. I also thank Dan for inviting people to visit his room and talk about “how to save.” Please, let’s not get lost in wild rhetoric.
Finding sources of information, and crediting those sources today is so much easier than in years gone by. Being interested in the costs of school, and trying to find an independent source of information, the following link takes you to a Maine Department of education site, which provides cost information. The link is:
http://maine.gov/education/data/ppcosts/index.html
and is provided by the Sate of Maine, Department of Education, last updated March 1, 2017.
By clicking on the Excel link for Per Pupil operating costs for 2015/2016 we can see last years results. Going down to RSU 9, in the Per Pupil operating cost column, we can see $10,277.85 per student for the 2015/2016 school year.
Looking at the average for all of Maine, we can see the average was $11,348.78 . RSU 9 costs $ 1070.87 less per student than is the average for all of Maine.
This referenced location is quite useful at comparing current operating costs, and does exclude major capital, or bond costs. The figures absolutely reflect on the cost efficiency of the district as compared to other districts for administration, teachers, supplies, etc.
The cost per student is far less than the $16,000 mentioned above, but represents historical, factual expenditures, from a site updated March 1, 2017. Where did the $ 16,000 come from? Was it a historical number? A forecast for future expenditure? Last years cost increased by %160 ?
If anyone would like to do a quick audit of the costs of education in Maine, this link is a good starting point. http://maine.gov/education/data/ppcosts/index.html
When discussion turns to what our property taxes will do upon approval of any budget, the organization proposing the budget will include the impact in their budget meetings.
RSU 9’s projections for the tax impact on our towns take into account the best information they have on the state reimbursement commitment. The above article suggested the districts goal is to have a near zero increase in taxes due to the proposed budget. Let us become informed, and vote for what we think is the right thing to do for our communities: Property owners, renters, school students, parents, and employees of the district.
Tired,
Can you please explain where your figures are coming from?
The State of Maine released per pupil costs for 2015- 2016 that are far below your figures. http://maine.gov/education/data/ppcosts/index.html. As you will see from this state release RSU 9 is well below the state average. Furthermore, the incremental increase is not the 64% increase to the budget you are claiming it to be.
As you will see for the 2015-2016 budget year the state averaged $11,348.78. RSU 9 averaged $10,277.85. Even a neighboring district of RSU 10 averaged $14,470.53 for that year. Which was well above our conservative funding.
Please, let me know where you are getting your facts.
Scott, Matt, et al,
Although I have no idea where the 16k number came from, the numbers contained in the above link are not a fair representation of the true cost per pupil past a comparative analysis of how we stack up against other districts. For those that check out the link, please note that these figures do not include Large and extraordinary expenditures, debt service, or transportation. These are significant but greatly variable by district.
These exclusions are necessary , depending on why the information is being consumed, but because some districts have higher transportation costs(because of geography and type/size of fleet) , and make local choices with regard to incurring debt service and other extraordinary costs (our district chose/voted to take on significant long term debt for facilities), these do not represent the actual per pupil general fund expenditures. The actual expenditures are quite a bit higher.
The numbers in the Sate data are a fairly clear representation of the general fund per pupil allocation that actually makes it to educate a student. But, there is more…..the Special revenue fund, which is not generally part of budget discussions because of the origin of the revenue, is also used in many programs and funds things like ESL, much of the school lunch program, and other areas that are needed but not widely discussed when it comes to actual costs.
I applaud the effort to provide more information, however , it is important that those providing it, particularly those in the business, provide proper context.
In this article the total cost per student is just above 13,000 for 2014~2015.
http://www.centralmaine.com/2017/04/29/previous-budget-fights-loom-large-as-rsu-9-board-of-directors-seek-to-finalize-2017-2018-budget/
I don’t know where they got these numbers, or what the numbers are for the following year, but this is why I am very hesitant to take the numbers that are presented by the supporters of year after year increases.
It would be really nice for the school administrators, the ones handing out the numbers, to present the actual total cost per student.
One thing very consistent, the cost goes up every year.
Rob Martin : Thank you for looking at the link. The purpose of providing the link, and citing the source is to provide context for the discussion. As found on the link, the source and composition of the numbers is spelled out for us. As you noted, major capital is not included, and noted as being excluded. I believe the purpose is to be able to provide historic costs broken out by categories which are impacted by budget decisions every year. Major capital decisions are not likely to change each year, as a new building project may be done in a couple of years, paid for in twenty or so years, and then not renovated, or redone for another twenty years.
RSU 9’s renovation and building addition at the Mt Blue Campus was done to update facilities, and to add facilities to eliminate more than a dozen, old portable classrooms. I do not remember any mention of closing schools as part of the work done at the Mt Blue Campus during the building campaign, as noted by another writer. The building campaign was strongly supported by the state with a high level of reimbursement, greatly reducing the cost to local taxpayers.
Transportation costs tend to rise and fall with geography. RSU 9 has higher transportation costs than some district, and lower than some. RSU 9 covers a large geographic area, so our transportation costs are higher than some districts.
I don’t know how to word this and still have it printed, so many of mine don’t.
Just as bad as throwing incomplete financial numbers are statements like, if we don’t pay more money children are likely to live with their parents until they are 30, or worse yet become heroin addicts. Both are terrible situations but my opinion is they don’t depend on whether the schools get more money year after year, after year after year.
I’m not sure if this will get printed, either, but I will re-word and try again. The designation of “operating cost” is deceptive to taxpayers. The actual total cost of the schools is much higher than what is shown on the maine.gov website.
