School staff present draft FY26 budget; board told major figures remain estimates

Millinocket Public Schools staff presented a draft FY26 budget at a workshop, telling board members the document contains confirmed figures alongside placeholders for items still awaiting final numbers. The presentation laid out a timeline that includes a town presentation on March 27, a district board vote on April 8, a town review April 24, and the public vote on June 11.

A staff member opened the session and said the purpose was "to kind of give you a look at our budget for FY 26," and explained the district began budget work in October 2024 with department meetings through January. The presenter stressed this is an interim draft and cautioned that several lines — notably carry-forward balances, some revenue figures and final insurance rates — remain unconfirmed.

Why it matters: the draft frames the district's planning and potential decisions that could affect staffing, programs and the mill rate voters will see. The presentation combined confirmed "green" figures and unconfirmed "white" fields so board members could see which numbers may move in negotiations or with final state and grant notices.

Key figures and assumptions cited by staff included an estimated 8% increase for health insurance pending final rates, some negotiated contract placeholders, and a note that utility and fuel costs have shifted. The presenter said the district would update those lines after negotiations and when final insurance numbers arrive.

On state funding, staff explained the ED 279 formula (which accounts for teacher counts, special education, guidance, busing, substitutes and other factors) and said the district "came ahead" under the formula this year because local subsidy counts rose: subsidy count up about 4%, special-education count up about 7% and the economic-disadvantage adjustment up 14%.

Staff also emphasized the need to update an actuarial valuation for retiree health obligations. The presenter said an up-to-date actuarial is required for audits and accurate budgeting, noting that prior years lacked a current valuation. "We have about 60 retirees currently," the presenter said when asked how many teachers remain eligible for retiree health benefits, while acknowledging that number has declined as retirees have passed away.

Special-education accounting changes were highlighted as a major line-item adjustment. Staff described moving some services and salaries into local entitlement reimbursements, saying one special-education administrator’s total package is now roughly 51% reimbursed to the district. That reallocation reduced the local bottom line for special education.

Extracurricular costs were trimmed in places by combining low-participation groups and by booster clubs covering some supplies. Staff noted purchases the boosters supported — including a $2,500 camera system and two iPads for fundraising and concessions — and said some athletic field maintenance was moved to contracted services.

Rhonda (introduced during the workshop) walked through the draft spreadsheet and explained the color coding: green numbers are confirmed; white numbers need additional verification. She told the group to send detailed questions by email after the workshop if they could not review all lines during the meeting.

What’s next: staff said they will continue meetings and negotiations, incorporate final Title and grant notices as they arrive, and bring a revised draft to the board meeting that night. The board’s formal vote is scheduled for April 8, with the town presentation and final town vote steps to follow ahead of the June 11 public vote.

The workshop closed after roughly an hour of discussion, with staff reminding attendees that the document is a draft and that several figures remain provisional.