School Board begins budget review process
School Board begins budget review process
Initial proposal asks for 6.81 percent increase
By Lucas Knowles
Editor
The Scarborough School Board had its first look as a whole at the proposed school budget for the next fiscal year, which calls for a 6.81 percent total increase, this week.
At Thursday’s meeting, the School Board had its first reading on the budget proposal, which was compiled by school administrators and the School Board’s Finance Committee.
The total school budget that is being proposed is $28.9 million.
The budget proposal calls for the following new positions: a part-time Spanish teacher, part-time music teacher and a part-time video production teacher at Scarborough High School, a full-time teacher at Scarborough Middle School, a part-time mathematics support position, a full-time literacy teacher and a part-time guidance counselor at Wentworth Intermediate School, a full-time guidance counselor who will be split between Eight Corners School, Blue Point School and Pleasant Hill School, a part-time mathematics support position for the primary schools, a part-time speech/language therapist, a part-time gifted and talented teacher at Scarborough High School and a full-time assistant transportation supervisor.
Superintendent David Doyle said the positions are based on enrollment. He said the video production position at the high school was a grant-funded position but is now being included in the operating budget and the full-time teaching position at the middle school is being proposed because of the “large fifth grade” that will be going into the middle school next year.
Doyle said the budget proposal was constructed with the goals the School Board recently decided on in mind. He said those goals focused mainly on student achievement and specifically called for initiatives such as promoting academic support.
One cost that has not been finalized yet, according to Doyle, is the cost of health care for school employees. He said health care is usually budgeted for a 15 percent increase, but the final increase will not be known for another month or so.
Christopher Brownsey, the chairman of the School Board’s Finance Committee, said the main difference between this year’s budget process and the process of previous years was the focus on the School Board’s goals. He said he expects questions from members of the School Board and is looking forward to discussing the proposed budget.
Doyle said an issue that is “lurking” is how to go forward with improvements to Wentworth Intermediate School and Scarborough Middle School. Renovation/expansion projects for both schools were defeated at the polls in November. Doyle said the School Board will have to debate how much will need to be invested to maintain those buildings and other school buildings and how far ahead planning should be done for those improvements.
The next reading of the school budget will be done by the School Board in March.
Initial proposal asks for 6.81 percent increase
By Lucas Knowles
Editor
The Scarborough School Board had its first look as a whole at the proposed school budget for the next fiscal year, which calls for a 6.81 percent total increase, this week.
At Thursday’s meeting, the School Board had its first reading on the budget proposal, which was compiled by school administrators and the School Board’s Finance Committee.
The total school budget that is being proposed is $28.9 million.
The budget proposal calls for the following new positions: a part-time Spanish teacher, part-time music teacher and a part-time video production teacher at Scarborough High School, a full-time teacher at Scarborough Middle School, a part-time mathematics support position, a full-time literacy teacher and a part-time guidance counselor at Wentworth Intermediate School, a full-time guidance counselor who will be split between Eight Corners School, Blue Point School and Pleasant Hill School, a part-time mathematics support position for the primary schools, a part-time speech/language therapist, a part-time gifted and talented teacher at Scarborough High School and a full-time assistant transportation supervisor.
Superintendent David Doyle said the positions are based on enrollment. He said the video production position at the high school was a grant-funded position but is now being included in the operating budget and the full-time teaching position at the middle school is being proposed because of the “large fifth grade” that will be going into the middle school next year.
Doyle said the budget proposal was constructed with the goals the School Board recently decided on in mind. He said those goals focused mainly on student achievement and specifically called for initiatives such as promoting academic support.
One cost that has not been finalized yet, according to Doyle, is the cost of health care for school employees. He said health care is usually budgeted for a 15 percent increase, but the final increase will not be known for another month or so.
Christopher Brownsey, the chairman of the School Board’s Finance Committee, said the main difference between this year’s budget process and the process of previous years was the focus on the School Board’s goals. He said he expects questions from members of the School Board and is looking forward to discussing the proposed budget.
Doyle said an issue that is “lurking” is how to go forward with improvements to Wentworth Intermediate School and Scarborough Middle School. Renovation/expansion projects for both schools were defeated at the polls in November. Doyle said the School Board will have to debate how much will need to be invested to maintain those buildings and other school buildings and how far ahead planning should be done for those improvements.
The next reading of the school budget will be done by the School Board in March.
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