BELFAST - “A clean budget.”

That was how Regional School Unit 20 Superintendent Brian Carpenter described draft 2014-15 figures presented to voters Thursday night at the district’s annual public budget meeting. The modest crowd on hand raised several questions but made no changes to the $35.6 million bottom line suggesting many agreed.

The budget approved on Thursday goes next to a final validation referendum on June 10. All towns would see some increase to their local share — 7-percent on average. However, the budget does not include any of the staff and program cuts that made last year’s budget process contentious.

Carpenter noted that the two significant cuts made by the school board to his initial budget did not affect programs or students directly. These included switching to a single bus run in Searsport, Stockton Springs, which reduced the transportation budget by $360,000, and cutting $81,000 from contingency funds.

Around 90 voters from RSU 20’s six towns attended the meeting at Troy Howard Middle School. The group approved all 16 budget-related articles on the town-meeting style warrant without changes, including $6.3 million to be raised in additional local funds. This article passed by a margin of 63-25 in a written ballot vote, as required by law. All other articles passed as written by a show of hands.

Several residents questioned the reinstatement of stipends for coaches and leaders of middle school extra- and co-curricular activities. Along with increases in stipends for existing positions, the change added over $300,000 to the budget.

Carpenter said relying on volunteers, as was the case last year, was a liability. The district can require certain kinds of safety training and other qualifications of paid activity leaders that it can’t of unpaid volunteers, he said.

Audience members challenged that idea, saying that other organizations made requirements of volunteers, and that the district could potentially pay for training, without paying stipends, if safety was the main concern. Carpenter maintained that there was a difference, and though it was unclear if the question was resolved, the article was approved by a wide majority.

Another item given a fair amount of discussion was an increase to the 246-percent increase in the food service budget. Carpenter said the difference was due to an underestimation of revenue over several years and problems getting student paperwork necessary for reimbursement from the state.

“So we need to make up the difference,” he said.

Asked if the figure would return to a smaller amount next year, Carpenter said it depended partly upon participation rates. Food Services Director Perley Martin said $170,000 of the increase was due to a shortfall in revenue projections from a year ago. He anticipated the budget line would be much less next year.

The RSU 20 board on May 27 debated the relationship between rates charged for student and teacher lunches and participation. Rates for teacher lunches currently do not cover costs. Some board members argued that they should, however Carpenter said — and some other board members agreed — that raising rates too much for teachers or students could decrease participation in the lunch program and make it more costly.

View the RSU 20 budget booklet with amounts approved on Thursday night, here. 

Following are the percent increases in amounts to be raised by towns based on the draft 2014-15 RSU 20 budget:

Belfast: 6.56 
Belmont: 7.04
Morrill: 8.05
Northport: 16.47
Searsmont: 5.29
Searsport: 3.96
Stockton Springs: 5.60
Swanville: 6.57 

Ethan Andrews can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com