RSU 52/MSAD 52 holds second budget workshop; administrators cut $463,756 and propose reserves as board weighs further reductions

Board members and district staff met for a second budget workshop focused on trimming next year’s spending and preparing for a May 8 district vote and town referendums later in May. Administrators said the current draft is roughly 1.25% smaller than the earlier proposal and that the changes since March 6 total $463,756. They reported the average tax increase to the towns now sits below 8%.

The workshop centered on the seven general warrant articles (regular instruction through school administration), plus transportation, facilities, debt service and other items such as food service and adult education. Administrators described position reductions spread across articles — about 21 positions in total — and said roughly half of those positions were unfilled at the time the cuts were identified.

Why it matters: the board must finalize a budget the district will present to voters; administrators emphasized the district’s limited options to reduce costs without affecting staffing, special education services, or required facilities work.

Key points

Budget overview and changes: Administrators said the current draft reflects feedback from earlier meetings and trims a range of supplies, subscriptions and device purchases. Specific reductions identified included elimination of the middle‑school world language offering, reduced purchases of iPads and interactive displays in some buildings, moving copier contracts to leases, and reductions in learning subscriptions (the eSpark subscription was removed). Administrators said warrant article 1 (regular instruction) fell about 1.43% and other warrant articles showed smaller declines. The presentation also included a newly anticipated Efficiency Maine rebate for two central schools; staff said the rebate is expected within weeks and they counted it as revenue for FY26 to reduce town impacts.

Positions and class sizes: Administrators said the budget reductions reflect removal or movement of roughly 21 positions across regular instruction, special education, transportation and facilities. They told the board that about half of those positions were unfilled at the time the cuts were made, which administrators said reduces the number of layoffs and creates internal transfer opportunities. During discussion, school leaders explained a personnel move between Turner Primary and Turner Elementary: moving one teacher to keep next year’s third‑grade class sizes at about 18; without that move, third‑grade classes at TES would be closer to 23 students.

Special education and MaineCare billing: Special education drew extensive discussion. Staff described continuing work to understand the district’s options for MaineCare (Medicaid) billing. Administrators said a portion of the state’s subsidy for students placed in out‑of‑district therapeutic placements is recorded as MaineCare billing: staff reported the state’s “share” figure at about 38% of the billed service cost, with the federal government covering the remainder, and cautioned that bringing billing operations in‑house can change subsidy calculations in later years. Staff said the district currently has roughly 14 students in external placements plus students at a local therapeutic program and that they are actively working to transition or reduce placements where appropriate.

EdTech and paraprofessionals: Directors and the special education lead described a planned rebalancing of educational technician (EdTech) positions. Administrators said they had been encouraged to move some EdTech 1 positions toward EdTech 2 and 3 roles over time, and that a number of EdTech 1 roles were vacant or filled by people seeking other licenses. Staff said the changes would affect several one‑to‑one supports and that contract spending would be adjusted if in‑district hires do not occur.

Transportation: The transportation budget showed line‑item changes tied to fuel bids, added tracking software subscriptions, and vehicle replacement principal/interest. Staff recommended continuing BusRight tracking on buses and adding a separate system for vans (Bus Hive) to better code trip costs (homeless students, athletics, field trips) and scheduling. The board debated a requested $1,100 line for bus driver T‑shirts/uniforms: a member moved to remove the line, and the board postponed that decision until the next meeting so the transportation director (absent) could attend.

Facilities and capital needs: Facilities presented a long list of proposed minor capital and repair projects across buildings: Turner Primary (gym floor repair, flashing school‑zone lights, door work), Turner Elementary (fence, outlets, bottle‑filling station), Green Central (bleacher seat module replacement, parking repairs), Leeds (cafeteria door, paving, lighting), Tripp Middle (shades, asbestos abatement, painting, carpet), Leavitt Area High (parking lights, locker replacement, window repairs) and central office (crosswalk flashing lights, siding, hardwood refinishing). Staff noted a $50,000 change after deciding to repair high‑school windows rather than replace them and reported recent lower bids for diesel fuel. Facility work prompted questions about long lead times, custom shade pricing, bottle‑filling station costs (roughly $4,000–$5,000 per unit), and an ongoing plan to add drinking‑water stations across the district.

Food service and adult education: Food services is self‑supporting and not requesting general‑fund support; staff explained federal and state reimbursement rules and recent changes in federal local‑food incentives that reduce reimbursements for local purchasing. Food service staff said they are using carryover and program funds to replace kitchen and cafeteria equipment and add an administrative assistant position. Adult education leaders said program enrollment and course hours have increased since the pandemic; they reported more younger students (including 16‑year‑olds) and higher costs for courseware, testing software and postage for the printed course catalog.

Reserve and fund‑balance moves proposed: Administrators proposed several transfers from unallocated fund balance into reserve funds: $200,000 to the special education reserve, $100,000 to a systems‑administration reserve (to replace legacy financial software), and a proposal to add $200,000 to a regular‑instruction reserve to buffer potential federal title grant reductions. Staff explained the district’s unaudited unassigned general‑fund balance and the state rule that districts keep roughly 9% of a prior budget (the percent has been debated in the Legislature) and emphasized that reserve transfers require board approval and can be reallocated later if not used.

Board action and next steps: The only formal board action recorded during the workshop was a motion to postpone discussion of transportation uniforms until the next meeting so the transportation director can attend; the motion was seconded and the board postponed the item. Administrators told the board they will continue to refine the draft budget, await final insurance figures, and return with updates at the next workshop; the board must adopt a warrant for the April 10 meeting timetable to meet voter‑material deadlines.

What’s next: The board scheduled further budget review in late March/early April and will need to adopt final warrant and articles before the district vote. Administrators asked the board to consider additional reserve placements to buffer potential state or federal funding changes and warned that some costs — special education placements and mandated facilities repairs — leave little room for further reductions without program impacts.

Ending: Board members thanked administration and staff for the work of trimming the draft. The board will revisit the remaining items, request additional detail where members asked for it (for example, a fuller breakdown of athletics and technology subscription costs), and take up postponed items when department directors can be present.