SAD 17 directors to vote on 2020-21 budget next week

PARIS — SAD 17’s Board of Directors will vote on next year’s $42.9 million budget when they meet Monday night. It reflects an almost $2 million increase over the current fiscal year, most of which can be attributed to new minimum teacher salary mandates and a 6% increase in health insurance expenses.

“Our budget is ready, but we are waiting for guidance from the governor’s office on how to proceed,” said Superintendent Rick Colpitts. “Governor Mills indicated in an earlier declaration that school budget referendums will be Jul. 14. First we need to hold a hearing and meeting for public input but gatherings are currently restricted to less than 50 people. We expect her to address this any day.”

New state law

A new law that increases the minimum salary for public educators will kick in next school year and accounts for about $700,000 of the 2020-21 budget increase. About half of SAD 17’s employees are teachers. Another $200,000 will cover salary needs of other personnel and Colpitts said increasing health insurance premiums added another $600,000 in expenses.

“We also have budgeted $400,000 for new programs in the aftermath of COVID-19,” Colpitts said. “When school starts in September it will have been six months since students have participated in classroom learning.

“As of now we are seeing about 70% of the student population aggressively participating in distance learning. But as many as 30% have had less participation or stalled in their progress. Some kids have parents holding down two jobs, others already required services that have not been adequately provided during the pandemic. The $400,000 puts supports into place to help those students experiencing learning gaps.”

The supports include three major programs. One is increasing social and emotional support to high school students, including substance abuse counseling. Another is a pilot behavioral health program that will be first introduced through the Guy E. Rowe School in Norway and Oxford Hills Middle School. And the third is the addition of a fifth specialist block at each school. Computer/technology will be added to the curriculum along with art, music, physical education and library services. The new specialist block will help certified teachers carve more time out for intervention with students struggling after distance learning.

“We are developing this intervention block as a response to the pandemic,” said Colpitts. “But it’s actually a program we began pursuing a couple of years ago. We brought in a third-party, District Management Group, to review what we could do to counter double digit increases in special education needs. Increasing intervention resources was a recommendation they made then.”

Property tax

Colpitts noted that theoretically the $2 million dollar increase will not have any impact on local property taxes.

“For the first time in 12 years, the state of Maine has increased subsidies to its schools,” Colpitts said. “We expect that general purpose aid (GPA) from the state will help offset the overall budget increase. The state may adjust the amount down the road because of lower revenues but the budget is based on their projections.

“We will also be able to carry over just over $1 million from this year’s budget and to apply to next year’s budget.”

The additional $1 million is from savings realized during distance learning. Since schools have been closed the district has been required to continue paying faculty and staff salaries as all continued working. But there have been some savings from lower transportation fuel expenses as well as lower utilities and heat, which was turned off at all schools in April.

Colpitts said that residents in two towns will see lower property tax impacts from the proposed budget. In four towns the increase falls between one and two percent. Two towns with increased property assessments will see a larger impact. The tax burdens in Paris will decrease by 0.4% and in Otisfield by 1.79%. Oxford’s will increase by 1.16%, Norway by 1.37%, Hebron by 1.39% and West Paris by 1.97%. Harrison’s contribution is expected to increase by 4.37% and Waterford by 5.78%.