By David Harry
Staff Writer

Scarborough officials say they will reduce spending even if other money becomes available to help close the school and municipal budget deficits.
Property valuations have created about $8 million more in revenue than the $30 million budgeted for municipal operations this year, said Town Manager Tom Hall.
Town Assessor Paul Lesperance said the increase in valuations translates to an unanticipated surplus of $97,200, which is now held in what is called an “overlay” account.
Hall said there is a potential municipal budget deficit of $350,000. Board of Education Chairman Brian Dell’Olio said the gap in the school budget is about $250,000.
Dell’Olio said the school department currently has about $500,000 in surplus funds. Both said they are wary of tapping into surpluses now because the money might be needed in upcoming budgets.
Municipal department heads were to receive specific dollar amounts to trim from their budgets Wednesday, after the Leader deadline, Hall said.
While town departments will be ordered to cut back, some students will be unable to play on school baseball, softball and lacrosse teams unless booster clubs can compensate for reduced school department funding.
The decision to eliminate funding for baseball, softball and lacrosse teams in the seventh and ninth grades is expected to save the district about $27,000. The biggest savings come from not paying stipends to team coaches, said Superintendent David Doyle.
Last week, Scarborough High School Athletic Director Gary Groves met with booster club representatives to outline how much it will cost to field teams in those sports.
Tom Griffin, a Scarborough Middle School health teacher and coach of the Scarborough High School softball team, said he is confident a seventh-grade team will play, but the freshman team is less likely to have a season.
“The hard part is that it affects kids directly,” Griffin said.
Boosters were to raise $3,000 for the seventh-grade team and $4,000 for the freshman or “first” team. Raising money for the seventh-grade team is achievable, Griffin said.
Softball boosters will use $1,000 on hand to help pay for the seventh-grade team. An annual booster fundraising basketball game between eighth- graders and faculty could generate as much as $1,000, although parents of seventh-graders will be asked to organize and run it instead of boosters, Griffin said.
Fielding a first team already had its challenges, because few other schools had teams playing at that level. Not having the first team will squeeze roster spots on junior varsity and varsity teams, Griffin said, but the effect will be more pronounced on baseball teams because some freshman baseball players have not developed well enough to play junior varsity.
Ken Strait, who said he has been involved with local boys lacrosse for about a decade, said it might cost as much as $7,000 for two lacrosse teams, and about $5,500 at a minimum.
“One way or another, kids will be able to play lacrosse,” Strait said. He estimated about 120 middle and high school boys play lacrosse. The money needs to be raised by the end of March.
Strait said the game can be expensive – a stick, helmet and gloves can cost about $200. Methods to raise the money are being discussed, Strait said, and it is likely to be a combination of parent support and fundraising events.
Although there is the chance club lacrosse teams not affiliated with schools could be developed for older players, Strait said having a gap in available teams would hurt the development of players.
Strait and Griffin said they understood athletics had to be part of the cuts made to balance the school budget.
“They have to be fiscally responsible, it is not unexpected,” Strait said.
Ultimately, Griffin said, parents will pay more to get their children on the field, whether by making donations or buying raffle tickets or candy at fundraisers.
Doyle said the department officials continue to look at other ways to save money, and the final deficit amount may not be known until the end of the fiscal year.
In preparation for next year, Doyle said he was asked by the Board of Education finance committee to compose one budget that contains no increase from this year’s $35.09 million budget and one showing a spending reduction of $1.5 million.
Hall said the town also faces a possible $350,000 deficit caused by reductions in state revenue sharing and a road maintenance fund called the Urban Rural Initiative Program.
Hall said the public works and legal expenses could go over budget.
Expenses incurred in the land swap on Pine Point between the town and Lighthouse Inn owners Peter and Nicholas Truman; for the work associated with the proposed new pier on Pine Point and for obtaining the parking lot near Higgins Beach have stretched the town legal budget, Hall said.
Weather plays a role in the public works budget, especially after the storm around New Year’s Day that kept snow plows running for extended periods of time, Hall said.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219