ROCKLAND — Councilors and selectmen from Rockland, Cushing, Owls Head, Thomaston and South Thomaston voiced frustrations over the handling of RSU 13’s proposed 2015-2016 budget during a special meeting hosted by the school board in Rockland Council Chambers. RSU 13 has 1,623 students in five municipalities.

In total, 24 officials, including school board members, Superintendent John McDonald, RSU 13 Financial Director Peter Orne, Rockland Mayor Frank Isganitis, and Rockland City Manager Jim Chaousis II shared thoughts on issues pertaining to taxpayer burdens, failing schools, lack of state subsidies, and the budget referendum vetoed by citizens June 9.

Isganitis said: “I’ve heard it said that ‘we can never spend enough,’ and unfortunately, unbridled spending leads to fiscal failure.... I don’t intend for this to sound harsh, but I find it somewhat disingenuous for you all to be asking us to solve your problem. As it’s been pointed out, you all are the experts. You all know your budget.”

The $26 million budget being proposed, and which, as of July 1 is in operation until a new one can be approved, includes union contracts in excess of $800,000 for teachers and support staff. Those four contracts expired in 2012 and are currently being renegotiated, according to Orne.  

Selectman and former School Board Chair Greg Hamlin, of Thomaston, spoke of how his board, four years ago, saved the district $10 -$12 million and left school finances with a positive cash flow. He criticized current board members for squandering opportunities that have cost taxpayers millions.

The withdrawal of St. George from the district and the resulting cost of $1.75 million to RSU 13 continues to be a source of irritation for municipal officials.

Hamlin said: “Their departure was not sudden or unannounced. They had given notice of intention two years earlier. During the two-year period the school board never bothered to analyze the consequences to the remaining towns.”

Orne clarified that the $1.75 million, “is the money that we could not recover by eliminating the positions and the facility and transportation costs that went along with that school. That was their contribution to our overhead. There was a huge financial incentive for St. George to leave, and they did.”

Orne spoke of the 82-79 form used by the state to determine what education should cost in a perfect world. That formula evaluates the teaching of only the essential programs such as English and math, according to Orne. No sports, no extracurricular activities, no excessive special education. That number comes to about $11,000 per student.

“It’s not a real number, but that is what they use,” he said.

That number is divided by the number of students.

“Then they use the town’s evaluation and a made-up mill rate.”

That number, which Orne referred to as the ‘Affordability Index’, is then used by the state to set tuition, with no consideration to overhead costs.

Orne said that last year Cushing received a state subsidy. This year, because the mill rate changed, Cushing doesn’t receive any subsidy.

With all else being equal, according to Orne, the school budget has only increased four percent.

Municipal officials spoke of a desired zero-percent increase budget. Orne said $2.7 million would have to be deducted for that to happen, and reminded officials of the potential for $1 million in revenue by tuition students. However, administrators won’t know how many students to expect until the school year begins.

One draw to RSU 13 is the special education program, according to Orne.

“We have a great program.... We have about 30 percent more [students identified as special needs] than other districts.”

The school board also recognized its 27 honor students.

This, however, did not sway officials from their initial concerns.

Heidi Alley, a selectman from Cushing, home-schooled her daughters rather than send them through RSU 13. According to her, the budget increases put Cushing into a hole. She spoke of the buses with only one child riding, of the two high schools ‘segregating kids,’ the inefficient use of too many buildings, and the fact that it doesn’t matter to her from which fund the budget finances are derived since she, as a taxpayer, has to foot the bill regardless.

As a source of direction for board members to follow, Rockland City Councilor Larry Pritchett suggested sharing with the public the impact of a budget reduced by $300,000, $600,000, etc. Pritchett told board members that many Rockland residents who voted yes in the school budget referendum did so not in approval of the budget, but in fear of the cuts.

Hamlin suggested analyses of the base budget, the impact of St. George withdrawing, full time employees, school consolidation options, and additions and eliminations to the proposed budget – including the proposed hiring of an assistant principal for the South School in Rockland. 

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.