I can’t find online a number for the student population of RSU9. If I recall correctly, I believe that the number given in the past couple of years was about 2300 students. If you divide that number into a $32.7 million proposed budget, you get a total cost per pupil of $14,200. That’s the real cost that we are looking at, which is a lot more than $10,000+ per student. And all that cost is borne by taxpayers, whether the money comes from the State of Maine or from local property owners.
Matt Allen: no thank yous are needed on my account. I must say though that one of the reasons I responded to the commentary is related to the blasting and perceived awe that one of the respondents used a figure of 16k per student as the true cost.
Might I point out that illusion presented by the detailed information in the links and commentary above, is equally inaccurate. The per student cost is neither under 10k nor at 16k based on the facts that I have? It is 13k and change if anyone wants to know. As I pointed out, that is the general fund cost, but the actual cost if you figure in special revenue funds and enterprise funds is even greater. By that estimation, 16k is probably a closer, but still wrong , number than the 10k or less that is being advertised by many of the underinformed.
At the end of the day, our area made the choice to take on a level of debt that equates to almost 3k per student and approximately 4 times the state average. Unfortunately , because of those choices, our current administration, taxpayers, and most importantly , our students, are paying the price.
We asked for it and we got it. Now we need to fund it.
To be sure, when you look at a number like cost per pupil, as long as the methodology is the same, the value is in comparison with other districts. When you look at a comparison with districts across the state or in the area, we do pretty well in keeping costs down.
A couple of us posted the link to the maine.gov website. That is probably the best information. Go there and download the data, and compare! I wrote above that the per pupil cost was under $10,000. However, that was only with CTE (Career and Technical Education) excluded. With it included the figure Cherieann Harrison cites above of $10,277 is correct. Also, if you look, the per pupil cost of RSU 8 (right above us on the chart) was $16,000. So perhaps someone looking at the data got that figure from looking one row too high on a chart.
The bottom line is that we are above average in trying to keep costs down. Still, I get that someone might say, “more money would help a lot of children, especially those in poverty and at risk, but our taxes are too high and the district can’t afford to do more.” OK, that’s fair. To say that the school district is wasteful, extravagant in spending, or anything like that is wrong.
Our debt service per student is roughly 4 times the state average, if that is not extravagant nothing is. We are not the ones who are ” wrong”.
the fool – if the methodology is the same, the absolute number is less important than the comparison to other districts. A different methodology would likely give everyone higher costs. By a comparative measure, we are pretty frugal.
I’m not ready to simply believe the “debt service” argument. That’s money spent in the past, so I’m not sure the point is. But is it really 4X the state average? Can you post a website with the data so people can look? I think everyone should be careful on accepting any “facts” stated in comments like this. Without a back up source, one has to be skeptical.
Never mind – found it: http://maine.gov/education/data/indicators/16rcfpp.pdf
The debt service level is well above the state average (not four times, but still higher) – though many wealthy schools have no debt, and others are similar to us. I’d need to find more info – is some of this reimbursed, etc. I’m still learning! I suspect poorer districts end up having to deal with more debt.
We have not been responsible in the area of long term debt. Unfortunately that ship has already sailed and our students, taxpayers, and awesome current administration are paying the price.
I’m still mystified that there is so much obfuscation regarding the true cost of the organization all the way around , regardless funding source.
“Maybe we need better leadership, research and planning, not more money.”
like i said earlier, you can’t have it both ways…
Thanks for posting the link : http://maine.gov/education/data/indicators/16rcfpp.pdf
Does support the 13- 14K figure bandied about (vs. 11K or 16K) as well as the effect of debt service which significantly drives the number.
Not sure what can be done about debt service- if that was a mistake then it was a past mistake. Go to the elementary school in Jay then go to the elementary school at Mallett and make your judgement if it was worth it. If you have kids in school it probably will influence whether you think it was a mistake or not. I remember the trailers and think that it is good the kids are out of there.
The rest of the spending seems to be better than average overall. I think this is remarkable given the higher acuity of needs of kids being served.
Let’s look for moment at the denial of the district being extravagant. Scott Erb, will you please check on the cost of the building of the atheletic field. Then please check out the cost of the MT BLUE HIGH SCHOOL building, walk through it, compare to university buildings, the structure in the main hallway, and then tell the public that RSU 9 is not extravagant. People resent the “campus” and so don’t many of the students. Ask them. ” That building doesn’t belong in Franklin County” is a commonly heard quote.
Some awesome discussion going on here! So much better than the name calling I’ve seen in the past. The only point I would like to make is some seem to portray the RSU9 staff as not being taxpayers. The fact is many of them are taxpayers for our district as well and have also seen their taxes increase. RSU9 employees are not “exempt” from paying taxes.
Buckshot – the High School is not extravagant. It’s new. New schools are built this way, this is modern design, actually saving money. UMF has lots of old buildings, it compares poorly to many other universities because of that. If the state were willing to spend as much to upgrade UMF, that would be great, but that isn’t likely to happen. It’s a shame if people were to “resent” a building because it’s new, modern and serves the students. Bottom line: if we somehow rejected the state money and building design, a school like that would have been built elsewhere with state money. The local economy would not have benefited from a construction project, our kids would have an obsolete school with numerous problems, and we’d be nickled and dimed with expenses to keep up equipment and maintenance. The construction was a benefit all around. Do we really want to say, “nah, use taxpayer money down in Portland to build a new school, we don’t want one here”?