WATERBORO — The amount proposed for the administration portion of the Regional School Unit 57 budget for the coming year is up by more than 29 percent, or $500,000, but more than half of the hike is attributed to the shift of some positions from one part of the budget to another.

That is the word from Superintendent of Schools John Davis, who outlined the changes last week.

Overall, the RSU 57 spending proposal for the coming year is $37.7 million, up from $35.88 million this year, an increase of $1.8 million. Adult education costs add about $400,000 to the total.

The spending proposal eliminates eight teaching positions and 15 education technicians, Davis said, as the district attempts to balance declining enrollments, declining state valuations and other factors like increasing health insurance costs with education needs.

Residents of RSU 57 will vote on the budget Tuesday, May 20 at a district-wide meeting set for 7 p.m. at Massabesic Middle School, off Old Alfred Road. A validation referendum takes place June 10 in each of the six communities that make up the district: Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh and Waterboro.

If approved as presented, Alfred residents with a home valued at $180,000 would pay $110 more in property taxes this year; Limerick, $105 more; Lyman, about $97 more; Newfield, $72 more; Shapleigh, $77 more; and Waterboro, about $81 more.

The budget proposes the addition of two assistant principals to take the place of two individuals currently styled as “deans” at Massabesic High School. As well, Davis proposes the addition of a second assistant principal at Massabesic Middle School, rather than the current line up of a principal, assistant principal and an instructional leader, which in all accounts for $290,000 of the administration increase. Other increases in the administration line include $60,000 in possible salary increases for administration and support staff, along with a potential $50,000 for incentive pay initiatives, pending negotiations. As well, the district will pay $30,000 in retirement costs for administration, and about $85,000 in increases for health insurance and other benefits.

Declining enrollment is the major challenge for the district: Enrollment is down from about 3,750 students in 2005 to slightly fewer than 3,200 this year. Davis projected the district enrollment will decline to about 2,700 students over the next decade.

If the budget is approved as presented, there will be six fewer elementary teachers at district schools in September; two teachers are retiring, and Davis said the other four will be achieved either through attrition ”“ if more teachers decide to retire or find work elsewhere ”“ or through layoffs, if necessary. As well, an art teacher and a music teacher who are retiring will not be replaced.

He had originally projected that up to 17 education technician positions would be cut; that has been reduced to a cut of 15 as the district examines alternative ways of delivering services.

At a budget review meeting earlier this month, business manager Colin Walsh pointed out that school buildings need repair. He said Waterboro Elementary School has the two oldest boilers in the district, and that one of them is “in very poor” condition. He said the district is looking at whether a wood pellet boiler or a dual-fuel model that could switch from oil to propane, depending on cost, might fit the bill.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.