ROCKLAND — The proposed school budget for Regional School Unit 13 has been set forth by the district for voters to decide at the July 14 polls. RSU 13 serves the communities of Cushing, Owls Head, Rockland, South Thomaston and Thomaston. 

RSU 13 schools include:

• Oceanside High
• Oceanside Middle
• Cushing Community
• Thomaston Grammar
• Ash Point Community
• South

The proposed budget entails four referendum questions and 16 articles. 

Question One: School Budget

Shall Regional School Unit No. 13 appropriate the sum of $32,095,000.00 and raise the sum of $26,223,380.18 for the 2020-2021 school budget?

The Regional School Unit No. 13 school budget submitted in this Question 1 totals $32,095,000.

It includes locally raised funds in the amount of $26,223,380.18, 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 $7,468,810.52.

The school board recommends a YES vote.

Article 12: 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 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 from kindergarten to grade 12 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
Cushing: $2,511,962.15
Owls Head: $2,048,611.31
Rockland: $9,779,705.74
South Thomaston: $2,299,593.01
Thomaston: $4,811,555.16 
Total: $21,451,427.37

Total Raised, and district assessments, by municipality
Cushing: $2,462,316.34
Owls Head: $2,048,611.31
Rockland: $6,366,494
South Thomaston: $2,112,894
Thomaston: $2,947,254
Total: $15,937,569.65

Article 13: School Construction Debt Service

The School Board recommends that the District raise and appropriate $2,517,000 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 12. 

Article 14: Food Services

The School Board recommends that the District raise and appropriate $300,000 to transfer to the school nutrition program.

Article 15: Additional Local Funds

The School Board recommends that the District raise and appropriate $7,468,810.52 in additional local funds, which exceeds the State’s Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $7,468,810.52 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 (EPS) funding model by $7,468,810.52:

The District requires additional local funds to be raised to cover those program costs not included or only partially included under the EPS Funding Act.

Those items not fully funded by the State that require local funding represent existing programs such as athletics and clubs, special education and alternative education programs, maintenance and transportation, nor does it recognize the costs associated with maintaining small class sizes, operating community elementary schools, and offering a broad level of advanced academic programming. 

Article 16: Total School Budget Summary

To see what sum the District will authorize the School Board to expend 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 12 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.

The school board recommends $32,095,000. 

Question Two: District Adult Ed Program

Shall the District be authorized to appropriate $299,500.00 for adult education and raise $210,000.00 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: Region 8 Career and Technical Education Budget

Shall the regional career and technical operating budget as approved by the Region 8 Cooperative Board for the year beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 be approved in the amount of $5,644,046.00?

Local share from this school district is: $59,571.04

Local share from this school district for Region 8 debt service: $513,883.05

Question Four: Region 8 Adult Career and Technical Education Program

To see if the career and technical education region will appropriate $228,723.00 for Adult Education for the year beginning July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020 and raise $86,750.00 as the local share with authorization to expand any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of the Adult Education Program.

Local share from this school district is: $21,223.91