2022-2023 District Budget Information:
The Board of Directors of RSU 54/MSAD 54 wishes to thank the residents of the towns of Canaan, Cornville, Mercer, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Smithfield for supporting the 2022-2023 proposed district budget.
Detailed Information: click here
To The Voters of RSU 54/MSAD 54:
The Directors have worked hard over the past several months to develop a budget that balances providing quality programs and services for our students while trying to minimize the impact on local taxpayers. With this in mind, the Board proposes a budget of $38,908,227 for 2022-2023, an overall increase of $985,302 or 2.598% more than the budget for 2021-2022.
The RSU 54/MSAD 54 Board of Directors’ Local budget shows an increase of $144,128 or 0.99% in overall Local Assessments for the 2022-2023 year, for a total of $14,674,871.35.
The District-wide Local Assessment is (-$484,946) or (-3.2%) lower than it was 17 years ago.
Since the cost of operating the District is shared among the members of the towns (Canaan, Cornville, Mercer, Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Smithfield) on the basis of State Valuation, the actual amount of increase/decrease for each town varies between communities.
The 2022-2023 assessments, not including Adult Education, will increase as follows:
Canaan…… $7,731 Mercer………… $(-3,170) Skowhegan…… $127,990
Cornville…. $(-5,926) Norridgewock… $18,434 Smithfield…….. $(-931)
Several years ago the Legislature passed laws that established how local districts would approve their school budgets. Consequently, the RSU 54/MSAD 54 budget process will again be in two parts. First, there will be a District Budget Meeting held on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Gymnasium. At this meeting, citizens will be voting on three (3) Appropriations Articles, eleven (11) Expenditure Articles, a Summary Article, and four additional articles including authorization to accept funds/donations, fund adult education, authorization for the Directors to transfer funds between cost centers when appropriate, and an article to establish a $1,450,000 major capital reserve fund. This meeting will be followed by a Referendum Vote on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, in each municipality where voters will vote on Article 1, a single “yes” or “no” question, which will validate the action that took place at the May 25, 2022 meeting.
In addition to the June 14th Referendum Vote on the budget, there will be two separate school related referendum questions. 1) The first referendum question will be to approve the district’s State Funded Elementary School Project (for info visit: https://www.msad54.org/building-project ), and 2) a School Revolving Renovation Fund(SRRF) grant to put an elevator in the High School (note: SRRF grants are funded roughly 61% state, 39% local, with the local cost bonded over 10 years at a 0% interest rate).
Articles 1-11 requests authorization for the Board of Directors of RSU 54/MSAD 54 to spend the funds raised in Articles 12-14.
See Articles online at www.msad54.org or obtain copies at each town office, the RSU 54/MSAD 54 Superintendent’s Office and/or schools.
Article 12 represents the District’s contribution to the total costs of funding public education for Kindergarten to Grade 12, as described in the EPS Funding Act. These amounts of money, as determined by State law, are the minimum amounts the District must raise and assess in order to receive the full amount of State subsidy dollars.
State Share: $22,228,020 Local Share: $12,375,773
Article 13 requests authorization to raise and appropriate funds to pay Debt Service payments on school construction projects that were previously approved by District Voters but receive no State Subsidy. These costs are recognized by the EPS Funding Formula. $20,854.60
Article 14 requests authorization to raise and appropriate additional Local Funds to pay for the total costs of RSU 54/MSAD 54 public education. These funds represent the costs of operating District schools that the State funding model does not recognize. Additional Local: $2,278,243.41
Article 15 requests authorization to expend the total approved school budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. $38,908,227
Article 16 requests authorization to transfer amounts exceeding 5% of the total appropriation for any cost center to another cost center or among other cost centers for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, providing that transfers shall not be permitted to increase the authorized total school budget.
Article 17 requests funds for Adult Education (down 3.8% from FY22). Total: $320,664 Local: $125,000
Article 18 requests authorization to expend gifts or grants and other receipts that the Board might receive during the year. Although these amounts are unknown, funds are anticipated for the Title I Program and from Special Educational Local Entitlement.
Article 19 requests authorization to establish a District Capital Reserve Fund of $1,450,000 from fund balances, to be used by the Board for capital improvements or equipment for the following: a) the non-funded portion of the Elementary Building Project, b) local portion of school revolving renovation fund projects, or other needed capital improvements or equipment not included in the budget. This reserve fund will help the Board keep local costs down for spending associated with capital projects.
The district will hold a public informational hearing on the budget on May 19th, prior to their regularly scheduled board meeting, AT 6:30 pm at Skowhegan Area Middle School Cafeteria.
The Board of Directors of RSU 54/MSAD 54 urges all voters to attend the District Budget Meeting on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Skowhegan Area High School at 7:00 p.m. and to Vote in the Validation Referendum on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, in your own municipality. Absentee Ballots will be available in your town office starting May 26th.