Voters approved the $9,048,572.17 Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District (CSD) budget June 10. About 60 individuals were present, but not all voted on every article. Some abstained from voting altogether.

Of the total budget amount approved, $7,661,424.17 represents the assessment to the towns of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor. The remaining $1,387,148 represents the CSD's revenue from state subsidy, tuition (regional and international) and a general fund balance of $350,000.

Very few questions were raised during the 45-minute AOS 98/CSD annual budget meeting at Boothbay Region Elementary School.

“No one comes anymore and it's a lot of money,” Maggie Griffin of Adult Education said after the meeting. “One year when I was on the school board someone stood up and made us decrease the (proposed) budget by 10 percent, and that wasn't fun.

“But, people came. Now, no one does, not even to town meetings. It's sad,” Griffin said.

Boothbay Town Manager Jim Chaousis, one of the few community members not associated with the schools in attendance, asked about Article 11's sum of $198,000, up from $80,000 (the school nutrition budget amount) for the current school year.

AOS 98 Superintendent of Schools Eileen King explained the increase of $118,000 was the additional amount the towns would have to raise if Governor Paul LePage's proposed biennial budget is passed.

The governor is recommending teacher retirement costs, traditionally paid by the state, be raised by the towns. Because a decision has yet to be made in Augusta, King said. “It would be a gamble not to include the $118,000 in the budget.”

“If the budget the legislature is discussing now about raising sales tax to 5.5 percent and meal and lodging tax to 7 or 8 percent, it will generate $178 million and would take care of the $118,000,” King said. “This money will not be spent unless it is required to be spent.”

Chaousis also questioned a $77,926 increase to system administration costs, making the total $312,397.99.

King explained that the CSD had funded a curriculum coordinator position, held by Mary Patrick who announced her retirement at the end of this school year. However, Patrick had also been serving Southport, Edgecomb and Georgetown schools.

The AOS 98 board voted to move the curriculum coordinator position into the AOS 98 budget so all member towns would contribute funding the position based on the cost share formula.

Patrick's position is being merged with technology into a Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology position.

King also said that a decrease appeared in the school administration article.

Shawn Carlson has been the District Technology Coordinator for several years. Although no announcement was made at the annual meeting, once the school committee meets on June 12, Carlson will most likely be the superintendent's recommended candidate.

AOS 98 budget vote

The AOS 98 (Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, Edgecomb and Georgetown) budgets for special education ($148,867) and superintendent's office ($439,589) were approved without opposition. These funds are not additional to each town's budget.

The rates are based on prorated by student population and then the rates raised in each town budget. The town's cost breakdown is as follows: CSD represents 63 percent of these budgets,  Edgecomb 17 percent,  Georgetown 14 percent and Southport 6 percent.