On July 14th, we will be voting for the MSAD 9 school budget. I, for one, will be voting yes. I believe the School Board listened and minimized any increase. Most importantly, they eliminated the Assistant Superintendent position from the budget. We do not now or in the future need such an administrative position in the Central Office Administration.
The Administrative Team (Principals, Vice Principals and Directors such as the Athletic Director) made it very clear this position was not needed in their April email letter to the Superintendent and School Board Chair. I quote, “The position of a half-time assistant superintendent was not on any priority list considered and discussed by the full administrative team”. I obtained this information by using the “freedom of access ” request. This email should have been made public when it was delivered to the school budget committee—and not required such action by me. Additionally, I was told this Administrative Team was told not to discuss this position as it might jeopardize the budget.
I would add my conversations with teachers found they too did not support the Assistant Superintendent position.
Now I did do some homework. I wondered about other school districts in our neck of the woods. As I looked into the matter, this is what I found:
– RSU #9 Assistant Superintendent: no, Curriculum Coordinator: yes. The District has 2,532 students;
-RSU # 73 (Spruce Mt) Assistant Superintendent: no, Curriculum Coordinator: yes. The District has 1,500 students in the District;
-RSU #54 (Skowhegan) Assistant Superintendent: yes; Curriculum Coordinator: no. The District has 2493 students;
-The Augusta School system (Cony): Assistant Superintendent yes; Curriculum Coordinator: no. The District has 2,290 students;
-RSU #18 (Messalonskee): Assistant Superintendent yes; Curriculum Coordinator: no. The District has 2,749 students;
-The only one that has both an Assistant Superintendent and Curriculum Coordinator is Oxford Hills. However, that school system has 3,400 students.
Clearly, RSU #9’s student number does NOT call for the Assistant Superintendent central office administrative position.
I realize there is so much asked of our teachers and administrators. I of all people applaud the efforts by the present Superintendent to be present in the community. But like all of us priorities must be set on what one is doing and where one should be to provide leadership for this school district.
The Administrative Team summed it up well in their email to the Superintendent and School Board Chair. They wrote, “We all recognize the extensive responsibilities of the Superintendent and the challenges to manage them all, particularly in the midst of a crisis situation as we are now. Our concern is that the additional administrative team position could adversely impact a successful budget outcome and that it also impacts options for student support and programming that we had identified as a full administrative team to be high priority.”
In this time of CV-19 the last words resonate with me,
“ …. options for student support and programming that we had identified as a full administrative team to be high priority.”
To say the least, our teachers will be challenged this Fall. Support that will be necessary in these changing times does not include another administrator.
I will be voting yes on July 14th because the Assistant Superintendent position was removed. I ask you to join me. I am also prepared to support a future budget that increases direct support for our teachers and students and NOT additional central office administration.
Tom Saviello
Wilton
So let’s see if I have this correct, we remove a position from the budget “assistant principal” that we don’t need, therefore we now should accept the budget as proposed. I don’t get it Tom.
Tom, what happened to your stance on no increases to the school budget? Here is an excerpt from DB in April:
WILTON – The Board of Selectpersons voted unanimously to suggest a status quo budget to Regional School Unit 9 during their virtual meeting Tuesday evening, without new increases.
“In these times, what I’m seeing out there when delivering meals, we’re in a bad space,” Selectperson Tom Saviello said. “We need to be very careful about any potential increases.”
Saviello suggested a letter be sent to the school board and Superintendent Tina Meserve stating that they recommend keeping the budget at status quo. They would support any negotiated contractual wage increases or unavoidable increases due to safety or regulatory requirements, but would discourage any non-essential increases.
I believe that hidden in the $1M plus increases are some unnecessary expenses. The money our school district is expecting from the state comes from State revenue, which is a mixture of sales tax and income tax. It is unlikely that revenue for the state will be what is expected for a few reasons:
1. Lots of people are still out of work, or on reduced hours. Fewer hours worked results in less income tax paid.
2. Many business were closed for a couple of month (some still are closed). Fewer places open mean lower sales tax collected.
3. Tourists are not coming to our state like they have. Fewer tourists mean fewer dollars spent at restaurants, stores, hotels, etc. This will reduce the amount of sales taxes collected even more.
Without the tax revenue where will the state come up with their expected contributions to our school budget?
Let’s think about this logically. With the state revenue streams shut down to a trickle, we need to tighten our budget belts and REDUCE the school budget, not increase it.
