Lawmaker warns West Bath could lose $335,000 in school subsidy; board urged to prepare 'plan B'

A visiting state lawmaker, identified in the record as Alison, told the West Bath Select Board during public comment that the town receives roughly $335,000 in state subsidy for its schools and that recent state and federal developments could jeopardize that funding.

"As it sits today, West has 300 roughly 335,000 in subsidy coming from the state," Alison said during public comment, adding that figures she has seen range and that the subsidy share “is about 6.8” (she also recalled hearing a 9 percent figure). She warned that pending state or federal actions — described in the transcript as involving "title n" and related reporting — could result in withheld funds or reallocation that would leave the schools facing a large local funding gap.

The lawmaker urged the board and the school board to prepare contingency budgets ahead of the town meeting and budget vote. "We need a plan B if we're not going to get that," she said, emphasizing the difficulty of asking residents to make up the shortfall at the ballot box.

Why it matters: West Bath’s schools receive a material share of their revenue from state subsidy. The speaker said losing the $335,000 would likely force either steep cuts to services or additional local taxes; she and board members discussed the potential need to prioritize mandated services while postponing discretionary work such as road projects.

The lawmaker also raised concerns about federal and state-level contract oversight. She referenced news reporting and an audit-like review alleging improper use of small contracts and nepotism in some agencies; she said if federal investigators or the Department of Justice pursue those matters and recover funds, it could increase uncertainty for towns that rely on federal pass-through dollars.

Board members and the speaker noted other possible impacts on education spending: a locally funded portion of the school-lunch program cited in the discussion was approximately $50,000, and some members said proposed cuts at higher levels might target administration or technology spending rather than feeding programs, though the transcript left those details unresolved.

The town’s budget calendar puts a public budget hearing in early May and the town meeting later in May; the speaker urged coordination between the Select Board and the school board and suggested inviting county commissioners to discuss payment scheduling and contingency planning.

Next steps: Board members agreed they need to confirm subsidy figures with the RSU/school finance staff, refine enrollment projections, and work with the school board to develop alternative budgets that could be presented to voters if outside funding is reduced.

(Reporting based solely on Select Board meeting public comment and board discussion recorded in the meeting transcript.)