The Gorham School Committee has submitted a new budget proposal that is $909,000 less than the budget rejected at the polls last month, thanks mostly to a mistake that was discovered in the earlier proposal.
A new payroll clerk discovered an $849,000 miscalculation of salaries in the budget that was sent to voters June 13, said Superintendent Heather Perry.
“What happened was that in the development of the original budget we accidentally used FY 25 teacher contract totals instead of FY 24 contract numbers,” Perry said.
Fixing that error, along with cutting money budgeted for electricity costs by $60,000 and an additional $29,000 in revenue generated from Greater Sebago Education Alliance, which Gorham now administers, brings the new budget proposal down to $50.6 million.
It represents an increase of $4.1 million, or 9%, from the budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The impact on the tax rate to support education would increase 99 cents per $1,000 dollars of valuation down from a $1.31 increase under the rejected budget. Taxes on a home valued at $400,000 would rise $397, according to School Department figures.
Gorham voters rejected the $51.5 million budget, 956-660.
The Town Council is slated to vote on a school budget at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, and a new referendum vote will be held July 25.
In other school committee news, Sarah Perkins was elected chairperson replacing Darryl Wright, who resigned. The seven-member school committee will remain one member short until the municipal election in November.
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