Maine school board finds budget cuts under heavy pressure from city councilors

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AUGUSTA, Maine — The school board in Maine’s capital city on Monday found roughly $2.5 million in budget cuts to present to the City Council after struggling to meet demands from its conservatives.

The school’s superintendent had put forward a budget that would require a 16.1% increase on the school side of the budget. But the council’s conservatives, receiving pushback from tax-weary residents, suggested the school whittle that down to a roughly 5% increase. The school board met the demand in a pained meeting that discussed more drastic options.

Augusta’s discussion was a continuation of the property tax strife facing Maine cities and towns over the past year and a potential sign of more difficult debates to come. No party holds clear control over city government. That roughly balanced political mix has yielded a school board that largely wants to avoid cuts relying on money from a City Council that seeks cuts.

The $2.5 million in cuts would cut several teaching, social work and administrative positions, as well as funding for the hockey team. The board also said it would need to add a “pay to play” system for athletes to reach the council’s goals. Each student will likely need to pay $100 per sport per season next year.

School officials expressed regret at the packed board meeting filled with parents and students who came to express dismay at the possible cuts, in particular to language, counseling and music programs.

“I met with a dozen people today to tell them they may not have a job, or their job may change next year,” Superintendent Michael Tracy said. Later, he added, “I already think we’ve gone too deep.”

Costs in the district have been driven by technology, transportation, special education and education for the city’s English language learners. The council is tasked with deciding how much to raise for the school, but the school board decides what the district uses the money for. The council will weigh the latest round of cuts in its ultimate funding decision.

“I think we have an obligation to go as close to [the 5% goal] as we can,” school board Chair Martha Witham said.

Both Witham and Tracey said the board had an obligation to try to meet the council’s benchmarks after some members questioned whether they could resist pressure from it.

“It seems like we are picked on incessantly by the council, as if what we do is nothing,” board member Susan Parks said.. “My obligation is the children, and the cuts we’ve made are just breaking my heart.”

Conservatives on the City Council pushed for steep cuts last week, though some backed off from an earlier push for a flat school budget. With inflation impacting the cost of paying teachers, buying supplies and building maintenance, it would have forced extreme cuts.

Even those on the council pushing to bring down tax burdens found it difficult to argue for any less than a 5% budget increase for the school. Other options put on the table at Monday’s meeting included eliminating bus service for high schoolers and paying more to play sports.

“I literally almost had a heart attack … when I realized one of the potential things that the school board would be talking about cutting is transportation to high school,” City Councilor Courtney Gary-Allen said at a meeting last week. “If there is no bus to school, my child is not getting to school.”

After previously pushing for no increase in the school budget, Councilor Kevin Judkins softened his stance, saying it is “what the residents of the city can struggle with, but get by.”

It’s unclear if the council will soften any further Tuesday after a presentation by Tracy and Witham, who nodded to a difficult conversation with councilors ahead of their decision.

“We will definitely share with them how difficult these cuts were, how hurtful these cuts were and this isn’t without some scarring,” Witham said.

Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.