Staff Writer

Regional School Unit 21  validated its $35 million budget with no changes from the school board’s recommendations despite protests from several unhappy residents.

More than 100 people from Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel packed the Kennebunk High School gym May 4 to vote on how much money should be allocated for each of the 18 budget warrant articles or cost centers.

Participants voted against all amendments made at the meeting and all warrants were validated as proposed before the town meeting-style vote.

Before the first vote was taken, Ed Geoghan of Kennebunk asked the school board what would happen if the budget did not pass the validation process.

Robert Nadeau, a lawyer with Drummond Woodsum working with the district on the budget validation process, said the budget had to be finalized that evening before the meeting could be adjourned.

“Once we leave here the budget goes to referendum,” Nadeau said. “We need to leave this meeting with a budget. This is the forum (where) the budget is approved.”

Next to the microphone was Ed Karytko.

“What happens if the budget is voted down (at the referendum vote)? Does it have to go back to the voters or does it go back to last year’s budget?” Karytko asked.

Nadeau said the validation process would have to be repeated until the budget passed the referendum vote.

A half-dozen participants spoke about the recent error that underrepresented Kennebunk’s share of the budget. In mid-April, John Sharood, a member of the school board and finance committee chairman, and Jim Barnes, business administrator, realized an oversight in the debt-sharing portion of the district charter.

As a result, Kennebunk residents will now pay an additional $324,000 in taxes this year. The change will add $18 for every $100,000 of assessed property value.

“This was not the charter we voted for,” said Sue Walker of Kennebunk, who asked the board to cut $324,000 from Kennebunk’s taxes.

Sharood explained that because the three towns share costs for the district’s budget, a total spending cut of $582,190 would have to be made to reduce Kennebunk’s share by $324,000.  Because the district’s budget is shared throughout three towns, the overall budget must be cut by more than Kennebunk residents are requesting to bring Kennebunk’s taxes down.

Others, especially those who live in Arundel, spoke of their concern over increased school taxes.

Sharood told the audience the district had cut more than $1 million in this year’s budget, but $1.4 million was cut in state aid to the school.

“I know that schools are expensive to run, but it’s getting to the point parents have to take personal responsibly by picking up the tab,” said Diane Robbins, an Arundel resident.

Robbins asked Sharood to break down the cost for Arundel taxpayers for the last three years, which included one year before Arundel was involved with Kennebunk and Kennebunkport in the RSU.

“So you’re asking me to vote for this without knowing how much it costs to run the school?” Robbins asked.

Sharood did not have the answer then, but later in the meeting he showed Arundel’s taxes have increased an average of 1.7 percent over the last three years. Arundel’s taxes decreased during the previous budget.

Arundel residents’ school taxes in the next fiscal year  will increase 11 percent over current taxes due to a one-time credit applied to last year’s budget. The credit came from $465,000 carried over from Arundel’s school district budget prior to consolidation.

Arundel resident Marty Cain asked to postpone the meeting because he believed residents did not have all the information. Robbins seconded the motion, but it failed.

Later in the meeting Robbins requested the meeting be postponed again but moderator Tom Danylik told Robbins she was out of order.

“Why? The public is asking for information,” she said.

Several school board members expressed frustration about attempts to reschedule the votes.

“The budget process leading to tonight has been very long. There have been a number of public meetings that all of you were invited to,” said School Board member Bob Domine. “Apparently some of you choose not to show up.”

Domine’s comment was met with applause from the majority of audience members.

Robbins continued to voice unhappiness with the school administration by making an amendment to reduce the administration budget by 10 percent. After the moderator interrupted her, she amended her request to 20 percent.

The motion failed.

Other amendments requested by the public included one from John Costin of Kennebunk, who requested an additional $46,225 to cover the cost of a position slated to be eliminated.

“It has come to my attention pretty late in the day that the English as a second language expert position has been eliminated,” Costin said. “Those services will now be provided by non-experts (education technicians).”

Cain followed Costin’s amendment by asking if money to make up for the cut could be transferred from anywhere else in the budget.

 “No, I don’t think there is, we’re as tight as we can get,” said Andrew Dolloff, superintendent of RSU 21.

The budget referendum vote for Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel will be May 18, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.