SAD 46 adopts $16.65M budget
DEXTER — A proposed 2025-26 SAD 46 budget totaling $16,653,368 was approved during the annual district meeting in the Alfond Gym at the Ridge View Community School on May 29. This figure is now moved to referendum vote at the respective polling places in the SAD 46 communities of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley on Tuesday, June 10.
The $16.65 million-plus figure is up by $120,873 or 0.73 percent from the current academic year’s figure of $16,532,495.
The school board, district administrators and others have been working on the budget since early in the year, Superintendent Kevin Jordan said. The district has a two-point mission, a desire to provide excellence in education for the whole community of learners and for the staff, administration and board of directors to work together to create a budget that balances the efficient delivery of quality services with the fiscal responsibility required by the local taxpayers.
Since the first draft of the 2025-26 was presented at the start of the calendar year, about $950,000 in cuts was made to bring forward the $16,653,368 total, Jordan said.
SAD 46’s $11,287,946 in state subsidy for the budget is down from last year’s near $11.5 million figure. In order to receive this money, SAD 46 communities are required to raise $3,028,142 (up from $2,973,924). Valuations in the four towns have all risen from 2024-25.
Between the $3,028,142 in local required monies, $655,933 in local additional funds (annual monies district officials feel are needed to fund the full budget beyond what the state requires), $29,514 for local debt service and $76,314 for the district’s proportional share of the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative budget, SAD 46 has a combined $3,789,903 local assessment (up by 3.17 percent). Last year’s assessment was approximately $3.67 million.
Dexter would see a $29,143 increase (1.417 percent) for a figure of $2,086,098 under the proposed finances. Exeter’s $665,761 share is up by $33,850 (5.357 percent), Garland would have a $35,566 (5.782 percent) increase to $650,717. For Ripley an $18,148 increase (4.916 percent) would bring its portion of the 2025-26 SAD 46 budget to $387,325.
Every three years the state requires school districts to determine if they wish to continue with having a referendum to affirm the budget approved at the annual district meeting. If not, the meeting would be the only time to set the finances for the upcoming academic year. A question to continue the district budget meeting/referendum process or not will be on the June 10 ballot.
The school board needs to validate the referendum totals within 48 hours, so the directors’ June meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11 instead of the typical first Wednesday of the month.