By Stephanie Grinnell
Staff Writer
Biddeford School Committee members expressed their frustration with both the budget process and Superintendent Sarah Jane Poli during a special workshop May 7 and residents continued to share their concerns with the city council during the first reading of the school budget May 12.
During a May 5 public hearing, students, parents and teachers turned out in droves to plead with the city council and school department to think carefully before making drastic cuts to the school department budget. Mayor Joanne Twomey has called for a zero increase in the school and city budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, resulting in the need for more than $2 million in total cuts from the city and school  proposals.
School Committee member Anthony Michaud said the school committee had not been presented the budget cuts as a group before the information was passed on to the city council. He requested an explanation of the proposed cuts from Poli.
“We’re sitting here and we really don’t know what’s being cut,” he said. “We as a committee may decide that’s not the direction we want to go. I’m very disappointed in how this process has played out.”
Poli said the cuts were presented to the city council in order of priority, with the easier cuts first, such as paper supplies, and the more difficult ones, such as teaching positions, last on the list. The cuts were broken up into three grade levels, elementary encompassing kindergarten through fifth grade, middle school and high school. Poli said there were a total of seven and a half positions to be cut throughout the district under the most recent proposal.
Poli said a lawn tractor to be shared by the school department was cut and all school buildings will be closed at night, on weekends and throughout the summer. She said groups who wish to use the school buildings outside school hours will have to pay for their own custodial services and pay a rental fee.
A playground aide, $86,000 for playground construction, replacement of Biddeford Primary School computers, professional development for teachers and $60,000 in architectural costs were also cut. Cuts also included three and a half positions at the elementary level. Poli declined to say what type of positions could be lost. In all, proposed cuts to the elementary level budget totaled $416,177.
Similar cuts were proposed for the middle school including the middle and high school resource officer. Poli said she spoke with Police Chief Roger Beaupre, who said there may be grants the schools or police department can apply for to replace the officer. The middle school cuts include two positions, which Poli said would increase class sizes. The proposed middle school cuts total $161,746.
The high school is facing the loss of a number of stipend positions, delays in uniform purchases and ice time for the hockey teams will be reduced. More than $37,000 in capital improvements were removed from the high school and two teaching positions may be cut. Proposed high school cuts total $265,325.
Previous district-wide cuts totaled $843,248, bringing the total overall cuts to slightly more than $1 million, with a projected revenue increase of $362,197.
“Pay to play,” a fee to participate in extracurricular activities is included in the proposal. School Committee member Cynthia McSorely questioned what would happen should a student not be able to afford to play.
Poli assured her that every student would be able to play regardless of their ability to pay, with fundraisers covering any students who did not have the money to participate. School Department Business Manager Terry Gauvin said the cost would be $25 per student per season, based on students who participated last year, 400 at the middle school level and 520 at the high school level.
Michaud expressed frustration with not knowing the areas or grade levels staff would be cut from, but Poli said she did not want to reveal specifics.
The committee discussed misinformation that had been circulating through the school department before Poli redirected its focus to the budget.
“I need direction, do you favor the seven and a half teaching cuts or do we go back?” she said. “At that dollar amount, you’re talking people.”
Poli said administrative positions were also being considered for cuts and said the positions may not all be teachers.
Twomey urged the school committee to think about the children in the school district.
“This is serious stuff, the children are frightened,” she said.
Several suggestions were made to redirect the cuts, including smaller cuts to all extracurricular programs rather than eliminating two programs completely.
“We’re still right where we were two days ago, the kids are scared, the teachers are scared,” school committee member Laura Seaver said.
Poli said the cuts requested this year are the largest she has seen during her career and suggested creating a committee with school committee and council members to work on the budget cuts together.
Twomey reminded the school committee of the bond requests that will be decided by voters and said she was trying to keep the tax rate low with the hopes a bond for high school renovations and sewer improvements will be approved. She said current estimates for the high school renovations are $34 million.
“If we don’t do it [sewer improvements] we’ll be fined so much there will be no money for the city or school,” Twomey said. “I just thought if I could hold down the budget, we could get the new school.”
Residents spoke to the council at Monday’s first reading, urging councilors to vote against recommended cuts to personnel and the school department budget.
“The closer you look, the fewer funds you will cut,” Biddeford Primary School Guidance Counselor Mitch McDonald said.
Resident Wayne McBreairty said the cuts to the city budget were easier because there will be no personnel losing their jobs, vacant positions will be sacrificed instead.
Resident Gary McMullin said the Biddeford school system is one of the “cheapest in the state” when it comes to cost per pupil. Maine Department of Education estimates roughly 73 percent of the 288 schools in Maine spend more on education per student than Biddeford, School Committee member Nathan Mills said. McMullin expressed concern about Biddeford High School losing its accreditation if more funding is not made available to the schools.
“Not only will it be one of the cheapest ones, it will also be one of the worst,” McMullin said, drawing applause from the crowd in City Theater.
Nathan Mills said the cuts were “broad and deep.”
“I urge city councilors and voters to set us back on course and restore the $1.8 million to the city’s education budget,” he said.
A few councilors, including Councilor Rick Laverriere, insinuated they were receiving incomplete information from the school department.
“I don’t feel we are getting the correct information,” he said. “I will be supporting these cuts.”
Councilor Ray Gagnon said some residents who support budget cuts are afraid to attend budget hearings because of the number of residents in support of the schools.
“There needs to be cuts, but I don’t support the drastic cuts proposed by the council,” Councilor Bob Mills said. “I’m not going to support any of these budget cuts.”
Councilor J. Fred Staples said he felt there was too much of an emphasis on passing bonds rather than creating a workable budget. He said he would be happier with 2 percent increases in both the city and school budgets and a $10 million bond for high school repairs instead of a full renovation.
“I don’t believe we need to hold the city hostage,” he said.
Council President Pete Lamontagne shifted blame for the cuts to the school administration.
“We’re not responsible for everything that happened and everything you heard,” he said. “We didn’t do it.”
Councilor Sue Deschambault suggested the school committee and the city council work together more efficiently in the future. She said she did not think the entire school committee had received the most current numbers because the council received them only hours before the meeting. Councilor David Flood said he did not support the budget cuts and said he was “still greatly frustrated” with the amount of information available. 
There will be a second reading of the budget May 19, with public comment allowed only on amendments. The validation referendum is scheduled for May 29.
     Contact Stephanie Grinnell by calling 282-4337 ext. 213 or email news@inthecourier.com.