Negotiations on teacher and administrative salaries are in progress for the 2014-2015 school year for Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES) and Boothbay Region High School (BRHS); however, the bulk of the proposed budgets for the schools and health were presented to the CSD school committee on January 8.

In addition to salaries, which are currently being negotiated, actual health insurance figures remain unknown. AOS 98 Superintendent Eileen King said this school year's budget reflects a 13 percent health insurance increase. King expects a 10 percent increase for 2014-2015, but that could change.

Due to Gov. Paul LePage's legislation, 2.65 percent of teacher retirement costs will be shouldered by AOS 98 taxpayers, and those in districts across the state.

“Currently the teachers, ed techs and administrators contribute 7.65 percent of their salary toward their retirement,” King wrote in a recent email to the Boothbay Register.

The amount that must be slated for teacher retirement by the CSD is $29,738.

On a positive note, the unexpected $90,000 in subsidy, approved by the state after the CSD budget's adoption in late June 2013, was not used. King said it will be added to the 2014-2015 budget to lower the assessment to the towns.

She added that the CSD was on track in getting its anticipated revenue including tuition.

Boothbay Region Elementary School

Minimal increases were requested by educators in both schools. Boothbay Region Elementary School Principal Mark Tess presented the budget for his office, grades pre-K through 8, BRES librarian/library, and for student body activities. The combined increase for these budgets is $68,187. Under equipment new/replacement, one new stove for the home arts and science classroom, new tables for the art room (Tess said the current ones are at least 25 years old), $9,610 has been budgeted, reflecting an increase of $3,835 over this year's budget.

The BRES health budget is up $10,147 due to a change in an employee's health insurance coverage, and for purchase of a meds lock box and iPad (to be compatible with other agencies around the state).

Boothbay Region High School

At BRHS, budget needs increased $81,290 for 2014-2015. New textbooks are part of the budget for the high school as well, particularly for algebra II and precalculus, which tie in with Common Core. New equipment requested includes a welding fume ventilator (STEM), power pack basic supply, science lab materials (in part reflecting the increased number of students taking science-related subjects), art materials and graphing calculators.

Principal Dan Welch and King forewarned of an expected significant increase for 2015 of $10,000 in preparation of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation visitation in 2016. The process recurs every 10 years.

Welch briefly discussed the state's new efficiency-based diploma model for grades 7-12. By 2018, getting a diploma will be based on proficiency in certain standards, not merely on earning the required, or better, number of credits.

“It's exciting I think; it’s the right thing to do — and a huge shift,” Welch said. “We will be talking more about this later and do a presentation. Shawn (Carlson) and I had meetings with the middle school and high school teachers today.”

King announced Welch's election as Maine's representative in Dallas as the state's contact/coordinator at the National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference.

Next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. in the BRHS library. Tentatively scheduled: first draft budget for special education. AOS 98 related websites have gotten a facelift: AOS 98 website; AOS 98 Facebook Page; AOS 98 Central Office Blog; and the AOS 98 Technology Planning Wiki.