JEFFERSON, Maine — Voters in this midcoast town rejected their school budget by just two votes in June. Then an influx of students with disabilities pushed it even higher.
On Tuesday, residents voted a $10 million budget down in a 279-152 vote, likely forcing cuts. The majority of the proposed budget increase was set to cover special education costs that cannot be cut under federal law.
Jefferson was unique among the more than a dozen Maine school districts that have struggled to pass budgets this summer. The town of 2,500 was the only one to raise its budget between the first and second votes, and it was faced with the rare situation of having to ask taxpayers to fund a budget increase driven primarily by hard legal obligations.
In June, voters narrowly rejected a $9.8 million budget. Then, the district determined that five additional students with special needs would be entering the district, driving costs up. Now, 12 students in the incoming kindergarten class of 20 will require special education services, according to the district.
That’s well above the average for the state, where about 20 percent of K-12 students have disabilities requiring individualized education plans. Superintendent Todd Sanders called it the kind of “blip” that can hit small districts from year to year. The high number has been jarring for some residents.
“Why do we have so many mentally challenged kids?” resident Donna Brooks, who voted no, asked. “I’m a senior citizen; taxes are way too high as it is. This is going to hit us bad.”
The influx has left the school searching for special ed teachers in the middle of a nationwide shortage. With limited staff, the town may have to pay to place some high-needs students into private schools. With new hiring, costs could go down later on and relegate the current proposed budget hike to one-time increase.
“Hopefully the residents of Jefferson see a reduction in budget requests moving forward,” Sanders said. “We’ve got to get staffing that can provide the services they need here in district. That’s how we’re going to save our money, is getting our students back here.”
By midday, voter turnout was steady at the Jefferson Village School. Josh Sevon said he was voting against the budget because while the student population has changed little since he attended years ago, costs have risen greatly.
“Frankly I don’t care what they have to cut, but they need to cut something,” he said. “At the rate we’re going, we’d be better off with a one-room schoolhouse.”
However, Sevon cited no specific places to cut, saying he didn’t have any good answers. In the middle of Election Day, the superintendent said the board was prepared for a rejection, but he expressed confidence in what he called an “essential budget.”
“There’s no fluff,” Sanders said.
Jefferson will join at least six other school districts across Maine that are planning a third budget referendum this year.
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural politics as part of the partnership between the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.
