$11.5M SAD 41 budget approved by a single vote, 151-150

MILO — A 2025-26 SAD 41 budget totaling $11,500,911 passed by just one vote, 151-150, across the three district communities at the Aug. 6 referendum.

The budget was approved 55-54 in Brownville, voted down 18-12 in Lagrange and passed 84-78 in Milo as SAD 41 residents headed to the polls for the second time to make a decision on 2025-26 finances.

In June district citizens voted down a proposed $11,907,487 budget for 2025-26 by a combined 219-118 count.

The revised $11.5 million brought to the second referendum represents a 2.33 percent increase from the 2024-25 $11,239,156 budget, instead of the 5.95 percent increase to $11.9 million. The $11.9 million budget was voted down in each town, 84-34 in Brownville, 17-10 in Lagrange and 118-74 in Milo.

A budget needs to be passed instead of simply reverting to the previous year’s numbers.

The more than $400,000 reduction from the first 2025-26 budget to the second includes not filling a Penquis Valley School counselor position after the previous position holder resigned and an IT position was moved to Title V funding, with federal monies now covering the position. There will not be an administrative assistant for special education and transportation, with these duties being shifted around.

In 2025-26, SAD 41 will receive just under $7,317,000 in Essential Programs and Services state funds, a decrease of $858.

In order to receive these funds district communities must raise $1,363,756, which is $24,530 more than the previous school year. The school district will also ask communities for $1,455,209 in local additional funds — a $352,870 increase.

That brought the local contribution for the proposed budget to $2,865,779 including SAD 41’s $46,813 proportional share of the Piscataquis County Adult Education Cooperative budget, which is spread across four school districts. This increase is due to several factors, including the district’s withdrawal from AOS 43, a lack of a fund balance to carry over and that the three communities in the district have each seen an increase in valuation.

The $2.8 million in total location contributions is divided proportionally between Milo (48.04 percent), Brownville (33.98 percent) and Lagrange (17.98 percent).

The three town shares are $973,784 for Brownville, a 135,810 (16.21 percent) increase; Lagrange would see a $53,701 (11.63 percent) increase to $515,283; and for Milo a $1,376,711 portion of the 2025-26 SAD 41 budget is up by $190,606 or 16.07 percent.