RSU 18 board hears FY27 budget draft calling for 3.95% increase; proposes dean and counselor roles

Superintendent presented the school district’s first-draft FY27 budget on the board’s agenda, saying the proposal represents a 3.95% spending increase—about $1.8 million—and is intended to be a starting point for board review. “It’s a first draft,” the superintendent said, asking trustees for guidance on priorities as administrators refine the plan.

The presentation compared RSU 18’s per-pupil spending and outcomes with roughly 40 similar districts. Finance staff reported an RSU 18 per-pupil cost of $18,419 versus a peer average of about $20,001, and noted the district’s average proficiency rates were higher than the comparison group. “For every thousand dollars we spend, we generate 3.17 points of proficiency compared to the regional average,” the presenter said, citing the district’s efficiency analysis.

Why it matters: the draft directs most of the increase to contracted salary and benefit obligations—roughly 78% of the budget—and to a small number of targeted staffing changes administrators say are meant to improve day-to-day student support. The board debated whether to use one-time fund-balance draws to blunt tax impact or to hold reserves for future uncertainties.

Key proposals and numbers - Staffing: the draft includes two new school-based positions: a dean of students at Mesalonsky Middle School and a school counselor at China Middle School. Administrators said the two additions together add about $27,000 in gross salary costs as presented and would be funded largely by reallocating an existing vacated position and trimming central-office line items. In explaining the dean role, the superintendent said the position would “allow our administrators to do more instructional leadership” and would oversee alternative-education programming. - Budget drivers: finance staff emphasized negotiated salary and benefit increases and health-insurance volatility as the largest drivers of the draft increase. The administration had earlier budgeted a 10% health-insurance rise but reported that current indicators may lower that estimate when final numbers arrive in April. - Fund balance and tax impact: the administration said it is using $800,000 of carry-forward fund balance in the draft. The district reported an unassigned general fund balance near $3.5 million and total reserves of roughly $8.2 million. Using the draft’s assumptions, presenters estimated the annual tax impact for a $100,000 home would be about $22.81 in Belgrade (roughly $1.90/month); the presenter gave comparable per-town examples to illustrate scale.

Board response and next steps Trustees asked for more specificity about fund-balance allocations, the long-term effect of drawing reserves, and a clearer mapping of which reserves are committed versus unassigned. Board member Mac pressed administrators on the baseline methodology and said the board should thoroughly understand reserve levels before directing one-time dollars to lower taxes. Several trustees urged the administration to prepare a brief, plain-language presentation on the district’s allocated funds, unassigned reserves and the options for responsibly using them.

Administrators will post the full line-item materials to the district drive and return with refined figures after the benefits-trust decision expected in early April. No vote on the FY27 budget occurred; the presentation was informational and the board directed staff to provide additional detail at a follow-up meeting.