04/10/2014

School Board adopts $23.2 million school budget for 2015

The School Board on April 8, 2014 adopted a $23.2 million school budget for 2014-15. The budget proposal is up 3.2 percent over this year's.

The board is slated to present its budget to the Town Council at a workshop April 16. The council will hold a public hearing on May 12 before adopting the overall municipal budget, which includes town, school, county and Community Services spending.

The school-budget proposal includes a tax-rate increase for school services of 4.2 percent - $12.19 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, up from $11.70 this year. A home valued at $314,000 would see an increase of $155 in taxes next year for school services.

The proposal includes funding for full-day kindergarten, expanding on a pilot project initiated this year.

The school budget adopted by the board is $36,000 higher than originally proposed by Superintendent Meredith Nadeau in February [news article]. In its final workshop held during the April 8 business meeting, the board decided to fund an additional elementary teacher to meet anticipated enrollment needs; to add $40,000 to contingency, bringing that line to $180,000; and, to carry over $400,000 from this year's undesignated fund balance into this year's budget. The original carryover proposal was $500,000.

The $100,000 reduction in carryover, along with a projected decrease in state subsidy of $87,000, will mean $187,000 less revenue for the school budget than proposed in February. Superintendent Nadeau also reported that the schools will need to pay $60,000 for six Cape Elizabeth students who have chosen to attend charter schools.

The School Department did get some good news since budget work began, however. Health-insurance rates will increase 2.5 percent instead of the anticipated 8 percent, Nadeau said, resulting in a savings of approximately $130,000.

At the same meeting April 8, board members also adopted a $1.7 million Community Services budget, up 5.4 percent over this year's and including $465,000 for the Donald L. Richards community pool.

A public hearing on the overall municipal budget is slated for May 12, 2014 with council adoption expected at the same meeting. The school-budget validation vote is scheduled for June 10.