Jim Hager, chairman of the Gorham School Committee, said this week that residents would not be charged for copies of the school budget.
His comments followed a controversy that surfaced at last week’s town council meeting over whether the school department charges Gorham residents for copies of the budget.
Town Councilor Matt Robinson said last week that some residents in the past have had to pay for copies. Robinson wants the budget to be available free to all Gorham citizens.
Robinson pointed to an e-mail last week from Paul Kelly, business manager of the school department, that indicated the school department has a policy of charging 15 cents per page to copy documents and a few years ago the department charged to copy the budget. “This shows there is a policy to change,” Robinson said. “I know for a fact that people have been charged.”
Kelly said Tuesday that copies of the budget, as it appears on the school department’s web site, are now available free to residents at the superintendent’s office. Kelly said someone last year was charged $20 for a copy of the entire budget book of about 60 pages. But it was the only charge in the six years that he knew about.
Kelly thought that the intent when the 15-cent policy was adopted was to discourage “frivolous” requests for information. “My recommendation is that the School Committee amend this policy,” Kelly said.
While the policy calls for the 15-cent fee, Hager said his understanding in discussions with Superintendent Ted Sharp and Kelly was that residents would not be charged. “It’s absolutely free of charge,” Hager said.
A non-resident of Gorham would have to pay, according to Hager. He said the typical request from people in the lobby has been for copies of one or two pages from the budget.
Town Manager David Cole said the proposed municipal budget is also available online. Cole said that residents who have requested copies of the town’s budget have never been charged.
The School Committee is expected to adopt a $28 million budget at 7 p.m. today (April 12) in the auditorium in the high school. The proposed budget is up 7.2 percent, or $1.9 million over last year’s $26.1 million.
Hager said the proposed school budget contains $66,000 in new initiatives. He said “a chunk” of that would cover the implementation of a state-mandated “gifted and talented” program. Hager said Gorham received a waiver last year, delaying the start of the program.
The School Committee will meet with the Town Council regarding the school budget on April 25.
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