Staff Writer

The months-long school budget process is closer to its finish with a proposed $34.98 million school budget that could be part of a 3.9 percent property tax increase in 2011.

The budget recommendation Tuesday by town councilors Judith Roy and Karen D’Andrea, members of the council finance committee, is not a final approval – that will come after an April 28 public hearing, May 5 Town Council meeting and May 11 referendum.

The councilors did not suggest any spending changes, and praised Board of Education members for hard work in the face of declining state aid.

The revised budget is about $215,000 less than the current $35.19 million budget, but increased from a $34.41 million budget submitted Feb. 25 by the Board of Education finance committee of Robert Mitchell, Colleen Staszko and Christopher Brownsey.

If the budget is approved, the property tax share of the budget will increase $1.3 million to $28 million for fiscal year 2011. This year’s local tax share is  $26.71 million.

The combination of school and municipal budgets, Cumberland County assessment, capital improvements and debt service would result in town spending of $68.6 million for fiscal year 2011 and a 3.9 percent property tax increase. The increase amounts to 48 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Taxes would increase $144 for a home assessed at $300,000.

Revisions to the initial budget began almost as it was printed when the Maine Department of Education added more than $668,000 in aid for next year.

The increase means local schools will receive $5.68 million in state aid for fiscal year 2011. The schools were to receive $7 million for this school year, but $1.13 million was cut in efforts to balance the state budget.

About $106,000 of the state aid will pay for additional high school staff to help implement and support use of laptop computers for each student.

The laptop program initially will be funded with $669,000 included in the $1.15 million capital improvements portion of the budget, which was reduced from $1.59 million in fiscal year 2010.

The board last week board shifted $153,000 in savings on debt service obligations to the operating budget, which will restore a foreign language teaching position to Wentworth Intermediate School, a health teaching position to Scarborough Middle School and allow three educational technicians at the elementary schools to continue working full time.

Budget revisions mean 30 positions will be eliminated instead of the 43 initially anticipated.

Tom Griffin, one of two health teachers at the school, thanked the board for its decision.

“This is something that has been difficult to deal with over the last month,” he said of potential cuts to the health program.

How to restructure a program featuring community service, nutrition, substance abuse and sex education courses would likely have needed administrative and community input, Griffin said.

Board member John Cole praised the decision to restore the health teacher position, and noted the program can reach children in ways parents find difficult.

The board also approved shifting $100,00 of surplus funds and $300,000 from a teacher accrual fund to the proposed operating budget.

Mitchell explained the teacher accrual fund, which has a current balance of $2.6 million, can be used to pay departing teachers who have completed their contractual obligations for the fiscal year although their contracts do not expire for another two months.

He said the fund has been built up over about the last five years and estimated about $140,000 may be needed to pay for teachers whose positions are slated for elimination. The $300,000 borrowed for revenue this year will be repaid by 2013.

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