GORHAM — A proposed, preliminary $45.3 million school budget is up nearly $4.3 million, or 10.4%, from last year’s $41 million.
Superintendent Heather Perry delivered her budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 to the School Committee on Feb. 12. In her letter to the board, Perry said the budget was “developed using the budget priorities and overall targeted guidance” provided by the School Committee.
The impact on the local property tax rate per $1,000 of valuation would increase the amount to pay for Gorham schools from $12.70 to $14.09, up $1.79 or 14.09%. The estimate is based on a projected increase in the town’s overall valuation. Taxes on a home assessed at $300,000, for example, would jump up $537.
“Bottom line is that although this proposed budget shows the anticipated impact of the initial proposed budget to Gorham’s mil rate, these calculations are still very fluid,” Perry wrote.
The state subsidy to Gorham for schools would increase an anticipated $866,282.84 from $17.07 million last year to $17.9 million, according to the latest state figures. But School Committee Chairman Stewart McCallister told town councilors last week that the figure is subject to change as the state works on its budget details.
The largest slice of the Gorham budget pie at 76.5% is $34.6 million to cover wages and benefits.
Proposed new initiatives, representing an increase of $1.5 million, include several new staff positions at Narragansett School: an assistant principal, $125,000; math lab teacher, $85,000; and school counselor, $85,000.
Narragansett expects 398 students in the next school year, an increase of 105 with 75 transferring from the other two elementary schools and 30 new students in the Narragansett district.
Other staff increases would include a senior seminar instructor at Gorham High School, $85,000; a health teacher at Gorham Middle School, $85,000; and a speech therapist for Great Falls and Village schools, $89,000.
Operating expenses are rising, including $148,000 for leases and bond payments on modular buildings to house classrooms at Narragansett School. And $900,000, or a 9% increase, of health insurance for existing employees.
School overall enrollment is expected to be 2,789, up from 2,735.
What is not in the budget are funds to relocate the kitchen at Narragansett Elementary School, costing $750,000.
“If the School Committee decides to move forward with the kitchen move, we have identified already existing funds that will allow this to take place. The existing funds have been identified within a combination of funding through the already approved bond and funding through the already approved FY 20 capital improvement budget,” Perry wrote.
The School Committee could hash over the kitchen proposal at its workshop meeting 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Perry said the first, full-day budget workshop is set to be from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29, in the first floor conference room at Gorham Municipal Center, 75 South St.
“We’re holding it there because Georgia (Humphrey, manager of Gorham Community TV) has gotten that room wired for live streaming and recording – we’ll be doing both,” Perry said.
View the proposed 260-page budget by visiting gorhamschools.org and clicking on “news and announcements.”
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