Wells-Ogunquit CSD presents proposed budget for FY17 at public meeting

Post date: Apr 04, 2016 10:57:50 AM

The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District presented its proposed $25.06 million FY17 operating budget at a public hearing at Wells Elementary School on March 30th. The proposed figure represents a 2.95 percent increase ($718,922) over the previous year’s budget. According to WOCSD Superintendent Jim Daly, the goal in this year’s four-month budget process was to keep any increase under 3 percent.

With the WOCSD School Committee present, Superintendent Daly made initial comments explaining overall changes in the budget. He then introduced Interim Director of Finance Jay Moore to explain results of this year’s budget process in more detail in a power point presentation. Much like looking at a family budget, Moore examined revenues and expenditures.

According to Moore, the $25.06 million is lowered to $23,968,768 by subtracting expected revenues of $965,577 from the State of Maine, $100,000 from a District carryover fund balance, interest on bank account balances, Medicaid reimbursements and $30,000 from local non-tax revenue.

The proposed budget expenditures less revenues would raise property taxes in Wells by .08 cents per thousand of a home’s value and .03 cents per thousand in Ogunquit bringing the total educational costs in a property tax bill to $6.26 per thousand in Wells and $3.98 in Ogunquit. In other words, an area home valued at $300,000 would see a yearly tax increase of $24 in Wells and $9 in Ogunquit.

This property tax formulation is based on home valuation and on student population per town. Currently, almost 96 percent of the 1,293 students in the District are from Wells and about 4 percent from Ogunquit.

Going forward the budget process takes the following steps. On April 6th the School Committee will review, discuss and approve the budget in order to prepare the warrants for the May 4th School Committee meeting. At its May 4th meeting, the School Committee is expected to approve the budget and issue a warrant calling for a budget meeting on June 1st. On May 18th the District Budget newsletter will be mailed. On June 1st there will be a budget meeting followed by the referendum vote at Wells Junior High School on June 7th.

At right is WOCSD Interim Finance Director Jay Moore presenting a power point presentation on the FY17 proposed budget. School Committee Chair Helena Ackerson and other members of the School Committee are seated at left.