WINTERPORT — Voters in Winterport will be casting their ballots for the proposed RSU 22 school budget during the July 14 elections. 

RSU 22 serves the communities of Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport and Frankfort. Winterport and Frankfort are the only RSU 22 communities, however, within the Penobscot Bay Pilot coverage area. 

Question One: School Budget

Shall the district appropriate the sum of $34,281,554.48 and raise the sum of $12,743,383.58 for the school budget? 

The locally raised amount exceeds the maximum state and local spending target by $3,049,659.86. 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Article 12: The school board recommends the district 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. 

Total Appropriated, by municipality
Hampden: $16,555,153.43
Newburgh: $3,2888,584.94
Winterport: $7,521,825.05
Frankfort: $2,080,503.89
Total: $29,446,067.31

Total Raised, and district assessments, by municipality
Hampden: $5,317,409
Newburgh: $880,849.66
Winterport: $2,203,692
Frankfort: $721,476
Total: $9,123,426.66

Article 13: The school board recommends the district raise and appropriate $570,297.06 for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by 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 district’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education. 

Article 14: The school board recommends the district raise and appropriate $3,049,659.86 in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $3,049,659.86 as required to fund the budget recommended by the school board. 

The following reasons were given for exceeding the allocation model: 

EPS does not fully support all of the necessary costs of a comprehensive pre-K-12 educational program such as

1. athletics/co-curricular program costs
2. transportation for the athletics/co-curricular program 
3. special education costs

Article 15: The school board recommends the district authorize the school board to expend $34,281,554.48 for the fiscal year from the district’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education, 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: Adult Education Program

Shall the district be authorized to appropriate $75,080 for adult education and raise $36,000 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 Three: Capital Reserve Fund

Shall the school board be authorized to transfer up to $200,000 from unallocated fund balances and/or unanticipated revenues to the district’s previously established Capital Reserve Fund and shall the school board be further authorized to expend up to $200,000 from this Capital Reserve Fund to fund capital projects in the district including school safety and security audit/implementation, school roofing project, sanitizing equipment, furniture (social distancing), plexiglass barriers or other safety equipment, compressor replacement at Hampden Academy, generator installation, bleacher renovation at Hampden Academy Track, window/door/flooring replacements/upgrades, district paving projects, building water filtration systems (Winterport), and vehicle fleet replacement purchase? 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Four: Athletic Facility Reserve Fund

Shall the school board be authorized to transfer up to $100,000 from unallocated fund balances and/or unanticipated revenues and up to 50% of gate receipts from district athletic events during the fiscal year to the School Athletic Facility Capital Reserve Fund and to expend these funds from said reserve fund for the purpose of maintaining the district’s multi-purpose athletic field and maintaining other district athletic facilities? 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Five: Technology Reserve Fund

Shall the school board be authorized to transfer up to $100,000 from unallocated fund balances to the previously established Technology Capital Reserve Fund and to expend these funds from said reserve fund for the purpose of district remote learning technology needs and district accounting software replacement? 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Six: CTE Region Budget

Shall the regional center and technical education operating budget as approved by the coopeartive board for the fiscal year be approved in the amount of $3,105,184.26? 

The school board recommends a YES vote. 

Question Seven: CTE Region Adult Education Budget

Shall the United Technologies Center - Maine Vocational Region 4 approve a budget for adult education in the amount of $316,945.91 for the fiscal year with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and well-being of its adult education program, and shall the district raise $7,466.96 as its share of the adult education budget for the UTC?  

The school board recommends a YES vote.