RSU 06 budget committee reviews baseline budget; using $4 million would halve reserves

At a meeting of the RSU 06 Budget Advisory Committee, committee members reviewed a baseline budget that would raise the district's General Fund by 4.77% and increase the overall proposed budget by 5.07; staff said the recommendation includes using $4,000,000 from the district fund balance and reallocating several non-labor costs to different budget articles.

The discussion matters because the proposed use of fund balance would reduce the district's available reserves roughly in half, potentially limiting flexibility for future years if state or federal building funds do not materialize. Dawn (business office) told the committee, "Our fund balance as of 06/30/2024 was 10,699,000," and said she anticipates the balance will be $8,699,000 at the end of FY '25 and that using $4,000,000 would substantially draw down reserves.

Dawn said the baseline budget reflects work dating to October: administrators and department heads verified payroll, staffing hours and non-labor needs. She explained that most salary and benefit amounts come from existing collective bargaining agreements and that a placeholder of 12% was used for health insurance, noting the district saw an 11.5% rise last year. "I have 12% in there for health insurance," she said, "If it comes in this year at a lower rate this budget will be reduced." The committee was also told that roughly three-quarters of the presented increase is salary and benefits: committee members later stated $2.27 million of the approximately $3…