School budget showdown: South Portland board can’t make cuts requested by council

SOUTH PORTLAND — At the first official reading of South Portland’s $71.37 million budget for FY 2013, held April 4, city councilors asked the school board to “go back and sharpen their pencils” to reduce school spending.

On Monday, first-year director Jeff Selser said he “went through 47 pencils” and was “unable to find anything to give.”

“I feel like our back is against the well,” said Selser, during a special workshop session. “Councilors asked us to go through the exercise and I’ve certainly done that, but I see no place we can cut without going backward.”

That was the consensus of the board, which refused to put anything in the school department’s $38.87 million operating budget on the table heading into an April 23 joint session with the City Council.

The school district’s operating budget is up $800,121 – or, 2.2 percent. However, as Councilor Jerry Jalbert pointed out, counting $1.98 million that will hit tax bills this year from the $47 million high school renovation project – including $525,000 for the first bond payment and $1.45 million squirreled into a reserve account to lessen the tax impact on future bond payments – means a 3.7 percent increase.

According to the latest estimates from city Finance Director Greg L’Heureux, school spending is slated to drive tax bills up 60 cents per $1,000 of property value. Assuming total valuation holds steady at $3.36 billion, the new rate would mean an extra $108 per year paid out by the person who owns a $195,000 home, the median price in South Portland.

"I'm sitting here thinking, eek, this feels high," said Councilor Rosemarie De Angelis, at the April 4 meeting. 

"I know the school board and the administration has worked very hard already, but we need to get lower," agreed Jalbert. “I see many people just living on Social Security, where fully 50 percent of their income goes to pay property taxes.”

The council collectively asked that about $400,000 be carved from the total budget, a request school directors seemed to resent when they gathered to workshop their share. Because the council gave “absolutely no guidance” at the start of the budget process, said board Chairman Tappan Fitzgerald, his side had “made a good-faith effort.”

While the budget does cut funding for a warehouse clerk, two middle school library clerks and a high school science teacher, it does add in a half-time “community communications” specialist ($20,00), a half-time attendance tracker ($20,000) and a curriculum coordinator ($80,000), as well as $60,000 in professional development, $15,000 in elementary leadership stipends and $20,000 in field trip funding.

The curriculum coordinator, cut from the staff six years ago, appear to loom largest in the council crosshairs, but School Board members were not willing to offer it up. In fact, Superintendent Suzanne Godin made no recommendation, other than to suggest that the council circle wagons around elementary teaching positions, given an expected spike in kindergarten registrations next fall.

“We tried to get to a budget that we felt would work for the students of South Portland without totally bankrupting the taxpayers,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m happy with where we are.”

Still, while the School Board was willing to draw a line in the sand, its two student representatives urged a more conciliatory tone.

“I think this budget does deserve a second look, a quadruple look” said Elizabeth Canarie, “because if it does get voted down, then we are in a really hard position.”

“I don’t want to make any cuts, but I also think we shouldn’t be too stubborn,” said Jackson Beck. “If we do give this a second look, it will help to convince the City Council and the voters that we’ve done the best we can to narrow it down to the essentials.”

“I really believe that we need to go with our previous vote and say to the City Council, ‘We’ll see you on the 23^rd,’” said board member Richard Matthews, adopting the generally less conciliatory tone of the adults toward the upcoming joint workshop.

“If we go in with an attitude that we are absolutely not going to budge, I think that’s a mistake,” said Fitzgerald, echoing board member Sara Goldberg, who has been the most frugal thus far though the budget season. “I don’t want to budge. I agree that we should hold firm. I’m just saying that we want to go about it the right way, and be very deliberate.

“We have to say, yes, it’s up 2.2 percent plus the bond payments, but here’s why we think each position is absolutely crucial,” said Fitzgerald, pointing out that the City Council only has authority over a bottom-line budget number.

“As a board, we are going to have to sell it,” said Fitzgerald. “I think we can do it, but it’s going to take some work. I think the 23rd is going to be an interesting evening.”

Following the joint workshop on April 23, the council will cast its final vote on the budget May 7. The public then gets a chance to weigh on the school side with a validation vote scheduled for May 15.