BIDDEFORD — On Thursday, Biddeford residents will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed budget for the new school fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Although the city council voted in favor of the school budget last Monday, state law currently requires public approval, and school officials say they hope voters will approve the $32.7 million K-12 grade budget the first time around.
Last year, it took four votes before the public finally approved the budget at the November general election. Such a delay wrecks “havoc” on the school department, said School Committee member James Emerson.
Because it took so long to get public approval, Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray said last year he had to hold off spending through most of the first half of the school year.
Ray said he hopes the public recognizes that school administrators worked hard to bring in a budget that is only about $518,000, or 1.6 percent greater than the current budget that will end June 30.
The vast majority of the increase, he said, is from costs that the district had no control over, which include cost shifting from the state to the school district and a rise in health insurance premiums.
As part of budget proposal, Gov. Paul LePage would require school districts to pick up a portion of the Maine State Retirement to cover their employees, which has traditionally been paid by the state.
While the Legislature hasn’t approved this proposal, Biddeford’s share ”“ $408,000 ”“ is included in the budget to be voted on this week.
The fee is included in the budget, said school Business Manager Terry Gauvin, because districts have been told if the Legislature votes against the governor’s proposal, the city will lose the same amount or more in state subsidy.
“I hope the voters don’t penalize us for what’s happening in Augusta,” said Ray.
The other most significant increase is the 13 percent rise in health insurance premiums, which adds an additional $130,000 to the budget.
Without these two increases to the budget, said Gauvin, “we would have come in $30,000 less than last year.”
“Technically,” she said, “we’ve absorbed other increases,” such as heating and energy.
Ray said he and his team have been able to minimize expenses within the school department’s control and trimmed costs by more than $900,000 through reorganization, creating efficiencies and renegotiating contracts.
For instance, the new snowplow contract saves $130,000 and several thousand dollars more was saved by renegotiating an energy contract.
More money was saved through reorganizing departments and eliminating positions.
Nearly 10 full-time equivalent positions were eliminated, said Ray. While some of this was a result of retirements for positions that won’t be filled, there were also some layoffs, he said.
Ray noted that since 2010, including the layoffs in the proposed budget, the school department has lost 46 positions.
Another important point, he said, is that the school district is working with less revenue in the new year in state subsidy, which is was reduced by nearly $326,000, and nearly $341,000 less in local carryover funds from the previous year.
Ray said he’s proud of the minimal 1.6 percent budget increase he and his team have worked hard to achieve.
“There’s not another community around that’s doing that,” he said.
In developing the budget, said Ray, his department has been very transparent. He said he encourages people to view the budget documents on the school department website at biddschools.org before they vote.
For those who do so, they’ll view one document that shows that between 2008 and 2013, the school district portion of the property tax rate only increased by 46 cents.
That doesn’t include the debt service for renovations to Biddeford High School ”“ renovations, Ray said, that the public overwhelming approved at a referendum.
The debt service from the high school bond adds an additional $1.01 to the tax rate.
Within that same time period, the document shows that the education budget is nearly $1 million less in 2013 than in 2008. That also does not include debt service.
If the budget isn’t approved Thursday, said Ray, the school department will have to wait to begin spending.
Although there is a net loss in positions, the department still must hire to fill some openings, and without a budget, that will have to be put on hold, he said.
“Last year, we lost some really good candidates,” said Ray, because of the delay in the budget validation.
If the public wants additional cuts, he said, these would come from areas like library and nursing staff and cuts to seventh-grade and freshman athletic programs.
“I feel pretty positive,” said Ray about budget. “We’ve shown people we’re resourceful and frugal.”
He said he hopes people support the proposed budget Thursday.
By doing so, said Ray, it will allow him and other administrators to work together to find more efficiencies that will lead not only to lower costs, but also to greater student achievement.
The school validation referendum will take place Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the J. Richard Martin Community Center at 189 Alfred St., Biddeford.
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.
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