JACKMAN — Residents in Jackman and Moose River voted Wednesday to approve a $2.1 million school budget.
The budget includes a decrease in the amount of money to be contributed by Jackman residents and an increase in the amount to be paid by Moose River residents. It was passed by a vote of 57–45 in Jackman and 13–10 in Moose River.
The district is receiving $20,000 more in state funding than it did for the 2012-2013 school year, but it also faces increased costs for special education needs and a statewide shift in teacher retirement costs to school districts.
The $2,121,873 budget calls for eliminating a full-time elementary school teacher position and reductions in hours for a physical education position, an English teaching position, an art teaching position and a French teaching position.
There are also cuts of $5,716 to athletics and co-curricular activities, $5,987 to adult education and $13,839 to administration, including a freeze in administrative salaries and a cut to the insurance benefits of the principal.
There is also a decrease of $124,171 in maintenance fees, which were exceptionally high last year because of the cost of installing pellet boilers, said Denise Plante, principal and assistant superintendent.
Jackman residents can expect to pay $9,258 less in local funding, and those in Moose River can expect to pay $7,896 more.
That means that the budget’s effect on property taxes would be a decrease of $11.15 in Jackman and increase of $27.42 in Moose River for a $100,000 home, Plante said. Property taxes take into account school, town and county costs.
She said the estimated changes in taxes are related to changes in state property valuations in each community, which are used to determine the amount of local and state funding communities receive.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
rohm@mainetoday.com
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