SAD 9 directors wrestle with budget issues

Morning Sentinel, January 31, 2008

(excerpt) Like other school systems in Maine, SAD 9 receives state dollars under the Essential Programs and Services formula, which through a labyrinth of criteria determines how much a district needs to run its program.

Tuesday night, SAD 9 directors continued a discussion over what the 2008-09 budget would look like if the district aligned itself with the formula. The district would have to cut 13 positions to meet those guidelines for state subsidy.

Those jobs, mostly teachers, could be retained under local tax dollars, although Superintendent Michael Cormier said some money could be shifted from other sources.

"It would be hundreds of thousands of dollars," Cormier said.