The Community School District school board on March 6 had its second workshop to discuss the draft 2025 fiscal year budget. The meeting focused on Boothbay Region High School (BRHS), including special education. The board plans to vote later.

Principal Tricia Campbell presented the proposed high school budget, minus staff salaries and benefits. The $208,000 proposed budget is down $3,500 from 2023-2024. The board did not focus on salaries and benefits because they are contractual, according to thr Alternative Organizational Structure 98 superintendent. 

“I would compliment our staff in their review and proposal for the budget,” Campbell said. “They do phenomenal things with the resources they have, and they presented a very reasonable and responsible and conservative budget ...”

Campbell presented only one increase, $24,000 for staff tuition and professional development, a $9,000 (60%) jump from the 2023-2024 fiscal year. She said the school system is contractually obligated to have funds available for each teacher to take up to three courses.

Campbell said budgets for regular education, extracurricular activities, guidance, the library and the principal’s office went down by 0.2-12%. She said this came from cuts to expenses such as new textbooks and curriculum programming. She also talked about applying for grants to pay for equipment instead of including it in the budget.

Special Services Director Chris Baribeau presented an $817,500 proposed BRHS special education budget, a $125,000 (18%) increase from last year. However, he added there will be reductions on the elementary school special education budget that will provide some offset. He said the increases were due to a greater need for student attention, more incoming students, anticipated annual increases in salary and benefits, professional development and transportation. The largest increase was for moving a speech therapist from contracted position to salaried. He said, aside from the increased cost of health insurance and benefits, the cost for a salaried job is about the same. He said independent contractors cost more in some cases. 

“Any service provider, to the extent possible, when they can be in house, there is much greater continuity to consult and be in person. There is more value in having them in house.” Baribeau said. “We would prefer, in all these positions, to have all of these positions on a teacher salary or in the building as opposed to providing these services remotely or on an independent contract.”

The board reviewed the BRHS technology department’s proposed $145,000 budget from Director of Technology Abby Manahan. Of that, $68,500 is estimated for upgrading the school’s network. According to Manahan, the network has been under increased demand since the school bought new equipment during the COVID pandemic.

“We significantly increased the demand on the network and we have suffered for it,” Manahan said. She explained the network is stable after recent efforts, but will need to be upgraded to keep up.

The board was receptive but considered delaying the cost by putting a portion into reserve to fund the project later.

The complete CSD draft budget shows around $11 million in total assessment across the entire district and two towns, an almost $1.7 million (18%) increase from the 2024 fiscal year. Jan. 23, the board reviewed operations and maintenance budgets. The next budget workshop is scheduled for March 26 to discuss Boothbay Region Elementary School.