News

Citizens speak on school budget
Message is: less is more
By Elizabeth Prata

New Gloucester-"This budget represents things you can't put on paper. There is a change in the structure so you can compare year to year. This should go a long way in establishing and maintaining credibility," Jim Giffune reported to the SAD 15 School Board of Directors at the public informational hearing on the annual school budget.

Giffune is a member of the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC).
The BAC was there to present their recommendations to the Board regarding the proposed 17 million budget. About half a dozen citizens attended, as well, had prepared questions and were ready to ask the Board about the budget and offer their views.

Gray resident John Welch wanted to know how much the District has budgeted for co-curricular activities. Co-curricular was explained as activities that were outside the regular classroom, such as sports or drama clubs, Destination Imagination, math club, etc. "Do they help us to meet standards? Do the students earn credit for participating?" Welch asked. Left, Welch. The Monument: Prata photo

Superintendent Victoria Burns said that while participating in co-curricular activities offers students many benefits, students are not graded and ultimately participation in these activities does not count toward graduation. The District spent a total of $293, 508.57 on all co-curricular stipends this year.


Gary Foster wanted to know how the district stood with per pupil spending relative to other Districts. Board Chair Dan Maguire said that of the 29 surrounding school districts, 20 spend less of their budget on direct instruction with kids. SAD 15 is above the average with 72% spent on instruction. Right, Foster. The Monument: Prata photo

At a projected cost of $188,000 each year, the All-Day Kindergarten proposal generated several comments. New Gloucester resident Edgar Wilcox said that he was on the Board several decades go. At that time, he said, all day first grade was the hot topic. "Now it's all-day K. Maybe in a few decades they'll start at age 2 or 3," Wilcox said.

Andrew Upham was against the proposal. He thought it was too much money for the result. The proposal would require an additional 3.5 teachers and 2 ed techs, along with miscellaneous supplies and equipment. The additional $188,019 would be a yearly cost. Upham said that the District should "let children be children. There is plenty of time to become academic between grades 1-12. Socialization can be done in a day care or a half day kindergarten." Left, Upham. The Monument: Prata photo

Janet Neal noted that over the last eight years, the District has lost 187 students but gained 35 staff. She questioned the increased staffing in the face of declining enrollments.

Burns said that eight years ago, "who could have foreseen the role of unfunded mandates such as No Child Left Behind Act, the role of increased technology, and new assessment requirements, all of which require staffing."

Burns explained that the All-Day Kindergarten was a program that is supported by teachers and administrators district-wide. When developing their own budgets, each department voluntarily minimized their own requests so that any proposed increase could be saved to help support funding for the All-Day K request.

The Board members were split on whether to offer the All-Day Kindergarten this year. Chair Dan Maguire said that although he can see the reasoning behind wanting to spend dollars at the early developmental levels, that he would rather see the District funding programs that have been recently started and have yet to come to full fruition.

He listed many academic areas where the district has engaged in new texts and curricula, such as spelling, reading, science, and math. "I couldn't support All-Day K because it is a big expense every year that will tie up our limited capital." Board member Carmel Morin said he had voted for a "restructuring last year because the Board wanted a reduction and now we're increasing."

Board member Alan Rich did not agree. He said that the increase would have been 9% budget to budget due to increased costs that the District cannot control such as increased insurance and increased health care costs. "It took a tremendous effort to get it to 5%, and I know there was a lot involved."

The vote for the School budget is set for June 8.