The 2007-2008 school budget proposed by Gorham Superintendent Ted Sharp is $29.5 million, a 6.6 percent hike over last year’s $27.6 million – and Gorham hasn’t yet heard how much money the state will kick in.
Sharp rolled out his budget for the school committee at a workshop session Saturday. Sharp, who was first a superintendent in Falmouth 26 years ago, said he had to prepare the budget without knowing the state subsidy.
“This is a first,” Sharp said, using a yardstick as a pointer during his presentation.
The school committee will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, to discuss Sharp’s proposal.
Sharp said the budget’s impact on the local tax rate is unknown. Last year, Gorham received $14.1 million in general purpose aid and another $1.3 million to cover debt. Sharp hopes for a $1 million increase this year. “But don’t hang your hat on that,” he told the committee.
Salaries, up 38 percent, and benefits, up 16 percent, represent the biggest slices of the budget pie. Contracted salaries and benefits represent more than $1 million of the $1.8 million budget increase. In his cover letter to the school committee, Sharp said the budget represents $1.3 million of fixed, ongoing obligations.
Insurance and benefits, as proposed, would be $4.6 million, up $300,000, or a 6.9 percent rise.
High School Principal John Drisko will receive a 12 percent pay hike. His salary in the new budget is $89,211, up $9,338 over this year’s $79,873.
Drisko had been approved last year for $86,612, an increase of $6,739 more than his salary two years ago, but that 8.4 percent raise wasn’t budgeted last year.
Salaries for each of the three elementary school principals go from $78,381 to $83,154. The four salaries represent the average figured from a pool of 10 other school districts.
The costs of operating each of Gorham’s five schools are up. Narragansett would be $1.9 million, a 6.6 percent increase; middle school, $2.9 million, a 5.2 percent increase; high school, $4.3 million, 4 percent increase; Village, $2.4 million, 3.5 percent increase; and White Rock, $748,000, 2 percent increase.
New initiatives, which include $55,000 for a teacher for the gifted and talented program, were up 19 percent.
In capital improvements, Sharp recommended spending $35,000 to repair the stage floor in the high auditorium. He said the floor has pockmarks and called it dangerous.
Sharp also advocated spending $30,000 on the gym floor and $42,000 to convert the former recreation office to adult education use.
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