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Saco School Department presents $4.3 million FY‑25 draft budget; flags uncertainties over state funding and insurance costs
Summary
Superintendent Jeremy Ray presented a draft FY‑25 school budget showing a $4.3 million (8.25%) increase, explained how state funding weights and a pending bond payment affect revenue, and described staffing and program changes the district proposes while flagging health‑insurance and special‑education costs as key uncertainties.
Superintendent Jeremy Ray presented the Saco School Department’s draft FY‑25 budget at a joint meeting with the City Council and school board, describing a $4,300,000 increase (8.25 percent) in proposed expenditures and identifying several funding uncertainties the district is monitoring.
Ray walked the council through the state funding formula that drives school subsidy, explaining that the formula uses a two‑year average of student counts, staff ratios and a set of weighted counts for categories such as economically disadvantaged students. He said the district is asking the state for a higher weight for economically disadvantaged students (the district asked for 0.25 weight, up from 0.15) and for a new 0.5 weight for students in homeless status — requests intended to reflect added classroom and transportation costs associated with those students.
Ray said the budget includes additions intended to address current needs: 1.5 English‑language‑learner (ELL)…
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