FAIRFIELD — The board of the local school district Thursday approved budget increases it said would help address some of the positions and services taxpayers want to see while adding about 3% to the amount of money to be raised locally.
The new budget, which voters in School Administrative District 49 will consider approving next month, totals $27,368,581 and is an increase of $214,916 from a previous $27.15 million budget recommended by the board.
It includes an 8.9% overall tax increase, which translates to about an additional $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value in each town. SAD 49 includes Albion, Benton, Clinton and Fairfield.
The proposal was approved 9-3 by the board, with Neal Caverly, Tim Martin and Shelley Rudnicki opposed. Caroline Toto-Lawrence was absent.
Voting to support the budget were Danielle Boutin, Jenny Boyden, Janice Chesley, Katrina Dumont, Katie Flood-Gerow, Shawn Knox, Kara Kugelmeyer, Jeff Neubauer and Roy White.
The new budget comes after residents June 11 rejected the $27.42 million budget at the polls, 596-325.
That budget had been changed by voters at the May budget meeting to include an additional $271,093 in expenses but failed to provide tax funding to pay for them.
Stewart Kinley listens Thursday during a School Administrative District 49 board meeting at Lawrence Junior High School in Fairfield. Morning Sentinel photo by Michael G. Seamans
Residents at the meeting had said they wanted to see more money for educational instruction and less in administrative costs, and the board Thursday took steps to add some spending for the programs and services residents said they want, including the addition of a Reading Recovery program teacher that had been eliminated, two new special education teachers and three new special education technicians.
The budget also includes the elimination of a Lawrence High School mathematics teacher position that is not being filled, a reduction of $30,000 from contingency funds and a $75,205 cost savings to be earned by eliminating the director of operations position.
Some of the duties of that position were assigned Thursday night to a new transportation and facilities supervisor position, which includes the job of the former transportation director as well as some of the new duties previously held by the director of operations.
Superintendent Reza Namin said Scott Washburn, the current transportation supervisor, has agreed to take on the new duties as transportation and facilities supervisor with $16,193 to be added on to his salary.
The job, like others, originally had been scheduled for a new job description, but that change was put on hold in April, when the board halted the superintendent’s restructuring plan.
Most of the five-hour meeting Thursday was spent on debate over the budget, which some residents said earlier in the week they had rejected because it was out of balance and there was confusion over what services would be funded.
The discussion centered on how the district should spend a limited amount of Title I funds, which are provided by the federal government, and whether the money would best be spent on paying for a pre-K program in Albion to be run in conjunction with Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, or interventions such as the Reading Recovery program teacher and mathematics interventionists.
All three of those items are currently due for funding in the new budget.
Anthony Paulette dives into a book with his multicolored mohawk Thursday as the School Administrative District 49 board meeting gets underway at Lawrence Junior High School in Fairfield. Morning Sentinel photo by Michael G. Seamans
Rudnicki proposed funding the pre-K program by creating a combined classroom for first- and second-grade students at the Albion Elementary School, which has just 15 students total in the two grades.
Lori Lee, principal of the school, said the idea was something that could be explored, but she expressed trepidation at the board approving such a move on the night before the last day of school for the year.
“None of the parents know about this,” Lee said. “It’s a community situation. There is no forewarning here to the community. It’s the night before school closes for the year. I don’t have staff here over the summer to put this in place adequately.”
The pre-K program, which was reintroduced this year after KVCAP said two years ago there wasn’t sufficient enrollment to run the program, will be funded in the district’s grant application for the federal funds. Lee said there is demand for the program this year, and she already has 12 applications, with the program capped at 16.
Kugelmeyer said a combined classroom at the Albion school was something that could be looked at, but it requires more planning.
“The desire in the past to put the foot on the pedal to move it forward has cost us unneeded money,” Kugelmeyer said. “I don’t think we need to repeat that and create more public angst.”
Also Thursday, the board voted to contract with the law firm Drummond Woodsum for legal services.
The move comes after Namin sought counsel from a different legal firm earlier this year, as opposed to Drummond Woodsum, which has been working with the district for more than 30 years.
Some board members expressed concern about Namin choosing to use another firm without consulting with the full board first, prompting the district to put the services out to bid and make an official choice of firms.
Shawn Knox, School Administrative District 49 board chairman, right center, listens to a speaker Thursday during an SAD 49 board meeting at Lawrence Junior High School in Fairfield. Morning Sentinel photo by Michael G. Seamans
“I think right now with someone who has been with our district for a while, the consistency would be a strong piece for me,” Flood-Gerow said. “I haven’t heard anything bad about either. I think both are reputable. I think just having a firm that’s been with us since 1989 and has that level of history, I think that is something we can’t put a price tag on.”
The board also discussed looking at developing a policy or guidelines for changing the legal counsel or other large contracted services, such as auditing.
“I think setting a timeline for review of attorney services and also audit services (would be good) so we know every three years to go out to bid,” board Vice Chairwoman Jenny Boyden said. “I think we should do that for audit services too, just to make sure we have a fresh set of eyes. It would be good to RFP for those services and any long-standing service contracts for the district and to have a policy around that.”
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