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Saco school board signals support to add bus-tracking, pre-K special-ed provider and more maintenance staffing to budget; approves revolving renovation grants
Summary
The Saco Public Schools board signaled support for several proposed budget additions — bus-tracking software, a pre-K special-education provider, added maintenance positions and furniture/painting work — and voted 7–0 to approve revolving renovation grants. The superintendent will present revised revenue figures to the City Council and return April 12 for final action.
The Saco Public Schools Board of Education signaled unanimous support Wednesday evening for a package of budget additions that would add bus-tracking software, a pre-K special-education provider through CDS, more maintenance staffing and capital items such as furniture and painting, and approved revolving renovation grants by a 7–0 roll-call vote.
Superintendent Ray, who led the budget review, said the district will prepare the revenue sheet with the proposed additions as optional add-ons for the city council to consider Monday. "I'll make a slight adjustment to the revenue page for Monday night, and we'll present to them, and then we'll come back on the twelfth for approval of the revenues and the expenditures," Ray said, urging the board to signal support so staff can finalize numbers.
Ray outlined three specific budget areas the administration recommends adding: a bus-routing and parent-facing tracking system to give families live access to bus locations (cited per-bus pricing around $700, falling to about $600 if the district partners with another community), a pre-K special-education provider coordinated with CDS (the superintendent recommended a $20,000 contingency line to cover possible reimbursement gaps), and additional maintenance staffing and related equipment to move from a reactive to proactive facilities approach. Ray also proposed reallocating some 9–12 budget dollars to help cover the pre-K contingency if needed.
Board members expressed broad support for the recommendations as options to present to the City Council rather than guaranteed additions to the final budget. One board member said the bus-tracking feature would ease parental concerns about young children on buses and could encourage more substitute bus drivers by easing route navigation. Another member urged caution on the $20,000 contingency for special-education coverage, suggesting a larger buffer might be wiser given potential salary costs for providers.
On capital needs, the superintendent noted the district will seek firm quotes for painting and furniture and suggested presenting those items as partnership options with the council so the city could help cover larger capital expenses. "I would like to see that as an option that we could put together that we recommend and hope there's some endorsement behind," he said.
In a separate formal action, the board voted unanimously to approve revolving renovation grants. Superintendent Ray noted bond counsel recommended the board signal its support so ballot language could reflect school committee backing; the board moved the approval as presented to the council and recorded a 7–0 vote.
Votes at a glance: approval of prior meeting minutes (7–0); acceptance of the retirement of CK Burns teacher Kathy Moody (7–0); approval of revolving renovation grants (7–0); approval of the first reading of a package of board policies (7–0); approval of the second reading of another policy package (7–0); motion to adjourn (7–0).
The superintendent said staff will present the revised revenue and expenditure pages to the City Council at its upcoming meeting and return to the school board on April 12 for the board’s formal vote on the budget.
