LIVERMORE FALLS – A public hearing on the proposed $18.86 million Regional School Unit 73 total budget for 2014-15 will be held 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Adult Education Learning Center cafeteria, formerly the Spruce Mountain High School South Campus, at 25 Cedar Street.
Residents will vote on each cost center and set the budget after the public hearing.
Among the decisions by voters is if a portion of the former Livermore Falls High School building should remain open by raising and appropriating $132,042, the total cost to keep it open through the next fiscal year.
Currently, the Spruce Mountain Adult & Community Education Center is housed at the facility. Administrative offices and classes are held there, along with Central Maine Community College classes.
The overall budget total is $18,860,498, up by $280,552 over the current budget. Increases are proposed in the areas of special education, student and staff support programs and general school building operations.
The adult education budget proposes appropriating $299,549, of which $120,000 is to be raised in an equal amount of $40,000 by each town. The balance of about $179,549 will come through enrollment fees and grant awards to cover the entire program amount.
A district-wide budget referendum vote will be held on April 29 in the school district towns of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. That referendum will consist of a single question, asking voters if they approve of the action taken at the April 8 meeting.
The adult ed does’t need a big building.
The vote should be to close it.
It is to costly for the 3 towns to support.
Also the budget is to high, needs to be lowered.
I will be there to vote no.
I can’t be bothered going to this budget hearing. It’s a waste of time being outnumbered by all the school employees. I’ll save my NO vote for the ballot box. I’m tired of the administration budget going up along with all the non classroom budget going up. We then get excited about saving money at the classroom level. Our priorities are wrong.
Peter, I understand what you are saying about the ratio of people that show up, at these. However, if your vote and or discussion were the catalyst that swayed the vote to the way you feel is best, your being there would have mattered. If you knew others that didn’t want to go but did go the ratio of school employees and their families to non school town members might be more balanced.
Just something to ponder.
M