School funds eyed to bridge budget gap

Bangor Daily News, April 7, 2007

(excerpt) The Baldacci administration outlined how it would tap school aid to help bridge a $74 million three-year budget gap Friday, while tax committee panelists listened to wide-ranging critiques of sales tax expansions they have been reviewing.

Administration officials said a key element of the revised budget proposal would involve a fiscal 2008 reduction of $17 million in the planned increase in contributions toward local education costs.

Democratic Rep. Emily Cain of Orono worried that failing to proceed with what is known as a ramp-up in school aid to 55 percent of local costs would "set ourselves up for disgrace," but administration officials sought to reassure her and other skeptics that the reduction would be only in that year and that the state would still meet its 55 percent target in fiscal 2009, as planned.

Initial reaction within the Appropriations Committee was muted.