By Suzanne Hodgson
Staff Writer

School administrators are still trying to balance RSU 21’s budget for the current school year as it faces the fifth largest curtailment statewide while looking ahead in preparation for the 2010-2011 school budget process.
An unexpected out-of-district placement for special services and continued reimbursement from Medicaid along with a reduction in line item spending for the remainder of the year will negate the $883,392 curtailment, according to RSU 21 Superintendent Andrew Dolloff.
On Dec. 7, the school board unanimously passed Dolloff’s recommendations but re-instated a previously canceled meeting on Dec. 21 to begin the budget process for the next school year.
School Board chairman Maureen King said the meeting should take place so the board will have plenty of time to approve the new budget before the January deadline.
The unexpected Medicare reimbursement is from students who are the responsibility of the state living in the RSU 21 district who need rehabilitation services. The reimbursement to the district is $404,500, much higher than originally budgeted, according to Dolloff.
Improvements to RSU 21’s special education program kept more students inside the district instead of sending them to special needs programs outside of RSU 21. The school has to use money out of the budget to send special needs students to other facilities. The savings this year in the program is approximately $245,000, he said.
Other cuts in the budget for the remaining school year are eliminating contracted board lobbyists at a savings of $15,000 and a 33 percent reduction in the school supply budget.
Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.