The Milford school budget is undergoing changes ahead of its third town vote — but it’s unclear if the budget will increase or decrease.
School committee members and administrators held a budget workshop to get input from town residents on Wednesday. It was the first workshop since voters rejected five articles for the Milford K-8 school at a lengthy July 8 town meeting.
At the workshop, Superintendent Trish Clark took a poll of the Milford residents in attendance to better understand if they wanted the next budget proposal to increase, decrease or stay the same compared with the previous version. Of the 30 residents at the meeting, 13 voted for an increase, eight for a decrease and nine to stay the same.
The budget debate largely revolves around three teaching positions that are being cut at the Dr. Lewis S Libby School. Voters who support a budget increase want those positions restored or replaced, while those who support a budget decrease want additional funding stripped to lower the property tax rate.
Milford is one of several Maine towns that has yet to approve a school budget in 2025, and this is the second year in a row that the town has voted down at least one budget proposal. With the town still split on what it wants on the third budget proposal to be brought to a vote, it’s unclear when the town will approve a budget.
The school committee is now workshopping and changing the budget to bring to town residents in the coming weeks. The workshop did not create concrete changes to the budget, but gave residents a chance to speak their mind about the budget to the committee, superintendent and business manager.
The workshop covered the three articles voted down at the July 8 town meeting and the two other articles that need to be rewritten to be correct for the upcoming fiscal year.
The most recent budget asked for $3,104,086.18 to be spent on general education in the upcoming school year. That section of the budget was rejected by voters 46-79.
The budget presented on July 8 showed a 4.3 percent increase in general education funding from last year, but also cut first, second and fourth grades to just one teacher each. All other grades have two teachers.
The cuts were justified because the school’s enrollment has decreased by 56 students over the past five years, the committee said. There will be an estimated 259 students in the school next year.
The school has also lost $1 million in funding from the town since 2023 due to Milford having less reserve funding.
Milford’s proposed mill rate was last calculated to be $25.50 in June, but an $80,000 addition to the town budget was not factored in at the time. That rate, which is decided through municipal, county and school budgets, means a home worth $215,000, the median value of a house in Milford, would pay $5,482.50 in property taxes.
If all three positions were added back into the budget, the mill rate would increase by $1.50, according to the school committee
Before the poll, multiple voters spoke for both increasing and decreasing.
Residents said they are worried about their children getting a good education with one teacher for a class of roughly 20 students. On the other hand, multiple taxpayers said a tax rate higher than the current one would make it difficult for them to stay in Milford.
Committee members and Clark said they’re working to keep the mill rate low, but didn’t give a specific number they were aiming for other than below a 3 percent tax rate.
Committee members said they wanted the budget to appease Milford residents at the next town meeting and avoid having to make changes to the funding again.
“We don’t want to have this turned down three or four more times and have it bleed into the school year,” Committee Chair Jack Schweit said.
The school started the current fiscal year on July 1 without a budget in place. Without a budget for the current year, the school is using the first proposed budget in June to pay its bills and continue operating.
If a budget isn’t passed before the school year, the June budget would continue to be used.
The other articles that were voted down, one for system administration and one for school administration, did not have as much conversation. Residents said the budgets needed more explanation at the town meeting to make sure citizens know how the money will be spent before they vote.
System and school administrators are paid below the state average, committee members said. Positions have had high turnover rates with this upcoming year being the first in one teacher’s recent memory that the assistant principal and principal will be the same as they were the previous year.
Voters were confused at the July 8 vote because the committee’s budget increased from $5,000 to $10,000, residents said. People in the crowd thought each member was going to receive $10,000, but members will only receive $2,000 each per year.
Another poll was taken for both articles, with the crowd unanimously agreeing the system administration budget should stay the same. One resident said the school administration budget should decrease, while the other 28 attendees said it should stay the same.
The two articles that had errors in them at the July 8 meeting will be updated and presented at the next vote, Clark said.
Before the end of the workshop, residents said the school should better explain its budget in the paper given to voters and in the presentation so voters better understand what they’re voting for.
The school committee will next change the budget and have the select board sign off on them before the new articles are posted. The articles have to be posted a week in advance of the vote.
There is no schedule for the next vote, but it will take place at the Old Town High School gym because the Dr. Lewis S Libby School gym is still under construction.
