As we approach that time of year when final approval of the city budget is made by the City Council, citizens are likely aware that we are in the first year of a new funding formula for education in our state. This funding formula recognizes the cost of educating students and finally is providing (phased in over four years) the funds necessary for these essential programs and services.

Despite the proposed total budget spending increase, the cost passed to the local taxpayers should result in a tax decrease. That’s because state education aid for the Westbrook schools will increase by $2,131,440 under this new funding mechanism called Essential Programs and Services.

Once we subtract the new debt service on the Congin Elementary School ($278,679), the school department is proposing that only half of the increase in state subsidy to education be expended for increases in the operational costs of the school system, and that the remaining 50 percent be used for property tax relief. In other words, when the Westbrook School Committee adopted the fiscal year 2005-2006 budget on May 18, 2005, they forwarded to the Westbrook City Council a reduced local appropriation request that was $875,434 less than the request made for the 2004-2005 school year.

The school department’s total budget increase without the new debt service on Congin Elementary School is $984,548 or a 3.85 percent increase. Again, I must stress that this $984,548 sum of money is covered by the increase in state aid to education and will ultimately result in reduced costs to the citizens of Westbrook of $875,434.

There has been scrutiny at every level in this process to arrive at our budget for the 05-06 year. At the May 18 School Committee meeting, several positions that have been in existence for years were eliminated or reduced in Westbrook. These positional cuts total over $300,000. Other adjustments were made in order to realize a total reduction in the 2005-2006 budget of $375,000. This was in addition to previous cuts made by the superintendent’s office and the principals and directors throughout the school system. The effect that these cuts will have on our students will not be immediately evident. Our goal has been to minimize any adverse impact on student programs.

The most significant new program requested in the 2005-2006 budget is for all-day kindergarten. By reassigning teachers, this program is attainable for a cost of $133,000. It is my wish that this worthwhile program survives the budget. In a recent meeting with Commissioner of Education Sue Gendron and Mayor Chuluda, Commissioner Gendron stressed the importance of all-day kindergarten as a first step to prevent retentions and costly remediation of students in the latter years. She indicated that research has verified the positive effects of this program. Over 58 percent of all schools in Maine presently have all-day kindergarten classes for their students.

The operational increases in the school budget are attributed to our contractual obligation to teacher and other staff and to significantly rising fuel costs. In previous contract negotiations, employees were provided a basic cost of living increase and agreed to assuming a larger percentage cost of their insurance.

This new Essential Programs and Services funding mechanism identifies those costs that are necessary in providing education in our state. It recognizes that the Westbrook schools are efficiently run by spending $19,130 less on education than is called for by this model.

Thank you for the continued support of the Westbrook schools. Westbrook is truly a remarkable community in which to live and work.

This article was submitted by School Superintendent Stan Sawyer.