School Committee Chairman Tom Abello told approximately 20 Edgecomb residents March 28, the proposed 2018-19 budget shows a 6.7 percent increase. The committee is recommending a $2,869,172 budget for FY 19. The proposal would increase spending by $180,235.

School officials explained the proposed budget during a PowerPoint presentation at Edgecomb Eddy School.

Abello explained the proposed budget’s “bottom line.”

“If you look at the bottom right hand corner you see a 2.53 percent increase. That represents a $61,334 increase in the town assessment. This is a pretty modest increase considering all the changes we’ve had in the past year,” he said.

Abello turned the presentation over to Edgecomb Eddy Principal Ira Michaud who recapped the three-person committee’s recommendation for next year’s pre-kindergarten through grade 12 budget. Regular instruction and special education account for the two largest spending increases. Regular instruction is slated for an 11 percent increase ($155,572) to $1,566,523.  Special education has a proposed 9 percent hike ($46,512) to $504,786. 

Regular instruction and special education increases total $202,084. Michaud explained how the pre-kindergarten through grade six spending impacts the overall budget. The committee recommends a $39,208 increase for pre-kindergarten. The increase calls for moving an educational technician’s pay and benefits from special education into the pre-kindergarten classroom. Supplies and textbooks cost $1,610. The remaining increase is for higher employee pay and benefits.

For K-grade 2, there is $30,044 from staff movement from within the school and a change in a health insurance plan. In grades 3-6, the proposed increase is $76,298. The majority of the increase results from hiring a new teacher. The full-time teacher costs $73,193. The hiring of a part-time ed tech is also recommended at a $4,147 cost. The committee also wants to purchase textbooks and supplies costing $1,905.

Other proposed budget increases include $10,022 for elementary and high school students. School officials anticipate a decrease in elementary school and increase in high school tuition. Projected tuition figures are 72 students for a $829,364 cost. There are an anticipated 26 tuition students in grades 7 and 8 costing $298,985. There are an estimated 46 high school schools with a $530,379 projected cost.

Other added major budget changes include purchasing a new bus costing approximately $18,000 for five years. But the increased spending is offset by increased school revenues. Additional tuition derived mostly from the newly instituted pre-kindergartern program last fall resulted in more than $66,000 in additional revenue. The committee is also receiving $48,468 in related services revenue from the state. The town didn’t receive these funds for special education and other state-mandated programs this year.

Additional savings result from the town’s debt service loan on the school. The town is saving over  $91,000 in interest for four years. Additional budget savings result from its share of AOS (alternative organizational structure) administrative costs.  AOS 98 lost a superintendent and assistant superintendent in the past year. The reduced cost saved Edgecomb $16,807. The town also concluded payments on a tractor, saving another $4,000, according to Michaud.

Budget Committee Chairman Jack Brennan thought school officials presented an acceptable budget to taxpayers. “The school building’s bond service debt reduction saves us $91,300 which clearly offsets the cost of a new $80,000 school bus. So it’s a wash, and a good job all around,” he said.

Selectmen will review the school and  municipal budget committees’ recommendations at 7 p.m. Monday, April 2 in the municipal building. The school committee will also meet April 2, at 5:30 p.m. at the school.