| Joanne Cole |
Voters of New Gloucester and Gray have the opportunity to learn about and weigh in on the proposed FY 23-24 school budget on Thursday May 18. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at GNG High School, 10 Libby Hill Road in Gray. Clerks from both communities will be on hand for voter check-in; residents can register to vote at the meeting.
Budget overview. The budget being presented to the community on May 18 proposes total expenditures of $31,276,816, an increase of $1,764,113, or 5.98%, over the current year. It was developed over several months, revisited and revised, and ultimately approved by the School Board in late April.
After state aid to education and other revenues are taken into account, the amount to be covered by local taxpayers under the proposed budget is expected to be $18,151,222. Gray residents’ share would be $11,981,537, up roughly $1.1 million over the current year. New Gloucester’s share would be $6,169,685, an increase of $433,504.
If the proposed budget were to pass as-is, Gray’s mil rate would increase $0.92 per thousand dollars of valuation – roughly a $325 increase on a $350,000 home in Gray. New Gloucester’s mil rate would increase $0.57 per thousand, a $200 increase on a $350,000 home here.
Expenses, revenues, regional context. Superintendent Craig King cited salaries and health insurance as the two most significant budget drivers on the spending side. Among decreases, King noted reductions in heating costs, debt service and out-of-district special education placements.
On revenues, the proposed budget projects state aid (Essential Programs and Services) at $11,384,855. Initially, the state’s estimates showed a decrease for the District, King said. But that was corrected, and the resulting $11.3 million is comparable to what MSAD 15 received this year—$163,000 more than in ’22-23. Even so, the state would be covering a smaller percentage of the District budget and the two towns picking up more. Stable student enrollments and higher property values in Gray and New Gloucester help to explain the state aid numbers. The state’s funding formula assumes that higher property values mean greater community wealth and ability to pay.
Also helping the bottom line, the District proposes to use $1,327,000 from its fund balance, King said. He explained that positions that went unfilled last year resulted in unspent funds that can now be used to offset taxation.
The District’s May 1 Budget Message to the community provides additional context. It compares MSAD 15’s budgeting with neighboring communities and the state as a whole. Maine Department of Education figures for 2021-22 (latest available) show GNG’s per pupil spending at $14,941, while neighbors Cumberland-North Yarmouth’s per pupil spending was $19,298 and RSU 14 (Windham-Raymond) was $15,889, for example. The state average was $16,248. Poland-Mechanic Falls-Minot’s comparable figure was $13,473.
Similarly, state figures show the District’s debt per pupil is lower than the state average and that of the neighboring communities profiled. In ’21-22 MSAD 15 had only $357.35 in debt per pupil from long-term projects; $935.71 was the statewide average, according to the May 1 Budget Message.
The Budget Message provides other information: the District’s goals and values, student enrollment by building, specific spending plans, revenue estimates and much more. Find it at this link.
The Budget Town Meeting and next steps. What can voters expect at Thursday’s Budget Town Meeting? Superintendent Craig King will open the proceedings with a presentation providing an overview of the budget.
Then veteran moderator Greg Im of Drummond Woodsum will take up the gavel and proceed article by article through the meeting warrant. Residents will have a chance to ask questions before voting on an article. Find the official warrant at this link.
At evening’s end, once discussion and voting have concluded, the approved totals go to the town clerks, and thence onto ballots to be voted on in each town’s municipal election on June 13. In New Gloucester, voting will take place at the Fire Station, 611 Lewiston Road, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Those June 13 votes will be yes/no, up or down, on a total school budget amount. But first, voters have the chance to add their voices in the budget process, on Thursday, May 18, at 6:30 at the High School.
