Published on June 09, 2020

A public hearing on FY21 School Board budget was held on Monday, June 8, 2020, followed by a 6-0 vote by the councilors to move forward with a June 15 Town Council vote on the proposed School Board FY21 budget in the amount of $28,490,012 and revenue estimates of $2,218,949; and a 3.79-percent change in the school mil rate from FY20. Combined with the town budget approved by the council May 27, the proposed tax rate for FY21 is up 0.9 percent over this year. [Proforma Summary]

School Superintendent Dr. Donna Wolfrom shared that school administrators are actively creating a variety of potential plans for opening schools in the fall. The first and preferred option would be to have all schools open and functioning at full capacity. The second option would provide a hybrid of remote learning and in-school learning, involving groups of students returning to school at staggered times in order to minimize the number of people in the buildings at one time and maximize social distancing. The third and least desirable option would be to continue with remote learning as the schools have been practicing since March. All options would follow a Center for Disease Control plan created for school departments to use in order to assess which model would be acceptable.

In a recent update from Gov. Janet Mills, the Maine commissioner of education was told that reopening of schools would likely occur region by region. Whereas Cumberland County continues to have the largest number of COVID-19 cases, it would likely be one of the last to allow schools to return to full capacity. As a result, Wolfrom anticipates that the Cape Elizabeth School Department will follow a hybrid model in the fall. She explained that while the department and parents (as shown from the results of recent survey) prefer a model which allows all students and teachers to return to the schools, all potential options present budgetary impacts to the FY21 budget.

For example, a full opening of schools would require that masks, face shields, thermometers and a variety of disinfectants be purchased. More teachers would likely need to be hired in order to provide smaller class size. The School Department has recently placed an order for face masks and shields in the amount of $7,800, but this supply is only destined to last through the month of October. A hybrid model would involve staggered classes with split schedules, which would increase the number of bus runs and therefore, the expenses associated with hiring drivers and running buses.

In order to be prepared for whichever model the schools are forced to follow, the superintendent and administrators are actively reviewing options for absorbing COVID-19 costs without increasing the FY21 budget. This includes scrutinizing expenditures, opening up collective bargaining agreements, furloughing, not hiring the new positions currently included in the FY21 budget and reducing co-curricular activities for students. At this point, future mandates for opening schools is unknown, forcing school departments to remain flexible and ready to implement a range of models.