RSU 52 budget set at $39.18 million; $500,000 land-acquisition reserve headed to referendum

The RSU 52 school board presented a proposed $39,181,450 budget for fiscal 2026–27 and advanced a separate $500,000 land-acquisition reserve that will go before voters at a referendum on Thursday, May 21.

Superintendent Carrie Med said the total reflects a 4.86% increase over the prior year, and noted several budget pressures: health-insurance costs rose 11.43% this year (compared with 12.9% last year) and an anticipated adult-education subsidy of about $590,000 was removed from the ED279 form and is now being routed differently. "The total budget is $39,181,450," Med said during her overview, noting the district also received just over $1,000,000 in additional state subsidy.

Why it matters: The proposed budget includes staff shifts and program restorations tied to student needs, while the land reserve would fund a multi-use athletic field complex and a consolidated transportation facility, both items the board has been studying for two to three years.

Details and changes Superintendent Med outlined school-level staffing adjustments tied to enrollment and special-education needs: a sixth-grade teacher position at Greene Central is being moved to special education; a contracted special-education role is being converted to a budgeted position; Turner Elementary will add one teacher and three educational technicians; Leeds Central will retain a newly added special-education nurse. Med emphasized the district’s struggle to recruit speech-language pathologists and bus drivers, saying that when positions must be filled by contractors the cost is higher than hiring staff.

On career and technical education, the district will contract with LRTC to provide a technology/CTE teacher so students continue to receive the program without a district-certified hire.…