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Millinocket board reviews draft 2026–27 budget as town share and state subsidy shift squeeze local coffers
Summary
Board members examined a version-one draft of the 2026–27 school budget showing a modest 1.6% spending increase, a projected roughly $413,000 in additional revenues (estimate), and a town-share increase driven by higher property valuations that could offset an approximate $200,000 drop in state subsidy (Form 279).
The Millinocket School Board reviewed its first draft of the 2026–27 budget and heard administrators warn that a mix of changing state aid and rising local property valuations could widen the district’s required town contribution.
A presenter described the document as "version one," with placeholders for health insurance, unemployment and workers-comp information that remain unsettled. The draft showed a cross-category increase of about 1.6% and an estimated additional revenue figure in the range of $400,000–$420,000, which the presenter described as provisional and subject to change as audits and negotiations conclude.
Board members pressed for clarity on a pair of interacting lines: the state subsidy (Form 279) and the town’s locally funded share. The presenter said the district lost eight students in the prior count, which reduced the Form 279 subsidy by roughly $200,000. At the same time, higher town property valuations can raise the town-share calculation, creating a combined swing the presenter estimated at about $300,000.
Committee member Kevin and others asked for workshops and further line-by-line review; the board scheduled sessions to refine assumptions and discuss alternatives. The presenter emphasized that many numbers—especially negotiated salary increases and workers-comp figures—remain provisional and will be updated in later draft versions.
The board also discussed potential policy changes under statewide consideration (a referenced 90/10 consideration and disadvantaged-student weighting) that could affect future revenues but are not guaranteed to take effect for the upcoming year.
Next steps: staff will finalize missing line items, run additional drafts for review at scheduled workshops, and return with updated figures; the board did not adopt a final budget at the meeting.
