Schools still awaiting word from state on funds

Kennebec Journal, March 16, 2008

(excerpt) The proposed school budget could either lead to a small tax increase or decrease for city taxpayers, depending primarily on how much funding comes from the state.

Augusta, and other schools statewide, received three different estimates of what its total state funding will be from the Department of Education.

The first estimate, Superintendent Cornelia Brown said, was issued with incorrect special-education funding figures and was recalled.

In Augusta's case, both remaining budget scenarios are increases over the funding the school system received from the state last year.

The budget package favored by Gov. John Baldacci would increase state aid to Augusta schools to about $14.6 million -- an increase of about $602,000, or 4.3 percent, from last year, according to Brown.

The other state budget scenario for education funding, favored by the Legislature's Education Committee, would send Augusta's schools around $14.4 million -- an increase of $436,000, or 3.11 percent.

If the higher figure is adopted by the state, and nothing changes in the city's currently proposed school budget, local taxpayers would be asked for about $68,000 less to fund schools.

If the lower state figure is adopted, and nothing else changes in the local budget, taxpayers would be asked to pay about $97,000 more to support schools.