For the second year in a row, Edgecomb residents will vote separately on the school and municipal budgets. The school budget vote will be in-person on Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. in the school. This year's proposed budget is $4,539,384 which is a 9.16% spending increase. The proposal would also result in a 17.4% rise in the town's assessment. 

By state law, educational funding requires an in-person vote. The first article is electing a moderator. Article 2 asks what sum will the school committee authorize for regular instruction programs? The school committee recommends $2,456.311. Article 3 asks to see what sum residents will expend for special education? The school committee recommends $927,221.

The school committee recommends no funds for career and technical education. Article 5, the school committee recommends $4,000 for other instruction. Article 6, the committee recommends $118,959 for student and staff support. Article 7, the committee recommends $183,402 for system administration.

The committee recommends $221,886 for school administration. For Article 9, the committee recommends $187,317 for transportation and buses. Article 10, the committee recommends $371,480 for facilities and maintenance. Article 11, the committee recommends nothing for debt service and other commitments.

For all other expenditures, the committee recommends $68,808.

Articles 13-15 raise funds for the proposed school budget. Article 13 asks residents to see what sum they will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Funding Act? The committee recommends appropriating $2,363,258, and raising $1,873,763.

The committee recommends nothing for non-state-funded debt service. Article 15 will be a written ballot asking residents what sum the town will raise and appropriate in addition to local funds which exceed the state's EPS formula. The committee recommends $1,629,909 in additional local funds. Article 16 summarizes the proposed school budget. The committee recommends $4,539,384.

Articles 17-22 are for additional authorizations. Article 17 asks "shall the school committee be authorized to expend such other sums as may be received from federal or state grants or other sources which do not require the expenditure of other funds not previously appropriated? The committee recommends a "yes" vote. Article 18 would allow the committee to spend more state subsidy than previously expected in another cost center for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The committee recommends a "yes" vote.

Article 20 seeks approval for a capital reserve improvement account. The article seeks voter approval for appropriating up to $25,000 from the unassigned fund balance to be placed into the Capital Improvement Reserve account, and authorize the school committee to expend amounts from the reserve, as it deems appropriate, for the designated purposes during the fiscal year. The school committee recommends a "yes" vote.

Article 21 authorizes the school committee to appropriate up to $150,000 from the unassigned fund balance for placement into a student reserve account, and to expend amounts from the existing student expense reserve, as it deems appropriate, and upon receiving a majority approval vote from the Edgecomb Select Board, for its designated purposes during the fiscal year. The school committee recommends a "yes" vote.

Residents will have an opportunity to validate the school budget vote with a budget validation referendum during their May 16 municipal election from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the town hall.