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RSU 01 budget forum spotlights proposed nursing cuts as community pressure mounts
Summary
At a public forum on the RSU 01 fiscal year 2027 budget, residents and staff urged the board not to cut full-time nursing at small schools; administrators said no decision would be made that night and outlined two budget scenarios, including a $50,763 restore option.
The RSU 01 school board opened a public forum on its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget and heard an extended series of comments urging the board to preserve full-time nursing at small elementary schools.
Romy Palazado, a teacher at Pippsburg Elementary who said she lives in Woolitch, told the board she was "going to speak about maintaining a full-time nursing position at PES," and described the operational strain when nursing coverage drops to part-time, saying office staff and principals end up handling clinical tasks beyond their training.
"Without a full-time nurse, there is not a greater likelihood of increased absenteeism as students may be sent home when a licensed professional is unavailable to properly assess and support them," Palazado said.
Multiple speakers echoed that view. Brandy Tainter told the board that neighboring districts were adding nurses and that parents, staff and the district physician opposed reducing nursing services at Pippsburg. "If the current budget is the one that is presented to me as a voter on June 9th, my vote will be no," she said.
Administrators and board members framed the discussion as a fiscal trade-off. Superintendent Patrick explained the board had two budget scenarios before it and that the Department of Education had notified RSU1 of a one-time supplemental allocation of $85,000 as part of a formula-based distribution. Patrick said the district presented a highlighted version of the budget that would restore about $50,763 (roughly the cost of a part-time secretary) as an option the board could consider.
Patrick and other staff repeatedly told speakers the board was "not making a decision tonight" and asked the public to use the coming week to review the two scenarios and submit suggestions. The district also clarified that certain outside grants are restricted; a Lincoln Health school-based health grant described by one board member is written for a single clinic location and cannot be repurposed to underwrite nursing time at another school.
Public commenters raised several connected concerns: liability if unlicensed staff perform health assessments; non-monetary costs to families (missed work, out-of-pocket emergency expenses) when nursing coverage is reduced; and equity between larger and smaller schools. One resident told the board that small-town families select local schools in part because of close, consistent services and warned that shrinking staff would alter community viability.
Board members debated where cuts should fall and whether some locally adopted positions (for example, social work or interventionist roles that were originally funded with pandemic-era grants) should remain permanent local obligations. Board member Jennifer said she was "worried about adding any additional cost" given municipal budget pressure reported by towns, while Jamie pushed back that the district had intentionally added mental-health supports in recent years in response to unmet needs.
The board closed the forum after hearing public comment and asked staff to continue refining options. A formal vote on a warrant-ready budget is expected at the board's next meeting.
Ending: The board will reconvene next week to decide which budget scenario to advance to the warrant; in the meantime, administrators and board members asked residents to review the two handouts presented and submit any further suggestions or clarifying questions to district staff.
