BATH — The Regional School Unit 1 Board of Directors on Monday unanimously adopted a $33.7 million budget for fiscal year 2020.
The spending plan now goes to two votes by the public.
RSU 1 residents – who had no comments on the issue either at this week’s meeting, or in two budget public hearings in March and April – will vote first at a district budget meeting May 28, 6 p.m. at Bath Middle School, then in a June 11 budget validation referendum.
The bulk of the proposed $3.6 million, or 12%, increase comes from $3.4 million in debt service toward the construction of a new Morse High School. Without that expense, the budget would be $31.4 million, an increase of $1.3 million (4.42%).
Offsetting expenditures is $13.1 million in state subsidy, which includes $2.3 million toward debt service. With all revenues subtracted, the remaining $18.6 million will be assessed to the RSU 1 communities – a 2% increase.
Of that amount, Bath would be taxed $10.7 million (up 2.54%), Arrowsic $493,000 (down 10.3%), Phippsburg nearly $3 million (down 0.03%), and Woolwich $4.4 million (up 3.7%).
The school budget impact on a $100,000 home could cause annual increases of $15.64 in Bath and $25.71 in Woolwich, and decreases of $69.26 in Arrowsic and 77 cents in Phippsburg.
Other approximate budget increases include literacy materials for the reading curriculum in kindergarten to grade 5 ($160,000), two additional days a week for an English as a Second Language teacher ($41,000), one day per week of an outdoor classroom at Phippsburg Elementary School ($15,000), enhancement of Morse’s music program ($15,000), two new educational technicians ($45,000 each), and additional funding for substitute teachers ($20,000).
Alex Lear can be reached at 780-9085 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.
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