UNITY — Voters within the Regional School Unit 3 school district will be casting ballots on both a school budget ballot and open school board seats June 8. 

The district is proposing a budget with an overall expenditure of $20,276,900. 

The annual district public budget meeting will be Wednesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. at the Mount View complex in Thorndike. 

Voters will participate in in-person voting for both the school budget and four school board seats at their town office, town hall or town house (depending on what their community calls the building) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. All district voters will be asked to vote on all vacant seats on the school board, regardless if that seat represents your town. 

Those wishing to participate in absentee voting are asked to contact their town office. 

The state funding for FY ‘22 for the district was reduced by $607,345 or 5.98% in comparison to the funds received in FY ‘21, according to a letter from Superintendent Charles Brown.

“The reduced funding is due to several factors included in the Maine Essential Programs and Services Formula (EPS); increases in property value across the district, a decline in enrollment of students, a decline in the number of students requiring special education services, and a decline in the number of economically disadvantaged students. A new Support Educators Association contract is in negotiations and pending approval from the Board and Association that will increase support educators’ wages,” wrote Brown. 

The proposed budget includes the elimination of one K-5 teaching position, a 0.5 Health Teacher position, a 0.5 READ 180 Teacher position, and several Ed Tech positions. Additionally, there were significant reductions in the areas of supplies throughout the district.

With those reductions, the adopted FY ’22 budget is $220,000 less than the FY ‘21 budget or -1.07%.

With the budget decrease of $220,000, a decrease in state funding, and a lower state mil rate expectation (7.90 vs
8.18), the total local tax assessments will rise by $349,045 or 3.88%, according to Brown.

“Although we cannot predict additional funding, we are hopeful that RSU 3 will receive additional funds if they become available,” wrote Brown. “When that has occurred in prior years, the Board has approved that any additional funding received was used to reduce the tax burden on our towns.” 

Budget Articles

ARTICLE 1: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Regular Instruction. School Board Recommends $6,698,700

ARTICLE 2: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Special Education. School Board Recommends $3,317,300

ARTICLE 3: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Career and Technical Education. School Board Recommends $0

ARTICLE 4: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Other Instruction. School Board Recommends $537,300

ARTICLE 5: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Student and Staff Support. School Board Recommends $1,615,100

ARTICLE 6: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for System Administration. School Board Recommends $759,050

ARTICLE 7: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for School Administration. School Board Recommends $1,137,300

ARTICLE 8: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Transportation and Buses. School Board Recommends $1,527,300

ARTICLE 9: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Facilities Maintenance. School Board Recommends $2,245,349

ARTICLE 10: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for Debt Service and Other Commitments. School Board Recommends $2,439,501

ARTICLE 11: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will be authorized to expend for All Other Expenditures. School Board Recommends $0

Referendums

ARTICLE 12: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and to see what sum the Regional School Unit will raise and assess as each municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15688. 

Recommended amounts set forth below:

Total Appropriated and Total Raised by municipality:

Town of Brooks $1,764,377.71 and $586,970.00
Town of Freedom $1,000,788.83 and $475,316.67
Town of Jackson $1,051,153.20 and $298,488.33
Town of Knox $1,530,427.08 and $434,631.67
Town of Liberty $1,382,583.26 and $1,114,558.33
Town of Monroe $1,286,728.49 and $657,148.33
Town of Montville $1,580,791.45 and $639,241.67
Town of Thorndike $1,382,583.26 and $410,536.67
Town of Troy $1,757,879.08 and $539,570.00
Town of Unity $2,633,569.31 and $1,050,041.67
Town of Waldo $875,690.24 and $493,091.67

Total Appropriated: $16,246,571.91
Total Raised: $6,699,595.01

ARTICLE 13: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will raise and appropriate for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by the Regional School Unit voters for non-state-funded school construction projects or non-state funded portions of school construction projects in addition to the funds appropriated as the local share of the Regional School Unit’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12. School Board Recommends $0

ARTICLE 14: (Written ballot required.) To see what sum the Regional School Unit will raise and appropriate in additional local funds (Recommend $2,499,328.09), which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model
by (Recommend $2,499,328.09) as required to fund the budget recommended by the School Board. The School Board Recommends $2,499,328.09, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $2,499,328.09.

ARTICLE 15: To see what sum the Regional School Unit will authorize the School Board to expend for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2022 from the Regional School Unit’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act, non-state-funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15690, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools. School Board Recommends $20,276,900

ARTICLE 16: To see if the Regional School Unit will raise and appropriate $60,000 for the school nutrition program with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of
the school nutrition program. School Board Recommends $60,000

ARTICLE 17: To see if the Regional School Unit will appropriate $141,000 for adult education and raise $85,000.00 as the local share, with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of the adult education program. School Board Recommends a “YES” vote.

ARTICLE 18: In addition to amounts approved in the preceding articles, shall the School Board be authorized to expend such other sums as may be received from federal or state grants or programs or other sources during the fiscal year for school and other program purposes, provided that such grants, programs or other sources do not require the expenditure of other funds not previously appropriated? School Board Recommends a “YES” vote.

ARTICLE 19: Shall the regional career and technical education operating budget as approved by the Cooperative Board for the year beginning July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 be approved in the amount of $1,991,461?

ARTICLE 20: Shall the career and technical education region approve a budget for adult education in the amount of $51,525 for the year beginning July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and well-being of its adult education program? School Board Recommends a “YES” vote.

ARTICLE 21: Shall the School Board be authorized to transfer up to $500,000 from unexpended balances at the end of the 2020-21 fiscal year to the Capital Reserve Fund for repairs and improvements at the District’s schools and buildings?
School Board Recommends a “YES” vote.

ARTICLE 22: To see if the Regional School Unit will reduce the amount raised and assessed as each municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15690 to the extent of any unanticipated increase in the adjusted state contribution under the Essential Programs and Services funding model. School Board Recommends a “YES” vote.