Jeremy Ray

BIDDEFORD — On Tuesday, Biddeford voters approved the education budget, the only question they were asked to vote on at the polling place at the Tiger Gym at Biddeford High School.

At 196-58, the vote was overwhelming in favor of the K-12 $38.9 million expenditure budget — which includes about $689,500 for adult education. However, only 1.7 of the city’s 14,653 registered voters turned out at the polls.

According to an email from City Clerk Carmen Morris who was appointed to her position in November 2007, the breakdown of votes cast for the School Budget Validation Referendum Election when a State Election did not occur in June is June 2009 – 336, June 2011 – 190,June 2015 – 533 and June 2019 – 254.

“There was just one other election (June 2011) during my tenure as City Clerk when the Return of Votes Cast was lower than yesterday’s 254,” Morris said.

About 32 cents of the total estimated 36 cent increase to the 2020 fiscal year tax rate, to begin July, will be used to cover the rise in education costs. The total proposed increase to the education budget from the FY 2019 to FY 2020 budget is about $646,941, Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray said, which is about 2.99 percent.

The proposed academics and operations increase is a little under $100,000, he said, while capital improvement costs would go up about $557,000.

In a memo from Ray sent to the City Council earlier this year, he said, “The FY20 Biddeford School Department budget created a different set of challenges than in the past several years. As you are well aware, the school department has been able to pass on almost no increase to the tax rate during the past five budget cycles, but changes in enrollment, increased labor, health insurance costs (6.7%), and increases in city land valuation have impacted our budget.”

Despite increased costs for labor and health insurance, the school department was able to get by with only a recommended 0.45 increase in academic and operations costs, which Ray said, “A lot has to do with the size of the school population (which) is down a bit.”

With a decrease in students, there will be staff reductions. He said the department is eliminating 3.5 elementary teachers, 2.5 middle school teachers, one high school teacher and one librarian at Biddeford Primary School. However the net reduction is only six teacher positions because some positions will be replaced with education technicians. Reductions are being achieved through retirements, restructuring some positions, and there will be “a couple lay-offs,” Ray said.

The majority of the proposed education increase, about 2.54 percent, is on the capital improvement side of the budget.

A large portion, about $340,000 would be for renovations to the second floor of the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. Other budgeted items include: paving at the Biddeford Primary School, $70,000; BPS parking lot light poles, $52,000; Doran field bathroom and building, $30,000; security cameras at Biddeford Elementary School, $20,000; a storage garage at Biddeford Middle School, $20,000; floor repairs at Biddeford High School, $15,000; sign repair at  Biddeford Middle School, $6,000; and an access card door at BPS, $4,000.

— Managing Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 780-9014 or dmendros@journaltribune.com