VINALHAVEN — The proposed MSAD 8 school budget for the Vinalhaven School has been established and will be put in front of voters during the July 14 municipal elections. 

The proposed school budget is for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Question One: School Budget

Shall the district appropriate the sum of $4,575,396.89 and raise the sum of $3,740,931.16 for the 2020-2021 school budget? 

The school budget submitted in Question 1 totals $4,575,396.89. It includes locally raised funds in the amount of $4,740,931.16 to be assessed to the district’s sole member municipality in accordance with state law. 

The locally raised amount exceeds the maximum state and local spending target by $1,553,885.18. 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Article 12: The school board recommends the district appropriate the amount set forth below for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten through grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and raise and assess the amount set forth below as the municipality’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education. 

Total Appropriated: $2,838,652.36

Total Raised, and district assessment: $2,104,186.83 

Article 13: The school board recommends the district raise and appropriate $82,859.35 for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by the district voters for non-state-funded school construction projects in addition to the funds appropriated as the local share of the district’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12. 

School Board denotes this amount includes $54,707.83 for Region 8 debt service. 

Article 14: The school board recommends the district raise and appropriate $1,553,885.18 in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $1,553,885.18. 

The school board gives the following reasons for exceeding the State’s funding model:

The EPS model under recognizes island costs, small school costs, co-curricular costs, and special education costs. 

Article 15: The school board recommends the district authorize the school board to expend $4,575,396.89 for July 1 through June 30 from the district’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12, non-state-funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools. 

Question Two: Cost Center Transfers

Shall the School Board be authorized to transfer amounts exceeding 5% of the total appropriation for any cost center to another cost center or among other cost centers for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, provided that transfers shall not be permitted to increase the authorized total school budget? 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Three: District Nutrition Program

Shall the district be authorized to raise and appropriate $120,577.67 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 Four: District Adult Education Program

Shall the district be authorized to appropriate $4,435.62 for adult education and raise $4,435.62 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 Five: CTE Region Budget

Shall the Region 8 career and technical education operating budget as approved by the cooperative board for the year July 1 through June 30 be approved in the amount of $5,872,769? 

The district’s share of the Region 8 budget, including debt service, is $61,049.74. 

Question Six: CTE Region Adult Education Budget

Shall Region 8 approve a budget for adult education in the amount of $228,723 for July 1 through June 30 with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of the adult education program, and shall Region 8 raise $86,750 for its adult education budget? 

The district’s share of Region 8’s adult education budget is $2,259.49.