As small rural schools, like ours in Hope, present their budgets to the voters we must choose to cutback the temporary staffing and support systems that Covid dollars funded or to continue to pass these existing expansions onto the property taxpayers who fund our schools.

Covid funding, by federal definition, was meant as a temporary measure to get schools over the hump. Residual Covid issues still require attention but Covid is behind us and local taxpayers are ill equipped to replace the thousands and millions of federally funded dollars for continued expanded staff and support.

Passing these unsustainable school budgets “as presented”, will eventually result in closing the small community schools or redistributing students and consolidating districts, which results in less local control.

In 2024, 14 Maine schools closed (two in the Midcoast). By April 2025, 15 additional schools had already slated to close. The number of schools nationwide has decreased more than 50% in the last decade.

Hope now serves 143 ( down from 183) pre-K through grade 8 students at an annual cost of $33,000 per student. Compare this to the state set tuition rate for elementary students at less than $14,000 per pupil . 

And consider that nearby local schools with newer facilities and tanking enrollments are hungry to fill the seats to maintain their own budgets.

Much of local school budgets are locked out of the school committee control to effect change. Special education mandates, pre-contracted teachers’ salaries with accompanying pre negotiated health insurance and retirement benefits are all untouchable. There are the standard increasing costs we all encounter, such as fuel, power, insurances, etc. Postponing facility maintenance can be deferred only so many times before the buildings are deemed unworthy of repair.

The most difficult but most obvious course of action is to increase the pupil-teacher ratio( currently 8-1), by reducing teachers and support staff and to again concentrate on science based academics and leave the social and medical issues to those professionals and the parents.

Hope voters should strongly consider voting down the current proposed school committee’s budget and vote to realign costs to reduce the unrealistic tax burden placed on the 670 Hope property holders. Voting NO may be the best way forward to save Hope Elementary School.

To voice a vote you must attend the School Budget Meetings in person on May 14.

This is not my idea on how to cast a vote but until this colonial voting method that may have well served our ancestors, is changed it is what is required of us all.

Charlene Mazzeo lives in Hope