Voters OK budgets in SADs 5, 40 and 50

June 13, 2008 - TimesRecord.Com

Voters gave their resounding approval Tuesday to all local school district budgets.

In School Administrative District 5, the budget was approved in each of the three communities.

Rockland voters supported the $16 million budget for 2008-2009 at the polls 641-323.

South Thomaston voters backed the budget 163 to 124. Owls Head approved it 177 to 140.

Thus districtwide, the budget was approved 981-587.

Superintendent Alan Pfeiffer said Tuesday night he was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

The proposed budget represents an $845,000 (5.6 percent) increase from the 2007-2008 budget.

But additional state aid and a shift in the percentage of the budget that communities are responsible for paying means Rockland will see a drop of 1 percent ($44,000) in the amount of property taxes it must pay for the budget.

South Thomaston will see a 13 percent leap ($250,000) and Owls Head a 9 percent ($205,000) increase if the budget is approved.

Much of the $845,000 increase in the budget is due to increases in salaries and benefits and hikes in fuel costs. Raises for teachers, for example, ranged from 2.8 percent to 11 percent. The district has locked in on its fuel costs. SAD 5 agreed to a contract for number 2 heating oil along with other local districts that came in at $4.29 per gallon. This is about double the costs of a year ago.

The budget gained approval at a budget meeting Thursday night, attended by about 50 people. The warrant articles were approved by voice votes, except for the one that asked for the additional local money. That was approved 41-9 by a written ballot.

SAD 40 BUDGET

The $21.5 million SAD 40 budget was also approved by a wide margin in the five district towns. Waldoboro supported the budget 535-371. Warren supported the budget 252 to 193, Union 344 to 202, Friendship supported it 176 to 59. Washington backed the budget 133-111.

Districtwide the vote was 1,430-936.

SAD 50 BUDGET

The proposed SAD 50 budget was sailing to passage with voters in Thomaston, St. George and Cushing giving their strong support.

Thomaston ratified the budget 371-199 while St. George backed it 388-157 and Cushing supported the spending package 162 to 91. Districtwide the vote was 921-447.

The budget for 2008-2009 is $12.9 million, an increase of $545,000 (4 percent).