Did you ever stop and think that perhaps things (positions , programs, monies) were attached to the budget so that when removed it appears a sacrifice ie CUT has been made to appease the public? This tactic has been used so that when the budget fails at validation/referendum some “fat” can be cut and the thing sent back for the next round. And so on….With a large surplus caused by Covid’s early school closure, I see no need for a million $ plus increase.Removing an unneeded position doesn’t appease me, I will vote NO.
I know you do good things for the town etc. I can’t agree on the school budget. Under these hard times we need to keep budget at current rate. No new increase.
No, no, 38 million times no on this bloated budget for the public indoctrination system.
Many students are not well enough educated in this district to wear appropriate clothes in winter, stay out of the middle of the road near bus stops, live outside of cyberspace and learn how to think or be kind citizens. This is not an acceptable expenditure of the citizens local, state or federal dollars.
As a state and federal taxpayer since 1968 and a double property taxpayer since 1973, I
I have ” allowed” my hard earned $$ to perpetuate this ridiculous farce of continuosly bloated budget requests for way too long.
Back to the numbers game ” budget committee ” and lower that $$$. For my town to get a tiny reduction while smaller towns get an increase does not make this budget proposal any more palatable. We are not getting a good return on our community’s investments.
Time to consider the bold move to withdraw from ‘ district ‘ style public indoctrination systems, like the town of Richmond and consider withholding our ‘ share ‘ of property taxes for RSU 9 until this ‘ budget committee ‘ listens with their paycheck.
This proposed budget is ridiculous in the current state of economy we are in. $1million plus isn’t any more acceptable than just cutting an assistant superintendent position. The budget doesn’t need to be done until January as was stated by Bob Millay in a previous article. The state legislature isn’t even in session to give us any concrete number as to how much of our money their sending us. We have no clarification of how much the teachers contract negotiations are going to cost. Health insurance? Too many variables to just pass this budget.
I spoke with my board representative and was told that we are buying security cameras for the “blind spots” at recess was the way it was explained. Why can’t the teachers walk around and keep an eye on these spots ? We are buying tables for a school that just got some a year or so ago. What will happen to the other new tables? Why can’t this district get by on what we have like every other citizen in the area is having to do right now ? We don’t even know if kids are going back this year or how many will be returning to school.
Question for Tom, where did you get the 2,532 number for students ? The superintendent told people in a meeting 2,408 and someone (name slips my mind) asked the DOE and was given a number lower than 2,408. Maybe Bob Millay still has that info. Anyway I would like to know how these students keep multiplying when we don’t even know if they are all returning in the fall. I know some people who will be homeschooling their kids (approximately 20)so no one even knows how many students the district has.
VOTE NO TUESDAY!!!!!
Tom, I support education but have a big problem with the
Cancel Culture STOMPING on everyone else’s right to a different opinion. Often using Destruction and Violence against Innocent People.By Any Means Becessary. Reprehensible behavior that needs to be Openly Condemned , Not Supported.
What are the teachers,,teaching?
What are we FUNDING?
Based on a recent letter to the editor from Doug Hodum (as president of SAD 9 teachers ) I am concerned for the 1st amendment rights and safety of all our students.
The BLM “movement” is openly Disrupting Western Family Structure. (According to their own words).
Please look it up,, http://Www.Blacklivesmatter.com under about us and what we believe.
Their leadership has publicly announced they will take what they demand “by any means necessary”.
Its Cringeworthy to have educators strongly supporting a Group (BLM) that has NOT Openly Condemned the Violent Crimes Against Innocent People.
ITS WORSE THAT THE SAD 9 TEACHERS ARE NOT CONDEMNING IT.
Where is the Condemnation Of The Mob Violence?
Where is the Support for the Innocent Victims if this “Movement”?
SAD 9 teachers have a responsibly to Condemn This Violence, Openly in Writing to the Public , and IN THE CLASSROOM.
If Mr Hodum and his Group of Teachers can’t bring themselves to ALSO write a letter openly condemning the tactics being used by these fascists and violent groups we can reasonably assume they are OK with it.
I’m not ok with that if you are “teaching” and I am paying your salary.
To hide behind the “not all if them are like that” excuse is sticking your head in the sand to appease a group that has gone off the rsils of reasonable (and legal) behavior.
