Dexter-area school directors move near $17M budget to district meeting

Tech center director will be next superintendent

DEXTER — A proposed 2026-27 $16.9 million budget for the Dexter-area school district was approved by the school board during a meeting at the Ridge View Community School on May 6.

The SAD 46 directors, who serve the communities of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley, also set the annual public budget meet for 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, in the Alfond Gym at Ridge View.

The total budget approved on May 27 will be moved to a referendum on Tuesday, June 9 — coinciding with the general Maine election — in the four district communities to complete the multiple step process.

The proposed budget is $255,179 (1.5%) more than the current $16.6 million.

On the day of the school board meeting, $40,000 in savings in the total budget were realized, Superintendent Kevin Jordan said. This will be applied to the local tax commitment. 

District property casualty insurance went out to bid and “we will save money whichever way we go,” he said. 

The combined total tax commitment is $3.9 million across the four SAD 46 towns. This amount is up $155,605 (4.1%). 

The first draft of the 2026-27 budget totaled close to $18 million with all the initial requests from administrators included, Jordan said.

“The budget committee has worked hard looking at multiple ways to save money,” he said. “Lots and lots of miscellaneous cuts.”

“I believe it’s a budget where administrators don’t get everything they’d like but they get everything they really, really need,” the superintendent said.

In other business, Tri-County Technical Center Director Brian Leavitt will succeed Jordan as AOS 94 superintendent when Jordan retires after the conclusion of the academic year. Jordan has served as superintendent for more than two decades in the position.

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

Four candidates interviewed for superintendent and Jordan and Chair Michael Burton were authorized to devise a compensation package for the top candidate, board member Michael McCormick said in the AOS 94 board of directors report. 

The candidate accepted and McCormick could announce that Leavitt will be the next superintendent.  

Leavitt has served as director of the technical center for six years. 

A 1983 graduate of Dexter Regional High School, Leavitt returned to the area after having been principal of Machias Memorial High School and director of the Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology in Machias. 

The school board approved a tech center trip to Atlanta early next for the National SkillsUSA competition. With the trip being out of state, directors’ approval is required.

In March early childhood education student Vera Alexander, in this competition, and health occupations student Bayleigh Wiggins, in medical math, earned top honors at the state SkillsUSA level to qualify for nationals.

Alexander and Wiggins are both serious students in all they do and they will represent the district well, early childhood education instructor Allyson Gudroe said.

Last month, National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, early childhood education students worked with the Penquis Prevention Council to host Project Play at the Piscataquis County Ice Arena in Dover-Foxcroft. The event was a no-cost, family-friendly resource fair focused on fun, learning and community connection.

Starting in November, students reached out to vendors, organized the event layout and activities, and prepared the space. More than 400 families attended.

The Dexter Regional High School outdoor track and field team has about 40 members, Principal Stephen Bell said.

“That’s never happened in my 30 years so that’s tremendous numbers there,” he said.

The Class of 2026 was recently inducted into the Dexter Regional High School Athletic Hall of Fame. 

The honorees are the 2004 and 2006 Class C champion girls basketball teams, the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Class C champion golf teams, the 2013 Class C champion cheer team and Peter Murray and Alan Gordon. 

“It was great to see these faces and families we haven’t seen in a while come back to school,” Bell said.

Ridge View’s baseball and softball fields have been too wet for competition so other schools have enabled these Tigers teams to play on their diamonds, Principal Jessica Dyer said.

The middle school track team has 25 on the roster, she said.