PARIS — Board of Selectmen Chairman Sam Elliot is hosting a meeting of chairmen from boards of selectmen and budget committees from Oxford Hills towns to discuss the growing SAD 17 budget.

Elliot said the meeting will be a “brainstorming session” to discuss how to address the increasing school budget. “It’s a budget that affects all of our towns,” he said Wednesday.

“We thought we’d get together and talk about the impact on the town budgeting and what to do about it,” he said. He said there’s no plan to take any individual action, just take ideas back to their towns for discussion.

The Oxford Hills School District comprises Paris, Norway, Oxford, West Paris, Waterford, Hebron, Otisfield and Harrison. Each town pays into the school system.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Elliot discussed the school budget at length in response to comments from Michael Risica about the growing budget. “Is it time to look at possibly separating the town from the school?” Risica asked.

Elliot said the problem was tied to federal grants, which pay for new programs initially, but after a few years leave schools picking up the tab. He said not paying for those grants can cause schools to lose funding. He said he hopes Paris and other towns can find solutions that protect taxpayers.

Last week, SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts told directors that taxpayers in the Oxford Hills School District may see an overall 11 percent increase in local assessments for the 2013 fiscal year unless legislators waive the state’s minimum local required share for education spending. Colpitts said the district has frozen spending on all but health and safety issues.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Paris Fire Station on Western Avenue. The public is welcome.

treaves@sunjournal.com