A School Budget Mess

Sun, 07/27/2025 - 4:02pm

Ed O’Brien

Driving down Beach Road, toward the sunrise. (Photo by Jana Timchak)

The view from a favorite reading spot. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Another favored place to hide out with a book. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Driving down Beach Road, toward the sunrise. (Photo by Jana Timchak)

The view from a favorite reading spot. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

Another favored place to hide out with a book. (Photo by Ed O’Brien)

It has been a lovely weekend. I spent the bulk of it reading.

In between running to the dump and grocery store, and driving children to and from work and friends’ houses, I was able to find the time to sit under a tree and read a bit.

I really am not the literary type, never was. Sure I’ve read a good few of the classics, but honestly, my taste runs towards fiction, and not generally the most challenging. I read for pleasure.

I read articles for work, and I spend far more time than I probably should browsing news articles and editorials, always reaching an unfortunate and probably not fully accurate conclusion that everything is pretty bad out there; I do not count this as reading. That is a necessary task. I enjoy it sometimes, but it nothing like sitting in nature with a physical book, which simply offers a good story.

Learning how to read was one of my earliest ambitions. That and helping my Ma make cookies. My older brother had already learned, and in those days before entering Kindergarten, I remember asking my mom to teach me to read. She does not remember this, but I clearly recall her explaining to four- or five-year-old me that I would learn in school, along with the rest of the classmates.

Well, it seems that this view was not shared by all my classmates’ mothers, and after the carefree Kindergarten days of learning the basics from Mis Andress, and keeping a key ring holding all the words I had learned, I started first grade, where things got serious.

If I recall correctly, in first grade we sorted into three reading groups based on our ability. Sunshine, the aforementioned advanced kids; Rainbows, the bulk of us in the middle; and Bears, those who, well, struggled a bit more. By 1981, we had gotten beyond putting kids in “gold, silver, and brown” groups, but even at six, we knew what our reading group meant about our perceived academic ability.

I found that I really wanted to be in the Sunshine reading group, the stories in their text seemed more interesting, so I set out to prove myself. I now knew enough to teach myself reading skills that before too long, resulted in me getting bumped out of Rainbows into Sunshine, with those considered the “smart kids”.

That fact that all of this is still such a clear memory obviously says something about me, but I don’t think I’ll speculate further about what that may be.

So I read, constantly. In the days of four channels on a good day, and forget about any other technological distractions, reading was my favorite escape. Not that I really had anything to escape from, but as a natural loner, getting lost in a story is a wonderful thing.

As I grew older, it has become more difficult to get lost in a book. I still read, but the distractions got bigger, louder. When I would travel all over Maine as a caseworker for the state, I would check out books on CD from the Camden Library to listen to while driving. Today, as I walk my little Belladonna in the morning, I listen to books through my AirPods, nothing too complicated, just a story to escape into before beginning my day.

Best of all, though, is when I can find a place without anyone around to talk at me, where I can just read my book in peace. So most of my reading is done in the warmer months, under a tree in the garden, sitting in the greenhouse, or even in the woodshed, when there are lots of people about who might find me. There is a folding chair in the back of my car in case I have time to stop at Ducktrap after work, find a shady spot and travel somewhere in my mind, where the cares of the world have no place.

School Budget Crisis

Back in June the town voted on the budget for Lincolnville Central School. The budget was reviewed by the School Committee over the spring, reviewed and approved by the Budget Committee, and sent to the voters. With a modest increase of 3.91%, the budget passed in the ballot box.

There was a problem however. Due to a clerical error by the prior superintendent’s office, the amount of money approved to be raised from taxpayers was off by the amount of $330,000. The rest of the budget was correct, it was just shorted in this area.

This means that a new warrant article has been drawn up. The new superintendent of Union 69 (Hope, Appleton, and Lincolnville), Shawn Carlson, in his role since the beginning of July, presented at the July 15 School Committee meeting, with members of the public, Select Board, and Budget Committee in attendance, to explain the situation and answer questions.

Ultimately it comes down to this: there will need to be a new vote, and a new school budget Town Meeting, which is anticipated to occur August 5 at 6 p.m. The vote will be on the correct number, the amount we thought we were voting on in June. This will allow the town to raise the expected amount of money, with no change to the 3.9% increase we agreed on.

On Wednesday, July 23, the Budget Committee recommended that the town approve the amended budget, with Superintendent Carlson, and School Board Chair Tracee O’Brien in attendance to answer further questions, and do their best to ensure that such error will not occur in the future. The president of the Lincolnville Education Association, teacher Dawn Emery, also spoke on just how little fat there is in the budget as written, and how damaging the potential shortfall would be to our students.

If this does not pass, the school will start the academic year short $330,000, no small amount. Having gone over the budget extensively in my role on the Budget Committee, and can vouch that there are no easy cuts to be made, and it is frightening to think where the money will be found, and the school would probably face staffing cuts, and cuts to services our kids need.

I also want to remind you that School Committee and all municipal meetings are always open to the public, and are listed on the town website, as well as in this very column every week.

Library Happenings

Needleworkers meet on Tuesday from 2-5 p.m.

Take your little buccaneers by the library on Saturday Morning, August 2, at 10 a.m. to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day. Listen to pirate tales sung by Grey Beard, make your pirate hats and spyglasses, and hunt for treasure with a treasure map! Learn to talk like a true pirate! This event is free and open to the public. Arrr!

Quilting at the Lincolnville Historical Society

This coming Saturday, from 9 to 2 p.m., the LHS will host a basic patchwork and quilting class at the Schoolhouse Museum, 33 Beach Road. Textile volunteer Jan Kelsey will show you how to construct basic patterned blocks that can be incorporated into quilts, pillows or wall hanging, and is open to all sewing levels, ages 10 and up. All materials will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Registration is free but a $15 donation to the Schoolhouse Museum is welcome

OK Lincolnville, find your peaceful place, whether it be spending time with friends and family, working on your truck or boat, or reading a silly little novel under a tree. Be well and be kind. Reach out at ceobrien246@gmail.com.

Municipal Calendar

Monday, July 28

Historical Society Museum Open, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Select Board, 6 p.m. Town Office

Tuesday, July 29

Library open 3-6 p.m. 208 Main Street

AA Meeting 12:15 p.m., Community Building, 18 Searsmont Road

Wednesday, July 30

Library Open, 2-5 p.m., 208 Main Street

Historical Society Museum Open, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 33 Beach Road

Planning Board, 6 p.m. Town Office

Bayshore Baptist Church, Bible Study, 7 p.m