Community members banded together March 24 for music education during a Community School District (CSD) School Committee and trustee budget workshop. This comes after the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27 removed the band teacher job, in favor of a stipend for after-school music instruction.  

Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler clarified that the change was a proposed reduction and has not been finalized.  

Previously, the job was full-time and shared within the CSD. It was advertised as part-time this past school year, but was not filled. Music teacher Mary Miller took over band class and pep band at the high school level. There was a general music class that all grades took at Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES), but no band for fourth through eighth grade.  

“I find it very unfortunate (that) children who began playing in fourth grade were left without a path to their passion and growth. My daughter has been playing flute for her whole life, and there is nothing for her to participate in,” said Emily Higgins. She added, a decrease in the breadth of education available will not help declining enrollment.  

Higgins and other community members shared other benefits of retaining band, including statistics on how high levels of instrumental learning improve overall academic performance and help lead to college admission, increase equity for students who don’t have access to instruments otherwise, and bolster communities through local performances and pep rallies.  

“If you want a firsthand experience of the value of instilling music foundation in students and how important those music foundations are, I urge you to come to the Opera House (at Boothbay Harbor) on May 2, when my daughter will be performing,” said Jill Tupper. Her daughter, Lara Tupper, graduated from Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) in 1991.  

Several school committee members and trustees shared similar sentiments. The final budget vote will be April 28 at 6 p.m. in the BRES gym.

Other notable items in the proposed $12,174,138 budget included removing an intervention teacher at the elementary school and dissolving an administrative assistant job. Kahler explained, the CSD will trial-run sharing the admin position between the schools, and absorbing responsibilities into other jobs.

The proposed FY27 debt service is $644,774, a $264,774 increase (69.7%). In a post-meeting interview, Kahler said the increase was mostly due to the CSD’s $1.6 million repair bond and an anticipated $2.5 million Bond Anticipation Note (BAN). As reported in the Register, the BAN acts as an advance on the $30 million loan for repairs at BRES. This money will be used to pay off previous design and engineering work, and allow new designs, permitting and documenting to progress.   

In other business, Boothbay-Wiscasset Regional Adult Education (BWRAE) Director Raye Leonard presented two proposed budgets, one with a start-up for driver’s education and one without. In a post-meeting interview, Leonard said she was given the go-ahead to work with the driver’s ed budget.  

The proposed budget FY27 is $167,770, and Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor's contribution would be $51,404, which is a 46.3% increase from last year. The anticipated cost of the driver’s ed start-up is $45,478. However, this number could decrease if a car were donated. Wiscasset will not be contributing to the start-up but may allot funds to the program in the future.  

As reported in the Register, the purpose of starting a local program is to increase access, as parents currently must take their children to Rockland for instruction. Leonard said the program would also be a great revenue generator, bringing in about $19,500 annually, and would sustain itself and provide funds to other BWRAE offerings. 

Part of this money will come from seasonal residents who can enroll in a summertime course, she said. Due to limited class space, committee members and trustees stressed that priority should be given to local students.