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MSAD 70 voters said “yes” to the Hodgdon School District’s $8.3 million proposed budget for next school year on Thursday night during a public meeting at the Hodgdon Middle High School.
The proposed 2026-2027 budget represents a 7.1% increase over this year’s $7.7 million budget.
In a 46-8 vote, residents from the district’s six towns approved the proposed budget that will now move on to a June referendum vote.
Unlike last year’s significant increases, the total allocation for MSAD 70 towns of Amity, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Linneus, Ludlow and New Limerick increased by 3.6% overall or $276,801.
Prior to Thursday night’s public meeting, Putnam said he believed the budget would pass because the overall increase to the towns was below 4%.
“As we know goods and services costs continue to rise but we are trying our best to limit the increase in one year and spread costs out over a number of years,” he said.
Nonetheless, three towns face increases well above the overall percentage. New Limerick’s allocation increased 18% from $1,119,363 to $1,321,199; Ludlow increased 7.2% from $225,452 to $273,909; and Linneus, 6.5% from $754,171 to $803,438.
Conversely, Hodgdon’s increase is 1.1% from $662,333 to $669,744; Amity’s up .91% from $151,874 to $153,258; and Haynesville’s allocation decreased 1.5% from $103,404 to $101,848.
“We increased our enrollment this year so that was promising when it comes to overall state subsidy,” Superintendent Tyler Putnam said. “With the passing of LD2226, our district is encouraged that future state subsidy and school budgets will reflect the actual income brackets our residents fall under.”
The new state law, LD 2226, signed by Gov. Janet Mills on April 16, may lessen future funding burdens as it updates state funding formulas to include regionally adjusted considerations.
The new budget increases include: $27,000 for special education psychologist services to meet an increase in student need; $35,000 in special education tuition for alternative school placement; $125,000 in facility upgrades and long-term planning; $9,000 in legal fees; and $14,000 to pilot the Middle School Jobs for Maine Graduates Program.
Jobs for Maine Graduates, embedded directly into public schools, these for-credit courses provide a dedicated JMG Specialist who focuses on career preparation, financial literacy, and essential life skills.
“We have had a very successful high school program for almost 30 years and will look to expand it into our middle school,” Putnam said.
District officials cut $59,000 from the budget in several areas including combining two positions into one following resignation.
No positions were cut out of this year’s budget, Putnam said.
Last year, voters twice rejected the district’s proposed budget after more than a decade of flat budgets pushed the increase to $740,702.
With Thursday night’s approval, the budget moves on to a June 9 referendum budget validation vote.