I know they are not a like that and not all teachers agree with Mr Hodum letter but none of us wants to be subjected to the bullying if the Cancel Culture Movement.
So how will a student be treated if they say something evil like they believe All Lives Matter.
Same as everyone else?
Yes the same, and the rest of us are called zuneducated Racists worthy of No Rights.
To say it can’t happen here is numb to reality.
The local BLM support event posted for dissenters to stay away or ” they would be asked to leave”.
Will the students who have a different opinion than the SAD9 educators be asked to leave the classroom?
Maybe,, or they can just let them stay in calss so they can be shamed, bullied and “educated”.
This is exactly what the cancel culture does and this is exactly how BLM gets to DISRUPT MANY OF OUR FAMILY UNITS. Look it up,,,
TIME TO SPEAK UP!
ITS GONE WRONG.
Everybody knows it.
Denounce it.
if not DEFUND THIS MESS called education.
This is not what we’re paying for.
Everything Is beautiful.
Surprised, Tom, that you are supporting this budget considering the uncertainty surrounding State funding due to the virus. Maine Office of Economic Policy reported that they expect Maine revenue to be reduced by $1.2 billion by the middle of next year. That puts uncertainty around State funding promised to school districts. For that reason, the least that RSU 9 could do is NOT increase spending this year (they are adding $1 million+ !!!). MSAD 54 actually reduced spending in their proposed budget due to these ‘extremely difficult financial times’. RSU 9 should do the same. Vote NO on Tuesday.
I’m confused why people aren’t supporting this budget…if the budget is approved then local taxes will go down by 1.67%. Isn’t that a win for everyone?
AND keep voting NO for as long as it takes to reverse the trend of adding a million plus every year. They believe they should get what they want whenever they want it.Never a care about anyone else or the state of affairs the public is in. Administration in SAD9 ???????? Hard to fathom what he was thinking or what influenced the reversal of thought. Wonder what the other fellow selectmen think of it?
Read my lips…no new taxes.
Expat it’s not a decrease for every town involved. The pattern of a million plus every year isn’t acceptable. The kids aren’t getting any better curriculum and are seeing helpful programs being cut or rolled back. The assistant super position was removed only because of public push back not because of anything the board or other staff had said. (That was pretty much ignored by the superintendent) We also have the concerning situation that Private Planet brought up about our teachers supporting a marxist group BLM. I know I don’t feel the need to fund that type of indoctrination for my kids or anyone else’s. VOTE NO TUESDAY and let them get some concrete numbers for salary pay increases and health insurance costs. Maybe if our incompetent governor would call the legislature and senate back into session we could get some real numbers on how much money we can’t afford to send ourselves, but she is too busy suckling the feds teet right now instead of getting our own economy going and let people live a free life. That’s what dictators do so I’m not surprised, I’m just wondering if someone will start the recall process or if we will have to deal with her for one full term because I am quite sure she won’t get a second.
EXPAT, several reasons come to mind. Not all towns are seeing a reduction in assessment, some are having to put more into the school district.When the solar project is completed. Farmington’s valuation will go up meaning less money from the state for education. ALL10 towns will share in making up the difference. As TJ and LINDY explained with much less money going into the state treasury school subsidy will drop sharply. No one knows how much SAD9 will get in the future .Next year could be worse than this one due to the COVID thing A sizable section of our population doesn’t have the money , for several reasons, that it did a few months ago. The school has supposedly a large surplus because of the early closure, some $2 million plus. This is for education programs. If other systems can operate flat, or with less, such as our “sister” district #54 why why why can’t this one? NOT finally, but my last for you,not every person in MSAD 9 is convinced that the kids are getting the best for all the money being put out and for this reason alone will cause them to vote NO. I personally do NOT blame the teachers for this perception as there are many dedicated and excellent ones in SAD 9. Yes, Private P. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL……..sometimes.
Vote NO, as many times as it takes. We are being taxed to death by these schools. I get the impression that the usual suspects that support these endless cost increases have a job at these bottomless pits of tax spending. Stop the crazy and VOTE NO.
This is far from the end of increases Bob. The governor has made it so the entry level teachers will be paid $40k a year yet the state is only liable for the increase in pay for I believe it’s three years then they go back to paying what they were under LePage and previous administrations. That tells me the local share will be going through the roof !!!
I looked around a bit to see where other schools systems are on spending compared to RSU 9. After looking, I believe this budget with an increase from the state and a decrease overall for our towns for RSU 9 should be passed.
