The May 2 meeting of the Lubec school board opened with a public workshop to discuss the third draft of the proposed school budget for fiscal year 2024-2025. It attracted a handful of participants, including all three members of the town's budget committee. At issue was the proposed local share increase of 27.2% over the 2023 2024 budget, largely driven by reductions in state subsidies, increases in tuition cost and demand, special education requirements and building costs incurred as a result of years of deferred maintenance. The proposed local revenue -- funds to be raised by local property taxes -- currently stands at $2,525,044. The total $3.1 million proposed budget would be a 19.2% increase over the current budget.
Questions again arose over heating costs incurred in the former high school wing, now under lease to the Lubec Community Outreach Center (LCOC). Should that portion of the facility be vacant, the school would need to provide minimal heat to prevent the fire suppression system from freezing, as has previously occurred, thus requiring expensive repairs. The LCOC lease requires the organization to pay for the additional heat needed to bring the temperature up to a comfortable level; the proposed budget includes $25,000 from LCOC to cover this expense. Additionally, the LCOC has provided half of the cost of the recently installed generator, allowing the school facility to be used as an emergency shelter.
Tempers flared over suggestions that school staff benefits might be reduced, although no figures were produced showing projected cost reductions should that happen. It was acknowledged that some costs, such as heating fuel, could not be accurately predicted, as both future weather and energy prices are unknown. AOS Superintendent MaryEllen Day pointed out that the school facility is large and included features missing from many other schools, such as the stage, but that it is also costly to maintain. Music and art education were also scrutinized, with some board members questioning, "Do you really want to drop these?"
At one point board Chair Richard Huntley surveyed the uncrowded room, then observed, "We're talking about a lot of money here. Where is everybody?"
As the opening session was billed as a workshop, members of the board were free to express their opinions but not to propose motions or vote. Day pointed out that as an MSAD the Lubec board is required to hold three budget workshops, as opposed to the other schools comprising the AOS, which are required to hold only one. Later in the meeting, the board set Thursday, May 30, for the second workshop; the third will be held Thursday, June 13, prior to the public referendum on the budget. Several board members expressed the intent to study the third draft carefully, hoping to find opportunities for cost cutting, prior to the next workshop.
Other business
In other business before the board, ongoing maintenance matters were discussed. These include window replacement, replacement of vinyl siding, repointing of brickwork and soffit replacement. The board voted to proceed with the siding and windows but postponed discussion of the brickwork, as the current bid is $1.8 million. The soffit replacement has previously been approved; there is some indication that deficiencies in this part of the building contributed to the roof failure a year ago.
The agenda included discussions about purchasing a new diesel powered bus. Day stated that she has placed a tentative order for a new handicapped equipped bus, the total cost of which is $141,788, but it qualifies for a subsidy of $105,894. The board voted 4-0, in the absence of board member Deanna Newman, to proceed. Day also informed the board that the possibility of acquiring an electric bus remains and that talks are under way. If it were to happen, she said, "It's a year away." She added that she has recommended against electric buses to the other AOS 77 schools, but she felt that such a bus would be practical in Lubec, except for transportation to area high schools.
Day also updated the board on the AOS search for new quarters, expressing dismay over recent misinformation discussed on social media. "Eastport wants those rooms back," she claimed, then she discussed alternative locations under review. Robbinston has what she described as an unused "auxiliary office building" that could be leased for approximately the same cost as the existing space at the Eastport Elementary School. "This is the cheapest we have found anywhere," she said. Despite Day's statement, the cost for leasing the former Robbinston Grade School actually is more than five times the current cost for the space in Eastport. AOS expenses are shared by the participating school systems, based on each town's proportion of enrollment.
The meeting concluded with two executive sessions to discuss the result of faculty and support staff contracts. Before departing, Principal Lovina Wormell cautioned the board that any agreement that they accepted could not be altered by budget modification considerations. The public portion of the meeting ended at 7:20 p.m.
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