Frequently Asked Questions about the FY2010 School Budget

Questions about the Budget Process

When is the public voting on the school budget?

A referendum will take place on May 12 for the school budget that has been approved by the Portland School Committee and the Portland City Council.

What polling places will be open?

The city recently consolidated polling places. As a result, some residents will vote in a new location. Click here to find your polling place. All city polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

When will absentee ballots be available?

Absentee ballots may be requested after April 10, but they cannot be returned until May 4. Residents may vote absentee at the city clerk’s office in Portland City Hall from May 5-11 during regular business hours.

Why is the public voting on the school budget?

The 2007 Maine School Administrative Reorganization Law requires that every school district hold an up or down vote on its budget. Specifically, voters must approve the portion of their school budget that covers kindergarten through twelfth-grade classroom instruction, administration, special education, transportation, equipment and supplies and professional development. That portion of the budget is designated as Essential Programs and Services (EPS).

The referendum vote will not cover parts of the fiscal year 2010 school budget that are funded by grants and individual donations. Also excluded are programs such as the Multilingual and Multicultural Center and Portland Adult Education that are ineligible for state education aid.

What happens if the referendum fails? How will that impact the Portland Public Schools?

The Portland City Council will schedule another referendum. Additional referenda will take place if needed, at a cost of about $20,000 per election, until a school budget wins voter approval. If a budget referendum is not successful by July 1, 2009, the start of the fiscal year, then the last budget approved by the Portland School Committee will take effect temporarily.

Communities that have needed multiple votes to win approval of their school budgets find that it greatly complicates school planning, demoralizes staff and impacts the school district’s reputation. Election costs can be considerable as well.

Questions about the FY2010 Budget

What is the impact of the Portland Public Schools budget on Portland taxes?

The School Committee passed and recommended to the City Council a fiscal year 2010 budget of $91,337,043, or 2.04 percent more than the fiscal year 2009 budget. Due to a projected increase in state aid to the district, the budget will reduce the local property tax burden by $1,018,250, or 1.5 percent.

How has the school department worked to control costs?

· The fiscal year 2010 budget cuts the overall workforce by 17 positions. Additional staff members were shifted to areas of greatest need.

· Renegotiation of the teacher contract last spring will reduce the cost of raises based upon professional development activities in fiscal year 2010 by nearly $1 million. The 2010 budget includes no increase in teacher base pay.

· The school transportation department’s route consolidation, personnel reductions and use of South Portland’s bus maintenance facility will save about $100,000 in fiscal year 2010.

· The school district has saved additional money by a variety of means, including reduced use of substitute teachers, a 5% freeze on all school and department supply monies and non-essential purchases and decreased energy consumption.

Why are school expenditures rising by about 2 percent?

· The district has certain fixed costs that have increased, such as special education tuition, debt service and purchasing food.

· Federal and state mandates often come with no additional state or federal funding, putting pressure on local school budgets.

· The Portland Public Schools is committed to assuring that all students are learning for their future. We provide an array of services, from Advanced Placement classes to reading tutorials, to meet the diverse needs of our student body.

Has the school department fully restored the fund balance that accrued in fiscal year 2007?

The fiscal year 2009 and 2010 budgets each include $600,000 to restore the fund balance. That will leave a balance of approximately $270,000 to be repaid in fiscal year 2011.

What is the outlook for school enrollment next year?

Student population changes daily. A small drop in enrollment is anticipated, but the steady decline of the past several years appears to be leveling off.

How will the budget affect programming?

This is a hold-the-line budget that does not make dramatic changes in school programs. The budget includes $50,000 to hire a coordinator who will plan for an elementary foreign language program. The goal is to launch the program in fiscal year 2011.

How much of the total budget is funded by the state of Maine?

The district expects to receive $17.6 million in state subsidy for the fiscal year 2010 budget, which is about 19.2 % of the total budget.

How will the district benefit from federal stimulus funding?

The Maine Legislature has used some stabilization money for General Purpose Aid for Education to ensure that districts such as Portland don’t suffer deep cuts in state aid. As a result, Portland’s state subsidy will increase by a projected $2.6 million.

While plans for additional stimulus funds targeted to specific educational needs currently are being developed, Portland expects to receive money for our special education students and disadvantaged youth. That money will allow the district to continuing to train staff on the development of personalized learning plans and to provide a strong intervention program for struggling learners. The district is prepared to move quickly to apply for stimulus funds as soon as they become available.

How do health insurance premiums affect this budget?

While health insurance premiums are a significant piece of our budget, there was no increase in next year’s premium.

What support is there for purchase of technology in the budget?

The budget includes new technology hardware, support and equipment repairs. One project will be to provide wireless service throughout Portland High School. It is our hope that federal stimulus funds will pay for an expansion of the state program that provides laptop computers to secondary students and teachers.

What is the impact of the budget on staffing levels?

The fiscal year 2010 budget eliminates 17 locally funded positions.

How will the approved budget affect class size?

Portland Public Schools has a fairly transient student population. As the student population stabilizes over the summer, classroom sizes will be monitored and adjustments made at each school as necessary to maintain a productive class size and student/teacher ratio.

The Portland School Committee’s current policy on class size will remain the same for fiscal year 2010. Portland’s class size ratios are set under the state maximum size regulations due to the diversity of student learning needs.

Does the budget restore the elementary foreign language program?

The budget provides $50,000 to hire a coordinator who will lay the groundwork for resumption of an elementary foreign language program in fiscal year 2011.