Did you know out of 241 school districts in Maine, 222 school districts invest more per student than RSU 9 does?
So if 222 school systems out of 241in Maine pay more per student than RSU9 does, how much more?
The average cost for school in Maine was $12,646 per student in the year ending 2019. The cost per RSU 9 student was $10,764. RSU 9 invests $1882 less per student than the state average. Those numbers work out to about four and a half million dollars per year less than the state average.
RSU 54 was mentioned as a district to mimic for the budget. If we closely followed their lead, we would need to increase spending by $ 1730 per student, or about four million dollars. Maybe their higher spending per student is what is allowing them to not ask for much of an increase this year. ( RSU 54 still spends less than the state average)
RSU 10, 56, 73, and 58 also spend much more per student than RSU 9.
The short of it: Schools cost serious amounts of money. RSU 9 spends much less per student than almost all school systems in Maine. This years budget request reduces the tax request for schools on most property owners in most of the towns.
I voted Yes for the RSU 9 budget.
Matt Allen
That’s your choice, just don’t expect others to feel as you do. VOTE NO
Of course you voted in favor of your yearly raise Matt Allen. By the way how are negotiations going, you all get the full amount allotted by the bleeding hearts on the board ?
Thanks for for the reminder that taxpayers are not getting a good return for their $12,646
investment per student in RSU #9. Towns could use that money to set their own curriculum and leave George Soros, the Ford Foundation and their socialist, fascist, marxist indoctrination out of our children’s educational opportunities. Defund RSU# 9 and eliminate the Department of Education. Take back our power to educate ‘how to think’, eliminate the indoctrination of ‘what to think’. Stand up for your country.
“Take back our power to educate ‘how to think’, eliminate the indoctrination of ‘what to think’.”
I’d hazard a far out guess and suggest that the success of teaching “how to think” might have gotten the old crone into the sorry state of affairs that she sees us all in
Here’s any idea that deserves attention. The concept of an education account for each child that can be used at the discretion of the parent or guardian. This would enhance the charter School model, empower the parents and Cut the annual “give us more money game”.
The schools are a business that has virtually no financial incentive whatsoever to operate at a lower cost or produce a quality product. There is no downside to this robbery. How many of these employees stayed home and collected With benefits for the pandemic scam? Nobody got laid off. Nobody got terminated because their charges couldn’t perform. It’s Ridiculously easy money for a no show job, the kids got pushed through and no one missed a paycheck. Wow where do you sign up?
Please note that all the usual suspects consistently want millions more to do less. It’s way past time to decouple the schools from the money pipeline. There is no accountability. How many administrators does it take to cut cost? Parents and all taxpayers should demand school choice and individual education accounts. Let the parents decide what school is best for their kid and the schools will have to offer a quality product or else close.
Is that your best shot, Chuckles?
Old Crone: you may have misread what I wrote:
The average cost for school in Maine was $12,646 per student in the year ending 2019.
The average cost per student in RSU 9 was $10,764 in the year ending 2019.
RSU 9 invests $1882 less per student than the state average. Those numbers work out to about four and a half million dollars per year less than the state average.
The numbers showing how much less we spend than 222 other school units in Maine, came from: https://www.maine.gov/doe/funding/reports/perpupil
But Mr. Allen, we are exceeding what the state says we must budget in the State’s Essential Programs and Services model by $2,197,109.84. We’re in compliance and then some, Per pupil cost then shouldn’t be an issue. The operation is certainly sufficiently funded. Something else is missing that the students need! Tomorrow, the vote.
Yes, Matt, I misread. We, the taxpaying citizens, are not recieving an adequate return on the statewide investment per student @ $12,646, as well as the $10,764 RSU 9 cost per student. The kiddos are not learning how to think for themselves.
What do you and Chuckles have to lose? You assume that all opposing taxpayers around the state are only concerned about their own $$$ in the numbers game the budget committee plays year after year. Guess again. We are not all lost in cyberspace.
I maintain that each town in Maine would do a more adequate job educating our young people and respecting the teaching profession by eliminating these bloated ‘mandated’ RSU budgets.
“No.”, is a complete sentence. Go ahead and pick that apart if it feeds your ego.
“Is that your best shot, Chuckles?”
Not really, I just try and dumb it down so the unwashed multitudes can have something to complain about
Smirking condescention duly noted, Chuckles. What are you afraid of?