SAD 4 district budget meeting set for Wednesday
GUILFORD — Several weeks after a proposed $9,531,320 SAD 4 budget for the 2025-26 academic year was voted down at the polls for a second time, a district budget meeting on a new spending plan has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at Piscataquis Community Elementary School. An information session will start at 6:30 p.m.
The total approved on Oct. 1 will be moved to a referendum on Tuesday, Oct. 14 in the SAD 4 communities of Abbot, Cambridge, Guilford, Parkman, Sangerville and Wellington.
On Sept. 9 the $9.5 million budget was turned down via a 331-283 count across the six towns.
The budget was favored 96-53 in Guilford, 72-70 in Sangerville and 16-10 in Wellington. There were more no than yes votes in Abbot at 83-30, Cambridge at 31-30 and Parkman at 84-39 as there were 48 more total no votes.
The referendum was third this year with the previous two, also for $9,531,320 in July and $9,752,463 in June, both being voted down.
The $9.5 million-plus total was turned down via a 234-207 count in July. In June SAD 4 residents voted down a proposed 2025-26 budget of $9,752,463 at 282-187. After that district officials developed a second budget down by more than $221,000 than what was first brought to the polls.
Reductions to get to the approximate $9.5 million budget include approximately $94,000 by eliminating the Learning for Life program (the dozen alternative education students will be accommodated through other programming), $72,000 for not filling an IT position with the employee having left the district and $38,000 for no longer having some assistant sports coaches that were set to be added in 2025-26.
The $9.5 million figure was up $283,929 or 3.07 percent from the 2024-25 budget of $9,247,391. The $9.75 million figure voted down in June represented a 5.46 percent increase from last year.
For 2025-26 the state is allocating $3,264,110 to SAD 4, $147,237 less than the $3.4 million-plus allocated in 2024-25.
In order to receive these funds, the district is required to raise $2,982,900 or a $29,387 increase.