What helped reduce the assessment was an increase of $477,196 in state subsidy which will leave the district with $5,793,897, SAD 46 Superintendent Kevin Jordan said Monday. This is the fourth consecutive year the district is asking for a net decrease in total assessments, he said.

Individually, however, the towns will see a shift in their assessments, with Exeter and Garland paying more and Dexter and Ripley paying less based on changes in their state valuations.

Exeter will see an increase of $14,373 and Garland an increase of $11,534 while Dexter will see a decrease of $3,854 and Ripley a decrease of $23,095.

"I feel that the MSAD 46 fiscal year '07 proposed budget meets the needs of educating the children in the district while also considering the ever increasing demands on the taxpayer," Jordan wrote in a prepared statement issued Monday.

Residents will vote on the proposed budget at a June 13 secret ballot referendum.

To receive the state subsidy, the district must locally raise $1,871,500, which is a decrease of $1,042 from 2005-2006.

In addition, directors are asking taxpayers to raise locally an additional $277,159 for debt service and other costs, an amount not matched by state subsidy. The latter amount is the same raised in 2005-2006, according to Jordan.

The proposed budget includes an increase of $455,967 in fixed costs - salaries, health insurance, fuel and heating oil.

It also includes funds for an additional mathematics instructor at Dexter Regional High School and new mathematics textbooks, the expansion of a speech therapist position from three to five days a week, and $62,680 to repair the north academic wing roof on the high school.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Tuesday, May 09, 2006 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."