SALEM –- Last week the MSAD #58 school board directors worked for nearly seven hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights to finalize a $9,697,728 budget. The budget is down nearly $460,000 from last year, but a reduction in state subsidy, which includes a $133,000 penalty for not consolidating, wipes out any savings to taxpayers. In fact, all of the district towns with the exception of Eustis will see an increase.

Eustis has reached a cap where rising valuation and a decline in the number of students will continue to lower its local allocation. Eustis taxpayers will raise approximately $100,000 less next year, while Avon will see a $20,000 increase. Kingfield taxpayers will need to raise over $700,000 which is nearly an $80,000 increase from last year. Phillips will need to raise nearly $120,000 more next year and Strong will go from $394,000 to over $530,000.

Directors agreed to bring $380,000 from surplus to lessen the burden on taxpayers.

Members could not come to a conclusion on elementary administration last week. The budget calls for Kingfield principal Marco Aliberti to share his duties with the Stratton school and Felecia Pease to become halftime in both the Strong and Phillips schools.

Director Alan Morse led a campaign to have four teacher principals in each of the schools. Morse said this would free up two full time equivalents (FTE), and keep an administrator in a building at all times.

Superintendent Quenten Clark noted that if they promoted a teacher in Phillips and Stratton, those teachers would lose seniority as teachers, and may be the first ones to be eliminated if there’s a school realignment or elementary school closure in the future.

On Thursday directors tried to take a hard look at the financials of the two plans. In the end they tabled the discussion for the future.

Morse made a motion to continue with three FTE district nurses. A halftime position was proposed to be cut from the budget with a savings of $19,056. In a 6-3 vote Morse’s motion passed with Jane Thorndike, Sara Woods and Mike Pond voting in opposition according to an unofficial tally.

Clark’s budget proposed to cut the equivalent of a full-time teacher’s position at Mt. Abram High School. Pond amended a motion to include cutting the equivalent of two fulltime positions at the high school. In an 8-1 vote, Pond’s amendment passed with Morse as the only one opposing the cuts.

Morse also motioned to restore an elementary art position that had been previously cut from the budget. Members discussed reducing that position to halftime and using the halftime services of an MTA art instructor for elementary instruction. That idea was dismissed when the board heard the high numbers of high school kids signed up for art next year.

Morse’s motion succeeded in keeping the elementary art position; Pond and Thorndike voted in opposition.

Board members voted unanimously to combine Stratton’s third and fourth grade classes and fifth and sixth grade classes.

Members also unanimously voted to eliminate 12 elementary coaches’ positions. Clark originally proposed such cuts suggesting that schools could have unisex teams. Morse said he supports such a financial cut and suggested that the school principals, the athletic director and a possible board subcommittee could work on the best solutions with the remaining funds.

Pond made a late night attempt to keep the elementary sports programs intact by suggesting that they establish a pay-to-play policy for elementary athletes. The money raised from the individual payments could be used to support the sports programs as we know them today, Pond said.

“Some may come out to vote down this budget for this reason,” Pond explained mentioning that in all of the budget talks this decision was a hot button.

Members were not interested in suggesting that plan, stating that the concept may be offered as a suggestion from a subcommittee and eventually implemented.

That pay-to-play concept did get approved for high school varsity athletes. The board suggested a $35 fee per person, per sport. The money raised would pay for junior varsity sports programs which were cut from the budget. In terms of some families not being able to afford such costs, Clark said, “you’ll have to trust your citizens and businesses in the communities (for support).”

Director Ann Schwink made an attempt to restore the athletic trainer’s position by suggesting they return $6,000 to the budget. Schwink, Kim Jordan and Sue Fotter voted in favor of this action, but were defeated by a 6-3 vote.

Members also cut all uniforms from the budget suggesting that entities like booster clubs and PTAs could help with these costs.

Members agreed to purchase two busses next year. Busses are reimbursable by the state the following year. Clark noted that a bus costs the district as much as an average car costs a family.

Good news came from the school’s maintenance department when it announced that the board does not have to make a decision on replacing a $3,800 door at Mt. Abram. Members said the door was repaired to their satisfaction. Various other maintenance projects were discussed Thursday night.

Members agreed with Clark’s suggestion to cut the school instruction lines by 50 percent.

Directors also agree to stop paying for students Advanced Placement Tests. In the past, the district paid $78 per test for individual students and now the student or families will have to incur the cost on their own. This will save the district nearly $4,000 per year.

With the Director of Technology coming back to the district full-time, members agreed to cut a technology integration position and have her work as an FTE elementary teacher.

Members also agreed to fund a small percentage of costs for a grant they received to replace the oil boiler at the Phillips school. The grant is for a wood pellet boiler —the fifth such installation in the district.

Members also agreed to spend $28,000 on an engineering study to assess the condition of the high school. The board needs this study to assist in the decision making process of what to do with the facility down the road.

Voters will vote on the budget on May 25 at 6 p.m. at Mt. Abram High School.

Directors agreed to “close” the questions for the voters. This means that citizens can vote in favor or against an article and they can lessen the costs of line items, but not increase the value of a line or restore programs or services. Voters will then validate their decision on June 8 in each of the five towns.

Editor’s note: Those wishing to make their opinions public regarding these issues, have until Friday, May 21 to get their letters and/or commentaries into the Irregular’s office. The last issue we will publish a letter or commentary focusing on the upcoming vote is the May 26 issue. The same holds true for pieces concerning the upcoming town meetings on June 5.