Reduced school funding decried

Morning Sentinel, March 29, 2007

(excerpt) School superintendents used words such as "devastating" and "depressing" Wednesday to describe the likely impact of state funding to schools for 2007-08.

The state Department of Education on Tuesday issued a list of estimated state aid to schools -- preliminary figures superintendents need to build their budgets.

"I think the climate in terms of budgets right now is as bad as I've ever seen it," School Administrative District 47 Superintendent James C. Morse Sr. said Wednesday. "I think the governor's tone has been so negative toward education; it's really permeating the local communities."

Gov. John E. Baldacci has proposed consolidating school districts and reducing the number of superintendents in the state.

Each year, the state issues preliminary funding figures to schools and then later in the spring, final figures.

The preliminary estimates issued Tuesday present two scenarios: The first is what schools will get according to the governor's revised budget consistent with Essential Programs and Services share phase-in requirements; the second scenario is what the schools would get if the state Legislature chooses to revise the Essential Programs and Services state share requirements or make other changes in response to the global state budget figure.

According to the list, SAD 47, which comprises Oakland, Belgrade, Sidney and Rome, is estimated to get $12.7 million from the state as part of the first scenario and $12.6 million as part of the second. Both are less than what Morse had hoped for.

Subsidy Information as of March 26, 2007