MIDCOAST — On Thursday, Dec. 27, Governor Paul R. LePage issued an executive order to reduce state spending by $35.5 million to balance the 2013 budget. Those curtailments included a reduction of $12.5 million to general purpose aid for public schools that are grouped into 200 districts across Maine.

The DOE's spreadsheet with all the districts' curtailments.

Other curtailments will affect the Maine Department of Health and Human Services by $13 million; Department of Corrections, $1.9 million; and the university system, $2.5 million; Dept. of Public Safety, $427,000; Maine Community College system, $724,000; and Dept. of Administrative and Financial service, $776,000, according to published reports.

However, there will be no reductions in monthly subsidy checks to school districts at this time, wrote Dept. of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen, a Rockport resident, in a Dec. 27 memo he circulated to education superintendents and business managers.

He added: "...you should act with the understanding that your total GPA for FY 2013 will likely be reduced to the amounts indicated. Once final reductions become enacted by the Legislature, the Department will proportionally reduce the remaining monthly checks for the fiscal year 2013 to achieve the reductions."

According to Bowen, the Dec. 27 curtailment is temporary, "and will be followed by further legislative action in the form of a supplemental budget in January, to make reductions to the current fiscal year budget." The Maine State Constitution requires a balanced budget by June 30.

"With the fiscal year at its midpoint, if we were not to address this now it would become increasingly challenging to achieve the reductions required to balance the budget," Bowen wrote. "The curtailment order will help schools make plans. However, it is important to remember that by the Governor’s introduction of a supplemental budget in January there may be further action."

According to the DOE, the spreadsheet is based on the following factors:

• Mil expectation. Calculations for the adjusted subsidy are based on a change in the local mil expectation from 7.69 mils to 7.80 mils. However, as in past curtailments, this one proposes a waiver so that SAUs will not be required to increase local taxes to raise those funds. That is, SAUs may instead choose to make the reductions in spending and not raise the difference.
• Minimum special education adjustment.  For communities that receive the minimum special education adjustment, pursuant to 20-A MRSA Section 15689 subsection 1, the adjustment has been reduced from 35 percent to 30 percent of the EPS Special Education Allocation.
• Minimum state allocation adjustment. For communities that receive the minimum state allocation adjustment pursuant to 20-A MRSA Section 15689 subsection 1, the adjustment has been reduced from 4 percent to 3 percent of the EPS Per-Pupil rates.
• Minimum economically disadvantaged adjustment. For communities that receive the Minimum Economically Disadvantaged Adjustment, 20-A MRSA Section 15689, sub-section 11 has been reduced from 100 percent to 98 percent.

"I know this is a challenge for school districts already working hard to direct limited resources to student learning," wrote Bowen.

The individual curtailments to area districts and schools are as follows:

Knox County

Appleton (K-8): of a $1.6 million budget, the state is reducing its $496,398 contribution by $10,183, or .6 percent.

Hope (K-8), of a $1.7 million budget, the state is reducing its $359,108 contribution by $14,884, or .9 percent.

Five Town CSD (9-12, Appleton, Camden, Hope, Lincolnville and Rockport), of a $10.5 million, the state is reducing its $1.1 million contribution by $29,910, or .3 percent.

Isle au Haut (K-8), of a $152,639 budget, the state is reducing its $774 contribution by $193, or .1 percent.

Matinicus (K-8): Matinicus was due to get $549 from the state this year, but that has been reduced by $137.

SAD 7 (K-12, North Haven), of a $1.6 million budget, the state is reducing its $49,335 contribution by $7,047, or .4 percent.

SAD 8 (K-12, Vinalhaven), of a $3 million budget, the state is reducing its $849,879 contribution by $114,556, or .5 percent.

SAD 28 (K-8, Camden and Rockport), of a $10 million budget, the state is reducing its $522,141 million contribution by $74,591, or .7 percent.

RSU 13 (K-12, Cushing, Owls Head, Rockland, Saint George, South Thomaston, Thomaston), of a $25 million budget, the state is reducing its $3.2 million contribution by $151,717, or .6 percent.

SAD 40 (K-12: Friendship, Union, Warren, Washington, Waldoboro) of a $21 million budget, the state is reducing its $8.8 million contribution by $132,704, or .6 percent.

Waldo County

Islesboro (K-12): of a $1.7 million budget, the state is reducing its $38,054 contribution by $5,436, or .3 percent

Lincolnville (K-8) of $2.8 million budget, the state is reducing its $498,516 contribution by $11,993, or .4 percent

RSU 3 (K-12: Brooks, Freedom, Jackson, Knox, Liberty, Monroe, Montville, Thorndike, Troy, Unity, Waldo) of a $18.2 million budget, the state is reducing its $11.6 million contribution by $85,723, or .5 percent.

RSU 12 (K-8: Palermo, Alna, Chelsea, Somerville, Westport Island, Whitefield, Windsor, Wiscasset) of a $24.6 million budget, the state is reducing its $10 million contribution by $146,728 or .6 percent.

RSU 20 (K-12: Belfast, Belmont, Frankfort, Morrill, Northport, Searsmont, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville) of a $30.7 million budget, the state is reducing its $10.9 million contribution by $207,460, or .7 percent.

SAD 22 (K-12: Winterport, Hampden, Newburgh) of a $26 million budget, the state is reducing its $18 million contribution by $101,310, or .4 percent.

RSU 25 (K-12: Prospect, Bucksport, Orland, Verona) of a $12 million budget, the state is reducing its $3.7 million contribution by $113,399 or .9 percent.

SAD 53 (K-8: Burnham, Detroit, Pittsfield) of a $9.7 million budget, the state is reducing its $5.8 million contribution by $41,993 or .4 percent.

Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@PenBayPilot.com; 706-6657