RSU 22 budget committee lays out FY26 schedule and priorities as towns warn of tax impact

The RSU 22 budget committee on March 13 reviewed the district’s year-long budget process, approved a meeting schedule leading into spring board votes and the June referendum, and elected Brooke Miller as chair of the committee. Town representatives from the district’s member towns urged caution about relying on one-time fund balance to smooth taxes and raised the potential impact of a cut to federal Title I funds.

The committee’s presenter (staff member) described the process that produces the district’s budget: principals and program directors compile school- and program-level requests beginning in November; those requests are submitted and reviewed in December; administrators meet one-on-one with building leaders; and the district then synthesizes a global budget, with detailed committee review of individual budget “articles” beginning in March and continuing through mid-May before the board votes to adopt a budget to send to the June referendum. The presenter said the committee’s March–April calendar is being arranged so…