SAD 46 facing near $184,000 reduction in state subsidy

DEXTER — SAD 46 is looking at a $183,920 reduction in state subsidy for the 2026-27 budget, Superintendent Kevin Jordan said during a March 4 school board meeting at the Ridge View Community School.

“Obviously as we plan out this budget over the next few months that’s going to come into play at some point,” he said.

In the current $16,653,368 2025-26 budget SAD 46 received $11,287,946 in state subsidy, which was down from the previous year’s near $11.5 million figure. 

The budget committee met the previous Wednesday evening and will be having more sessions on Wednesday nights later in the month. The group will devise a budget to bring to the full school board for a vote.

This spending plan will then be brought to a district budget meeting, often held in late May. The total approved that evening is moved to a June referendum vote in the SAD 46 towns of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley for a final approval.

The committee went over the current finances the week prior, Jordan said,

“No concerns at this point,” he said, with the school year about two thirds of the way completed.

In other business, the school board approved a cooperative baseball team with neighboring Piscataquis Community High School of Guilford. This will be the second season in a row PCHS players will be part of the Tiger squad, the agreement was approved by the SAD 4 directors last month.

“It was a great relationship and we are fortunate because they could be asking Dover, they could be asking Greenville, but instead they came to us,” Principal Stephen Bell said.

When asked, he said Dexter may have had just 14-15 players on its own but the roster should be around 20 with the addition of the PCHS students.

“A few injuries and grades would have taken care of that quickly,” Bell said about the loss of players potentially putting Dexter in a tough spot numberswise had the program been on its own. 

Per Maine Principals’ Association rules, if a team is unable to finish a varsity season then it is ineligible to play at this level for the ensuing two seasons, barring appeal.

At 20 players, there should be the opportunity for some junior varsity games this season.

Last season’s cooperative team between the two schools reached the Class C North championship despite being the eighth seed, falling 1-0 to Washington Academy of East Machias at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. The Tigers finished with a record of 13-7.

For the 2025-26 basketball season, Dexter and PCHS had a cooperative girls basketball team with the Tigers serving as the host school. Pirate athletes have also been able to play football in Dexter.

With Jordan retiring at the end of June, the search to find the next superintendent of AOS 94 is underway.

In addition to the Dexter-based SAD 46, AOS 94 includes the Athens Community School and Harmony Elementary School.

“We are still, obviously, in the process of replacing him,” SAD 46 School Board Chair Michael Burton said in his report of the last AOS 94 board meeting. “The 27th was the last day for applications so we are still in that process.”

The AOS 94 directors are working with the Maine Municipal Association on the interview process.

The school board approved the transfer of four Dexter Regional High School investment account CDs from Skowhegan Savings Bank to Androscoggin Bank.

The accounts will generate about 2% more interest with Androscoggin Bank, Jordan said, with no financial penalties for making the switch.

“We do all of our business now with Androscoggin,” Jordan said. The bank now has a satellite branch in Guilford.

Several years ago the district put out a request for proposals for banking services and Androscoggin Bank earned the bid.

Last month the Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis donated $1,000 to support the SkillsUSA Competition at Tri‑County Technical Center, TCTC Director Brian Leavitt said.

Per a post on the Kiwanis Facebook page, the contribution will help fund student participation, resources and hands-on opportunities that showcase technical skills, leadership and career readiness. The club’s generosity reflects its continued commitment to investing in local youth and strengthening workforce development across the tri-county region.