Minutes of the MSAD 60 School Budget Hearing
May 20, 2021 6:30 pm
Recorded and live streamed via You Tube
Present for board members… Travis Doiron, Denise Mallett, Joanne Potter, Nancy Neubert, Rebecca Hopper, Linda Corliss, Stephanie Hagenbuch
Present representing MSAD 60 Central Office: Audra Beauvais, Superintendent, Susan Austin, Assistant Superintendent and Denise Van Campen, Business Manager
There were 2 community members present.
The Superintendent opened with a welcome .
The Superintendent provided the process for this budget hearing which is very different from the past due to the Covid-19 virus concerns. She will share the four items that the citizens will vote on at the June 8th referendum. She will then open the floor up for clarifying questions. The Superintendent shared that there would be no voting this evening as is typical in a budget meeting. The state of Maine provided specific guidance for this process this year.
Superintendent Beauvais provided an overview of the first budget question which covers articles 1-11 (Regular Instruction, Special Education, Career and Technical Education, Other Instruction, Student and Staff Support, System Administration, School Administration, Transportation and Buses, Facilities Maintenance, Debt Service, and Other Commitments and All Other Expenditures). There were no questions..
There were no other questions and the Superintendent moved on to Article 12.
Article 12 discusses Essential Programs and Services. 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 20A, section 15688.
Recommended amounts set forth below:
Total Appropriated Total Raised
(by municipality): (and District assessments by municipality):
Town of Berwick $15,623,960 Town of Berwick $6,073,143
Town of Lebanon $11,753,383 Town of Lebanon $4,797,397
Town of North Berwick $8,035,079 Town of North Berwick $4,555,135
Total Appropriated (sum of above) $35,412,422 Total Raised (sum of above) $15,430,675
State Mandated Explanation: 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 is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minimum amount that the District must raise and assess in order to receive the full amount of state dollars.
With no questions regarding EPS, the Superintendent moved on to Article 13 Other Local Tax Revenues for the 2021-2022 school budget. Article 13 recommends that the district raise an appropriate $6,155,440.00 in additional local funds beyond the EPS funding.
There were no questions regarding this Article.
The Superintendent moved on to Article 14 which is the total sum of the school budget: $43,631,658.
There were no questions regarding this total.
We then moved on to the Referendum questions on budget and related fiscal matters.
VOTER INFORMATION FOR Question 1
The Maine School Administrative District No. 60 school budget submitted in this Question 1 totals $43,631,658.00. It includes locally raised funds in the amount of $21,586,115.00 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 maximum state and local spending target by $6,155,440.00.
School Board Recommends a “Yes” Vote.
There were no questions regarding Question 1.
Question 2: District Nutrition Program: Shall the District be authorized to raise and appropriate $140,000.00 for the school nutrition program with authorization to expend any additional, incidental, or miscellaneous receipts in the interest and for the well-being of the school nutrition program?
School Board Recommends a “Yes” Vote.
There were no questions regarding the District Nutrition Program.
Question 3: District Adult Ed Program. Shall the District be authorized to appropriate $311,774.00 for adult education and raise $190,265.00 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?
School Board Recommends a “Yes” Vote.
There were no questions regarding The District Adult Ed. Program
The hearing ended at 6:53pm.