To the Town of Lincolnville:

On August 5 at 6 p.m. in Walsh Common at Lincolnville Central School, the Town of Lincolnville will hold a Special Town Meeting to address an error in Warrant Article 13 of the school budget that was passed by the town this past June.

The total budget requested by the school remains unchanged. However the authority to raise the full amount of money to fund this budget was incorrect and needs to be rectified.

Approval of the amended Article 13 increasing it by $331,709 would not change the taxpayer impact of 3.91% and would allow the school to proceed with the budget that was supported by the voters. However a vote to reduce that amount could have a profound impact on the LCS students and the school in general.

We want to share what the impact could be if the revised article does not pass.

The clerical error has created an opportunity for the approved budget to not be fully funded. Steadily inflating operational costs have left very little “wiggle room” in this budget to cover any significant shortfall, which means decreases to Article 13 could result in reductions in our teaching staff, no provision for new supplies, books, equipment, or professional development, and/or the elimination of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities like musical productions, athletics, theatrical productions, and afterschool activities.

Without the $331,709 that was intended to be included in Article 13’s sum, staff reduction would be inevitable. We now serve 10 grade levels, and our class sizes are large with an average student:teacher ratio of approximately 21:1. Any reduction in our teaching force would result in some serious and lasting consequences for students.

The LCS School Committee, the Lincolnville Education Association, and the LCS Administration strongly urge the residents of Lincolnville to attend the Special Town Meeting on August 5 and the subsequent referendum on August 12.

Our teachers work very hard to give their students an education that rivals any other in Maine and this community cares deeply about and takes great pride in the tremendous opportunities their students receive at LCS, so we ask you to please come out on both days to make your voices heard.

Sincerely,

Principal Justin Bennett 

Superintendent Shawn Carlson

School Committee Chair Tracee O’Brien

School Committee members:
Kirsten Surbey
Amy Peterson
Vina Lindley
Ann McKittrick

Dawn Emery, Lincolnville Education Association