RSU1 board hears first reading of FY27 budget as residents urge retention of full‑time nurse at Pittsburgh Elementary

At a public meeting where the RSU1 school board held the first reading of its proposed fiscal 2027 budget, district administrators outlined a plan that would increase overall expenses by 4.92% and asked the board to consider about $700,000 in proposed reductions. Dozens of residents and school staff pressed the board to keep a full‑time nurse at Pittsburgh Elementary School, saying reducing nursing coverage would endanger student health and privacy.

The proposed budget, presented by Superintendent Patrick, shows a local contribution increase of roughly 7.43% distributed unevenly among the district's municipalities. Patrick said the draft reflects rising special education costs, higher health‑insurance premiums, increased contracted services and transportation fuel. He also said the district received roughly $400,000 more in state subsidy this year but lost principal‑payment relief tied to a prior Morris High School project, which creates a roughly $800,000 timing effect across two years.

"Every student deserves access to the highest level of care and support we can provide," said Vanessa Waters, a Bath resident who identified herself as a Pittsburgh Elementary parent and a special‑education teacher in RSU1, urging the board to prioritize student needs over cuts. "There is no data that can predict when a child will become sick, injured, or need medical attention. That is exactly why every school is staffed with a full‑time nurse."

Nurse Brandy Tanger, who said she works at Pittsburgh Elementary, told the board she was disappointed the district was again proposing to reduce nursing coverage at her school. "I'm not going to stand up here and give you the data that supports a full‑time nurse because you have it already," Tanger said. "Instead, I stand here tonight as a community member, parent, and staff member to say that I am disappointed that once again, I have to fight for our students at PES to have the same access to healthcare that all the other students in this district have."

Other commenters, including teachers and a preschool educator from Fippsburg, described day‑to‑day scenarios — from vomiting young children to students with diabetes — in which timely, medically trained responses are critical. A Fippsburg preschool teacher said without a nurse present staff would need to reassign classroom personnel to manage contagious illnesses and bodily‑fluid cleanups, reducing instructional capacity.

Administrators provided a preliminary list of proposed reductions district‑wide intended to limit student impact where possible: elimination of an edtech position at Bath Middle School and the library position (to be replaced by an edtech), reductions in Schedule B extracurricular stipends, cuts to digital licensing, reallocations of Title I staffing, reductions in substitute lines, elimination of part‑time secretary roles at specific schools, not refilling a retiring science teacher at Morris High School, and a proposed reduction of Pittsburgh's nurse to a halftime role. Patrick characterized the list as administrators' first pass and said the board could alter it.

Board members asked administration to prepare dollar‑impact scenarios before the next public forum so the community can see options for restoring specific positions or offsetting increases. Patrick said, for example, that adding $100,000 back into the budget would raise the overall expense increase to about 5.14% and change local contribution figures accordingly.

Board members and administrators repeatedly framed the decisions as difficult tradeoffs. Board member Katie said the district must consider long‑term effects when deciding what to cut: "If you don't have intervention, you can end up with more kids in special education," she said, urging the board to weigh which reductions cause the fewest long‑term harms.

No vote was taken on the budget; the presentation constituted a first reading. The board did approve several unrelated items during the meeting: updated personnel and policy items, a new digital music production course, and two overnight field trip requests.

The board requested that administration return to the next public budget forum with precise dollar amounts for proposed reductions and options for restoring specific positions, including a line‑item cost to keep the Pittsburgh Elementary nurse full time. The next public budget forum is scheduled for the coming Monday.