Staff Writer

The Scarborough Town Council voted 5-2 in favor of finalizing the 2009-2010 fiscal year school budget of more than $35 million during its Wednesday meeting.

Town Manager Thomas Hall said the final total for the school budget is $35,094,217, a reduction of $51,000 from the Scarborough School Board’s final total proposal of $35,145,904.

Councilors Shawn Babine and Richard Sullivan were the two votes opposed to the passing of the budget.

With the school board budget decision, the council also unanimously passed the town budget, which is more than $71 million. Councilors said the amount would keep the town’s mil rate the same, meaning taxes would not be raised in the upcoming year.

The proposed school budget presented by the town finance committee would have been $34,338,663, an $807,000 decrease from the Scarborough School Board’s final proposed budget.

School Board Chairman Brian Dell’Olio announced during the meeting the teacher’s union agreed to a zero percent cost of living increase, and said he was proud of them for their decision. 

Councilors thanked teachers for their decision for zero percent increase on cost of living, and said they were happy with the final proposed budget.

“At the end of the day, everyone is happy,” Councilor Ron Ahlquist said. “[School board member] Jackie Perry and I are still talking, barely.”

Even though he said he thought the school board did not produce a responsible budget, Babine said he voted in favor for the entire budget, because of the end result of a zero percent tax increase for the town.

The school board’s original proposed budget included a 3.5 percent, a more than $1 million increase from this year’s $35 million budget. After learning what they would receive in state general purpose aid, along with no increases in the school Anthem insurance rates, the school board changed its proposal to more than $35 million, a $412,000 increase from this year’s budget. The proposal also reduced the original asking price in the tax levy request from more than $2 million, an 8.6 percent increase, to $92,000, a 0.34 percent increase.

In his proposal to the town council, Hall reduced the $92,000 tax levy price to make the proposed budget flat funded from raises in taxes from residents. The town finance committee, which includes Babine, Ahlquist and Sullivan countered with a proposed $715,000 reduction on top of Hall’s proposed $92,000, for a total of $807,000 removed from the school’s budget.

The school board responded in an April 27 special meeting with proposed reductions to its budget in case the town finance committee’s budget was passed which totaled $862,000.

Among the possible changes in the budget was reducing the equivalent of 10 positions, the elimination of the foreign language program at the sixth grade level and at Wentworth Intermediate School. It also included keeping the current activity fee, also known as the “pay to play” fee, which was proposed for removal from the school board’s final budget to the town council.

Ahlquist said last week he didn’t understand the idea of possibly cutting 10 positions, but still keeping a position open for a technology teacher, which was still proposed under the possible reductions.

Babine said he believes the meeting was to scare the public.

“For them to do [the special meeting] is nothing more than political gamesmanship,” Babine said. “I think the superintendent should be fired for proposing this.”

Parents voiced their displeasure of the school budget reductions during an April 29 public hearing in front of the town council. 

“I appreciate a zero percent tax increase just like the next person,” said Scarborough resident Will Ledley. “But obviously we have to make concessions.”

Resident Mary Griffin applauded the school board for their work, saying it was a “Herculean effort,” to put the school budget together. She said the school board has no leverage with the town council unless parents stand up for them. Griffin said the council should find different ways to save money.

“Sell a fire truck,” Griffin said. “But don’t be the council for our students that offers less than what is necessary.”

The school budget validation vote is scheduled for May 12 at the high school conference center. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Absentee ballots are currently available in the town clerk’s office at town hall.

Staff writer Dave Dyer can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 219