SAD 17 budget passed; final vote Tuesday

June 06--PARIS -- A move to add a half million dollars to the $37.65 million school budget was rejected by SAD 17 voters at Thursday night's hearing at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

The amendment, offered by a man who declined to identify himself, asked voters to increase the recommended $3.8 million for facilities maintenance to $4.3 million. The amendment was defeated by the majority of the 50 or so voters from the eight district towns.

Despite some resistance from a handful of voters, the majority passed the budget for 2014-15. It will go to voters at polling stations in Norway, Paris, Oxford, Otisfield, Harrison, Waterford, Hebron and West Paris on Tuesday, June 10, to be validated.

The budget, which is 4.27 percent more than this fiscal year, requires an average 3.99 percent increase in local assessments. The assessment increases for the towns range from a low of 2.77 percent for Norway to a high of 5.99 percent for Oxford.

Voters acted on the 17-article warrant following 45 minutes of questions concerning maintenance deferrals, pension plans costs and leasing the middle school building on Madison Avenue in Oxford.

Superintendent Rick Colpitts said the budget includes $225,000 for four more teachers to reduce elementary class sizes to 25 students or fewer, $45,000 for a middle and high school technology teacher, and $25,000 for a preschool teacher at the Hebron Station School. The latter is considered a money-maker because the state reimburses the half-time students as if they were full-time, Colpitts said.

The additional teachers will also help implement a $326,908 second-year payment for additional technology at middle schools in Paris and Oxford, and Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris, he said.

The budget also includes almost $1 million to pay the district's share for teacher retirement plans and staff health insurance increases.

Much of the questioning came from the unidentified male voter who asked why the school board would defer maintenance needs.

Colpitts and several board members, including Don Gouin of Norway and Chairman Ron Kugell of Oxford, said a plan is in place to address issues such as new roofs and other maintenance projects. However, until several outstanding bonds are paid in the next two or three years, the projects will be deferred.

Calling the unidentified voter who proposed adding $500,000 to the budget "rather audacious," SAD 17 director Barry Patrie of Waterford said the man made "no effort to really find out what is going on."

Patrie said if the voter had attended the public budget hearings in April and school board meetings to express his opinion, he would have been aware of the many hours officials took in determining where the money would be spent.

"Under no condition," he said, "would anyone allow a dangerous situation to exist within school property."

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