UNION — Regional School Unit 40 has outlined its proposed budget to be voted on during the July 14 elections, and also highlighted the importance of supporting public education. 

RSU 40 includes the towns of Friendship, Union, Washington, Waldoboro and Warren. 

In a budget presentation, seven budget priorities were highlighted: 

1. Raise awareness about financial needs and challenges
2. Support an informed decision about funding the district’s schools
3. Continue refine the budget
4. Balance each budget article
5. Gauge community support for school
6. Provide funding necessary to run the schools
7. Take another step toward closing the regional funding gap

The presentation also highlighted four persistent financial challenges for the district. 

Competitive compensation for staff topped the list with a denotation that more individuals are leaving the education field than entering the profession. The unemployment rate remains low, according to the document, resulting in a labor shortage. The district hired more than 50 new employees this school year with six vacancies remaining. Fifty percent of the district’s staff, meanwhile, was hired within the last five years. 

Providing resources needed to meet the needs of students was second on the list of challenges as funding for public education remains inequitable. This, in turn, results in an unlevel playing field across school districts, the document noted. 

Complying with under-funded legislated mandates appeared third on the list. “The IDEA is the most pronounced example, but there are many,” the document simply stated. 

Improving facilities to transform the facilities into modern learning places and be maintained appropriately was listed as the final challenge. 

The presentation noted RSU 40 per pupil spending remains low and is below average. The district’s per pupil spending, in fact, is well below the average of other local districts similar in size and structure, the document stated. 

To fund schools at similar levels to RSU 1 in Bath, the RSU 40 district would need to add $2.3 million. To fund the district at similar levels to RSU 71 in Belfast, $4.1 million would need to be added. To fund the district at a level similar to RSU 13 in Rockland, $6.3 million would need to be added.

The additional local appropriation for RSU 40 is well below average, per the document, compared to other local school districts. RSU 40, in fact, would need to add $3.5 million to fund its schools at a level comparable to the average, per the document. 

Question One: School Budget

Shall Regional School Unit No. 40 appropriate the sum of $30,252,490.47 and raise the sum of $17,218,093.73 for the 2020-2021 school budget?

The Regional School Unit No. 40 school budget submitted in this Question 1 totals $30,252,490.47.

It includes locally raised funds in the amount of $17,218,093.73, to be assessed in shares to member municipalities in accordance with the RSU’s cost sharing formula and state law.

The locally raised amount exceeds the maximum state and local spending target by $5,043,218.96.

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Article 12: The School Board recommends that the Regional School Unit appropriate the amounts set forth below for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and raise and assess the amounts set forth below 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.

Total Appropriated, by municipality
Friendship: $1,749,591.59
Union: $3,168,496.30
Waldoboro: $8,412,580.47
Warren: $7,767,632.79
Washington: $2,354,678.23
Total: $23,452,970.38

Total Raised, and district assessments, by municipality
Friendship: $1,395,635.61
Union: $1,691,628.76
Waldoboro: $4,009,911.34
Warren: $3,147,905.37
Washington: $1,165,492.56
Total: $11,410,573.64

Article 13: The School Board recommends that the Regional School Unit raise and appropriate $764,301.13 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.

Article 14: The School Board recommends that the Regional School Unit raise and appropriate $5,043,218.96 in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $5,043,218.96 as required to fund the budget recommended by the School Board.

The School Board gives the following reasons for exceeding the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $5,043,218.96:

The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining the smaller K-6 elementary schools in the District and recognizes that the EPS model does not provide adequate funding for smaller rural schools.

Article 15: The School Board recommends that the Regional School Unit authorize the School Board to expend $30,252,490.47 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021 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.

Question Two: Nutrition Program

Shall the Regional School Unit be authorized to raise and appropriate $125,000.00 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?

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Three: Adult Education Program

Shall the Regional School Unit be authorized to appropriate $75,941.00 for adult education and raise $55,000.00 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?

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Four: CTE Region Budget

Shall the regional career and technical education operating budget as approved by the Region 8 Cooperative Board for the year beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 be approved in the amount of $5,644,046.00?

Question Five: CTE Region Adult Education

Shall the career and technical education region appropriate $228,723.00 for Adult Education for the year beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and raise $26,272.76 as the Regional School Unit’s local share with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and well-being of its Adult Education Program?