The Edgecomb School Committee proposed a $4,158,653 budget to selectmen and budget committee members on Feb. 26. The school committee unanimously approved their budget proposal during their Feb. 25 meeting. The proposal represents an 11.4% increase in overall spending. The town assessment would increase by $84,751 or 2.7%.

The school committee reported on proposed spending changes since their last meeting in January. Chairman Heather Sinclair told audience members teachers' pay and benefits would likely rise in the proposal due to this being a contract negotiation year. The committee is also proposing spending $5,000 for a new storage shed. The shed would store items currently in the gymnasium, bathroom and locker room. 

There is no money proposed for paving the school parking lot. Committee members wanted to delay the project in hopes of town officials finding a more economical fix.

The committee also eliminated $30,000 toward purchasing a new school bus. One of the two buses had been out of commission. Local mechanics spent weeks trying to repair it without success. The bus was sent to Kittery where specialized mechanics apparently repaired it. The bus returned Feb. 25 transporting students and Principal Tom Landberg reported no problems.

On the revenue side, school officials anticipate an increase in state subsidy from $425,589 to $468,099. Chairman Heather Sinclair reported a lot of revenue figures won't be known until the next school year. 

In other action, Superintendent Bob Kahler shared a Feb. 23 letter he wrote to staff and parents about the political fallout from the Gov. Mills and President Trump disagreement over the state's transgender policy. In the letter, Kahler asked the public for patience. "We are not going to be distracted by this," he said. "We will monitor the situation and remain focused on the kids, not the politics. We have enough to do at this point." Kahler told the committee the controversy would potentially impact a loss of federal funds and not impact the FY26 school budget.  

Special Education Director Julie Hansbury reported AOS 98 schools are in the midst of state monitoring. She added every three years the Maine Department of Education reviews special education programs. Hansbury and special education teacher Amanda Cushing have recently completed program self-evaluations in preparation for the state visit. "We completed self-assessments with regards to our special education practices, procedures and paperwork over the past year. I will complete final self-assessments for Edgecomb students attending middle and high school," she said. 

The DOE monitoring team will conduct an on-site visit in April. The state will create an "action plan" which Hansbury will use for staff professional development of practices and procedures. "Participating in those self-assessments is amazing professional development in itself because the staff learns through the process," she said.

The monitoring team will provide a preliminary response a week after the visit, said Hansbury. AOS 98 will receive an action report in June. "We will have to demonstrate corrections to any items on the action plan.  As we move through future IEPs (individualized education plans) we must make corrections on things not in compliance," she said. 

The next school committee meeting is at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 at the Edgecomb Eddy School.