Wales-based school district board approves $23.37 million proposed budget
May 16—WALES — The Regional School Unit 4 board of directors held a public meeting Wednesday night at Oak Hill High School in the first part of a two-step process to approve the district's budget for the 2024-25 school year.
The total budget approved is $23.37 million, an increase of 8.4% from last year's approved budget. RSU 4 Superintendent Katy Grondin explained at the beginning of the public meeting that the increased budget is largely due to mandatory contractual salary and benefit increases that amount to $1.2 million of the total budget increase of $1.79 million.
The remaining increases come from special education, transportation and maintenance. Two categories (articles) in the budget come in under last year's budget — debt service and system administration, with one category coming in at no cost. It was revealed that long-term debt on Oak Hill Middle School will be paid off after one more payment in the 2025-26 school year.
There were a number of efforts by residents to reduce the total amount in several cost centers, which did not garner enough votes from the public in attendance, with one motion to amend the transportation budget quickly shut down. Several residents commented that the number one complaint in the school year was a lack of full bus service and that reducing the transportation budget is not the answer.
RSU 4, like many schools around the state, have had extreme difficulty recruiting and retaining bus drivers, leaving some bus runs without drivers temporarily at points in the school year, yet there were no cost savings because the district had to contract out some driver services and raise pay as an incentive.
Early in the meeting, several residents challenged the presence of an attorney and a sheriff at the meeting, questioning why they were being paid to be present and demanding to know if there had been any threats to board members or the school system in general.
School Board Chair Jill Bouchard said there had not been any specific threats, but that after last year's meeting there was "heated discussion" in the parking lot and that the board chose to be proactive to avoid any confrontation over the budget.
Bouchard also explained that the attorney was there to explain the budget process to the public, following numerous complaints last year that people did not understand how the budget process works under Maine law.
Full details of the budget and specific expenditures can be found on the RSU 4 website at rsu4.org, where there is also an interactive question and answer section.
The referendum on the budget will be held June 11 at the following locations and times:
Litchfield Sportsmen's Club at 2261 Hallowell Road from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sabattus Town Office at 190 Middle Road from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wales Town Office at 175 Centre Road from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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