The Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District School Board and Board of Trustees on April 25 discussed a proposed $9,545,891 budget for Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor schools in 2024. The meeting was the first time ever the groups have met together to discuss a preliminary budget.

Each group will meet separately going forward to discuss on its own figures and present an updated version. The budget will go to public vote after the groups approve their portions.

“There was no resolution, but I didn’t expect a resolution at one meeting,” said Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Robert Kahler. “Although the budget has been out there for a while, the (Boothbay Region Elementary School) flood and other events led to delays in the public discussion of the budget. I think people presented a responsible budget.”

The CSD budget showed a 16.8%, or around $1.4 million, increased total assessment from last year after spending and incoming funding. Projected spending totaled around $11.8 million, a 6.5% increase from last year. Funding sources were down 22.5%, or around $2.4 million. 

CSD board member Stephanie Hawke expressed concerns about how the 2024 costs will affect taxpayers, especially those who struggle with their household expenses. She said with roughly 100 staff members and 500 students, the numbers are lopsided and the budget needs cuts.

“Any business would be shut down if those were the numbers,” she said. “We're pricing ourselves out of a school is what we are doing.”

According to Kahler, the largest expenditure is instruction, which includes staff salaries, retirement and insurance. “With education being a personnel business, that’s how things go,” he said.

Rising costs for goods, such as a 120% increase in bus fuel costs, also impacted the budget. Fuel prices have been so volatile that this year the district has already spent more for fuel than budgeted for, according to CDS Director of Safety and Transportation Kyle Canada. He said over-budgeting fuel costs for 2024 could help protect against such a volatile market.

The budget also includes repairs and work associated with the flooding of BRES, although insurance covers part of those costs. Trustee Troy Lewis said, as a taxpayer, he would prefer to fix some of these issues now while related work is being done rather than with a high-interest bond later.

Lewis also raised the issue of rising consumer costs for all goods and services being tied to the increase.

“As much as it hurts, can anybody think of anything that has gone down? Labor rates? Or anything? Everything has increased by a lot more than 16.8%.”

In public comment, community members encouraged the CSD to be responsible and carefully evaluate costs. Tom Perkins of Boothbay Harbor said he was concerned about the rising budget. He said cuts could present an educational opportunity. “I think it would be nice for us to set a good example to our kids of living in our means,” he said. “Because that might end up being the most valuable lesson they learn.”

However, some spoke in favor of competitive staff compensation and were concerned that cuts would lessen the quality of education.

Kate Rice, a pre-k elementary school teacher, said staff cuts are not the answer. She said the schools were already short-staffed and many teachers are giving up meal or prep time to cover for others who are out. Ben Powell, a Boothbay Region High School teacher, said such cuts could mean the end of unique programming such as robotics, CAD or making and marketing. 

“The budget that has been put forth is not pie in the sky. It’s not wants, it’s needs,” said Jenn Whitney, a teacher in Gardiner who has a middle school child in the CSD. “It’s needs on the part of the students. It’s needs based on what the teachers need to do their job to make sure that these kids that are graduating are going to be community members that might contribute in some way.”

The CSD trustees plan to meet next on May 2 and the CSD board plans to meet next on May 9. Both meetings are scheduled for 5:15 p.m. at the BRHS library.