SACO — A proposed $35.8 million fiscal year 2017 school budget contains nearly $800,000 in reductions suggested earlier this week by the School Board.

School Finance Director Jason DiDonato said at Wednesday night’s School Board meeting that because of state education funding changes proposed by Governor Paul LePage, the department was expected to have $280,000 less in state funding than previously thought.

Superintendent of Schools Dominic DePatsy said in an email Friday that the School Department is looking at a $3 million shortfall, because of the proposed reductions in state funding, increases in Thornton Academy tuition, salaries and health insurance, and the desire to bring in a flat budget.

After meeting in a two hour closed-door executive session Wednesday, the School Board made about $796,000 in proposed cuts to help offset this shortfall.

The proposed changes include cutting positions for the curriculum director, a school resource officer, an alternative education teacher at Saco Middle School, and nine educational technicians, as well as professional development for educational technitions. 

School Board Chairman Michel Ohayon, who along with members Beth Johnston and Edna Ben-Ami voted against the reductions, said in his years on the School Board, this was one of the most difficult budgets he’d worked with.

“All options were on the table and nothing was taken lightly,” he said.

Johnston concurred that it was a really difficult process, and she said there were certain aspects of the proposed budget reductions she couldn’t support, as they cut “into the heart” of what the school department was trying to do, which was educate children.

School Board member Kevin Lafortune urged residents to talk with state officials regarding state funding. “The EPS (state funding) formula changes that we are looking at are what is putting us in this position,” he said.

DePatsy said Friday the proposed cuts could go deeper, but that will be determined. “There are still so many unknowns in the budget process including what the legislature will do with the governor’s changes and what we can put down for revenue, as well as what the city councilors will ask us to do,” said DePatsy.

A public hearing will be held on the budget on March 8, where residents can voice their opinions. The school board will vote on a budget proposal at that meeting, which it will submit to the city. 

The school budget will then be voted on by the Saco City Council, and will go to a final vote by residents in June at a city-wide ballot.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.