Administrators presented updated figures during a budget work session of the RSU 52/MSAD 52 School Board, saying the revised draft restores a high‑school guidance position and reduces several subscription and furniture lines while proposing to add $200,000 to the district's regular‑instruction reserve for a $300,000 total.

The recommendation from district staff, presented by Carrie, district staff member, came during a March budget workshop where staff said they removed duplicate expenditures, cut a statewide subscription line by $5,456 and reduced furniture and travel lines, producing a net decrease of $14,001.51 from the draft budget. Carrie said, “So right now, we've decreased the budget by $14,001.51.”

Administrators told the board the larger budget question is how much to add to a reserve set up last year to cover unanticipated midyear staffing needs, particularly if federal Title funds are cut or reduced during the school year. The staff recommended adding $200,000 to the account created last year, bringing it from $100,000 to $300,000. Board members asked whether the district should instead add $400,000 or $500,000; staff warned a larger transfer would erode the district's unallocated fund balance and leave less flexibility in coming months.

Why it matters

District staff said the reserve is intended to avoid urgent midyear layoffs or school closures if federal or other grant funds shift during the year. Carrie cautioned that if the store of carryover funds falls too low the district could face legal or practical constraints on action: “that law ... was 5% prior to the pandemic,” she said referring to the statutory cap on fund balance and noting a bill is pending that could affect that cap.

Key points and details

- Restored position: Administrators said the high‑school guidance position that had been proposed for reduction was restored; the restoration increases overall personnel spending relative to the previous draft. The presenter identified this change as a direct restoration rather than a new hire.
- Budget line changes: Staff reported reducing the district's commercial software line (including IXL) by $5,456, removing a duplicate $18,500 entry for flashing lights at Turner Primary School, eliminating a staff travel line, and trimming $5,000 in central‑office furniture spending.
- Software subscriptions: Carrie reported the district's subscription total is now about $49,681 after the reductions (about $22,000 less than last year when accounting for prior cuts).
- Instructional positions and contracts: Administrators described 21 positions under review; 11 were filled and 9 were unfilled in the current listing. The district said it is eliminating two speech‑language positions from payroll and adding about $220,000 to the contractor line to pay for contracted speech services because the district has been unable to hire enough full‑time speech‑language pathologists. Administrators said hiring staff would be less expensive than contracting but that the contract budget is necessary to ensure services.
- Instructional coaches and devices: Staff reported K–3 Chromebook and iPad purchases total $85,009.20 and instructional coaches cost about $534,001.51 in salary and benefits (six instructional coaches were noted). Board members and teachers described instructional coaches' roles and asked for anonymous teacher feedback on coaches' effectiveness.
- Reserve discussion: Administrators recommended a $300,000 regular‑instruction reserve to buffer possible midyear Title funding reductions. Some board members preferred $300,000; several said they would support $400,000, while others warned that $500,000 would push the district's unallocated fund balance too low given the board's target carryover. Staff said the district's targeted carryover is roughly $550,000 and that larger transfers could reduce flexibility.
- Calendar and deadlines: Staff reminded the board that April 10 is the practical deadline for adopting a budget and that insurance premium increases (estimated between 7% and possibly 14% on one modeling scenario) could materially affect the final numbers.

Votes at a glance

- Transportation uniforms (bus driver T‑shirts), $1,100: Motion to remove the $1,100 line passed after the board's weighted voting procedure. The board recorded member votes in roll call; those recorded as voting to cut the line included Peter, Brie, Kyle and Anthony; those recorded as opposed included Crystal, Alex, Jamie and Ashley; weighted totals reported were 466 points in favor of cutting vs. 434 points against; outcome: approved (line removed). The motion had been described in the transcript as having been “made by myself, seconded by Bridal” (transcript language), and the board used the district's weighted vote method to resolve the split.
- Other budget votes: Staff said several items would return to the board for formal votes before the April 10 budget adoption meeting. The district emphasized that if insurance or state revenue assumptions change substantially, administrators would present options for further reductions.

What the board directed

Board members generally expressed support for the $300,000 reserve as a reasonable compromise given uncertainties about federal Title funding and insurance premiums; several members signaled willingness to reconsider if new information arrives before the April 10 budget meeting. Members asked for additional communications to the public explaining the reserve and the policy choices that would be used if insurance increases require further reductions.

Sources and provenance

This article draws on the district's budget presentation and the board discussion recorded during the meeting (district staff presenter identified as Carrie; superintendent identified as Theresa). Excerpts supporting this article appear in the meeting transcript at the budget presentation start and the debate over the reserve and the T‑shirt motion (see provenance segments).

Ending

Administrators will return a revised budget and any required action items to the board at the April 10 meeting; that meeting is scheduled to be the district's last opportunity to finalize the budget for public posting and referendum materials.