CAMDEN — The School Administration District 28 has outlined its $17 million proposed school budget for the 2020-2021 academic year. SAD 28 comprises Camden-Rockport Elementary and Middle schools and the towns of Camden and Rockport.

As such, the district is slated to hold its virtual public hearing on the proposed budget Monday, July 2 at 6 p.m. ahead of the July 14 elections. 

The hearing will be streamed on YouTube and held via Zoom. 

Questions can be emailed ahead of time to maria.libby@fivetowns.net or asked via the Zoom chat. 

The district will put forth to voters two questions and 15 articles related to the proposed budget. 

Question One: School Budget

Shall Maine School Administrative District No. 28 appropriate the sum of $16,827,419 and raise the sum of $15,258,169.03 for the 2020-2021 school budget?

The Maine School Administrative District No. 28 school budget submitted in this Question 1 totals $16,827,419.

It includes locally raised funds in the amount of $15,258,169.03, to be assessed in shares to member municipalities in accordance with the District’s cost sharing formula and state law.

The locally raised amount exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services funding model by $4,222,954. 

The school board recommends a YES vote.

Article 11: The School Board recommends that the District appropriate the amounts set forth below for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 8 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 8 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
Camden: $4,220,313.61
Rockport: $3,838,333.73
Total: $8,058,647.34

Total Raised, and district assessments, by municipality
Camden: $3,740,949.37
Rockport: $3,402,356.66
Total: $7,143,306.03

Article 12: The School Board recommends that the District raise and appropriate $3,827,909 for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by the District 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 from kindergarten to grade 8.

Article 13: The School Board recommends that the District raise and appropriate $64,000 to transfer to the school nutrition program.

Article 14: The School Board recommends that the District raise and appropriate $4,222,954 in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $4,222,954 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 $4,222,954:

The District requires additional local funds to be raised to cover those program costs not included or only partially included under the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act. Those budget items not fully funded by the State that require local funding represent a broad array of existing programs including drama, athletics, instrumental and vocal music, art, photography, and Advanced Placement courses. In addition, supplemental local funding is needed for community use of the facilities occurring outside of the regular school day. 

Article 15: The School Board recommends that the District authorize the School Board to expend $16,827,419 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2021 from the District’s contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 8 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: Capital Reserve Fund

Shall the School Board be authorized to transfer up to $175,000 from available fund balances to the Capital Reserve Fund and to expend up to $200,000 from said reserve fund for unanticipated or emergency school facility needs?

The school board recommends a YES vote.