FARMINGTON — Representatives from the Mt. Blue Regional School District told the Farmington Board of Selectmen on Wednesday night that they will do what they can this budget year to keep costs down while supporting the schools in a challenging financial environment.
The meeting with the superintendent and four school board members was intended to update the Farmington Board of Selectmen on the direction the school budget is heading this year. The meeting was Ward’s fourth with a district town, and he plans to have meetings with all the school district’s towns this year.
Superintendent Tom Ward said that as the district continues to work its way through the budget process, while it could increase the budget again by 4.3 percent and find ways to spend the money, its goal is to find ways to save and not have as sharp an increase this year.
The district is holding budget workshops, and a final budget eventually will go to voters in June.
Last year school district voters approved a $31 million budget, with $1.29 million primarily attributed to a $400,000 decline in state funding and $600,000 in built-in costs such as contracted raises. The district includes 10 towns from three counties: Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.
Ward said the challenge is that while the towns such as Farmington are feeling a pinch from the state cutting back money shared with the towns, the schools also are feeling a pinch as the state has cut back on money contributed to the school districts.
Ward said the state’s cuts push the cost burden onto the towns and schools.
“Their emphasis is on reducing the state’s costs,” Ward said.
Ward said this year the state is projected to pay 45.84 percent of the cost to provide the district’s essential programs and services. The state is supposed to pay 55 percent of the essential programs and services but instead has floated between paying 49.5 percent and 44.9 percent over the past five school years, according to data provided by Ward.
School board director Iris Silverstein told the selectmen that the dilemma for school board members is that the people they represent want to have their property taxes go down, but they also want strong schools for their children.
“That’s what’s going to give them their future,” Silverstein said.
Ward said district needs that have increased most dramatically in recent years include the need for special education services.
Ward said some of the reasons for the increases include the school getting better at identifying the students who need the special education services and parents hearing about Mt. Blue’s services and wanting their children also to attend school in the district.
Despite the challenges, Ward also said the school is having educational successes and said it is “right in the mix” with rolling out new education initiatives.
“I don’t want to paint a grim picture, ” said Ward. “We have great kids.”
Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252
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