BUDGET ADOPTION PROCEDURE
NEPN/NSBA Code:  DB-R 

The School Committee develops and presents an annual budget according to the following timeline and procedure:

Each fall the budget process begins with the School Committee’s program review work. Program modifications that may have a sizable impact on the following year’s budget are discussed in detail, allowing for both the School Committee and the community to better understand the rationale and the fiscal implications for each proposal. The program review work enables the School Committee to prioritize the needs of the school system from a K-12, long-range perspective.

During the fall, the Superintendent initiates the internal budget process, working with building principals and other leadership team members to compile and prioritize requests from staff members. The principals and Superintendent will consider projected enrollment data as well as programmatic adjustments to determine staffing needs for the upcoming school year 

Building principals review recommendations and make necessary adjustments before submitting budget recommendations to the Superintendent.

The Superintendent and Director of Business Operations review building requests and staffing needs, meet with individual school principals and other district leaders to develop and submit a recommended budget to the School Committee according to an annually established timeline.  This draft budget is presented to the School Committee at a regularly televised or video-streamed School Committee meeting.

Working to a timeline that meets the Town Council’s budget approval schedule, the School Committee holds two public hearings to review the Superintendent’s recommended budget and make modifications as appropriate before submitting the budget to the Town Council, which considers the School Committee budget in its entirety and makes budget recommendations to the community.

Each year the community will consider the school budgets at the Town Meeting and, if required by law, will participate in a ballot referendum on the school budget.

Legal Reference:           
20-A MRSA § 1701 (CSD)
20-A MRSA § 15617 et seq. (ALL)

Adopted:  May 24, 2012
Revised:  January 25, 2018, January 14, 2021