RSU 68 directors approve near $15M budget
District budget meeting set for May 27
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The RSU 68 Board of Directors approved a proposed $14,995,969 budget for the 2025-26 academic year during a meeting Tuesday evening at the SeDoMoCha School.
The directors also approved the annual district budget meeting for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27 at the SeDoMoCha School, with an information session before at 5:30 p.m. The total budget approved during the night of May 27 will be moved to a referendum vote in the RSU 68 communities of Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monsoon, and Sebec on Tuesday, June 10 to coincide with the general Maine election.
The near $15 million budget is up $757,201 from the 2024-25 total of $14,238,768. Nearly a year ago this figure was approved by a combined count of 941-313 across the four RSU 68 communities.
The overall increase to taxpayers would be $190,945 from the combined 2024-25 assessment of $4,818,024 or 3.96 percent for Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec. The 2026 proposed assessment total is $5,008,969.
For Charleston the proposed assessment in 2025-26 would increase by $36,007 or 5.85 percent to $662,151. Dover-Foxcroft would have an increase of $91,351 or 3.2 percent to $2,946,293.
Monson’s share would rise by $34,048 or 5.34 percent to $671,997. For Sebec the town assessment would be up by $28,938 or 4.14 percent to $728,527.
Superintendent Stacy Shorey said the June 10 ballot will include two questions in addition to voting on the budget total.
One question will concern an HVAC system for the central office at 572 Bangor Road facility with much of the funding coming via a grant from the Maine Department of Education’s Revolving Renovation Fund.
Shorey said the $330,000 figure RSU 68 will be responsible for may seem daunting to some. “In a year it’s only $33,000,” she said as the total will be paid back over a decade at 0 percent interest.
If approved, the HVAC project would go out to bid in the near future and submissions would be opened at the end of next month to have everything ready for the upcoming academic year.
Neighboring SAD 41 of Milo used the Revolving Renovation Fund program several years ago for air system upgrades at Milo and Brownville elementary schools. The $935,000 project had a $670,000/$280,000 split with SAD 41 paying back $28,000 annually over a decade. In 2017 SAD 41 residents approved an approximate $474,000 Revolving Renovation Fund loan for a sprinkler system and elevator at the Penquis Valley School.
The third question will ask if RSU 68 voters would like to continue with the process of having an annual district meeting and ensuing referendum to decide the school budget or have just the meeting. The state requires districts to ask this of residents every three years.
In 2022 the question to continue having the referendum after the annual district budget meeting was approved by a combined 687-264 total.
In other business, the school board approved Friday, June 13 as the last student day of the year. This decision avoids the last day from needing to be on Monday, June 16.
SeDoMoCha School Principal Cameron Archer told the school board that Eagle athletic teams started having competitions the week after April vacation. So far the A baseball team has a record of 2-0 while the B squad is 2-1. For softball, the SeDoMoCha A team is 1-1 and the B squad is 1-2.
More than 50 students are on the outdoor track team as Archer said many are trying new events.
During the season opening meet a week prior at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Alexis Arcaro broke the school record in the 100 meters Archer said. Arcaro ran a time of 14.16 seconds to set a new SeDoMoCha girls mark in the event.