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Winslow board previews $21.0 million budget request and plans to draw $350,000 from reserves
Summary
District administrators presented a $21,000,006.69 draft budget for 2026–27 — a 3.33% increase from the prior year — and proposed using $350,000 from the undesignated fund to balance the request; insurance-rate uncertainty and town-tuition estimates were highlighted ahead of a joint council workshop.
District administrators presented the Winslow School District's draft 2026–27 budget to the school board, reporting a total requested expenditure of $21,000,006.69 — an increase of $699,003.29, or about 3.33% over the previous year. The board discussed revenue projections, anticipated town tuition receipts, and potential use of reserve funds to close gaps.
The presenter explained that total revenues shown on the draft equal roughly $12,000,003 and noted a state-subsidy increase of about 5.34% from the prior year. "Our total request of expenditures for this budget for this coming year is $21,000,006.69," the district administrator said while walking through the revenue and expenditure lines. The administration proposed applying $350,000 from the undesignated fund to help balance the budget this year; the presenter said the unassigned fund balance was approximately $8.28 million before that draw.
Board members pressed for clarifications on town-tuition assumptions. The administration said it budgeted $750,000 for town tuition secondary, based on the state-set tuition rate used in calculations and on current enrollment forecasts; the presenter explained that some tuition students attending the regional tech center generate 66% of the full tuition rate for the district, with the tech center receiving the remainder. Special-education tuition for incoming tuition students was also discussed; the administration increased the town-tuition special-ed line to reflect anticipated needs.
Members flagged insurance-cost uncertainty as a fiscal risk. The administration had budgeted a 10% insurance increase but noted that estimates from the Maine Education Association have ranged higher; the presenter said every percentage point under 10% would save roughly $30,000. The board scheduled further review at a joint town-council/school-board budget workshop this Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Winslow Public Library and will hold a second reading of the budget on April 27.
The board did not take a final vote on the full budget at the meeting; administrators said several line items can still change before the town's first vote in mid-April and the district's second reading. The administration emphasized it has pursued a mix of revenue strategies (state allocations, shared-service reimbursements, town tuition) and conservative budgeting assumptions to keep the increase modest while aiming to maintain services.
