By Nate Jones
Staff Writer


After spending 12 years teaching English at Cape Elizabeth High School, Hannah Jones announced to more than 100 Cape Elizabeth residents and the town council on Monday that she will not be returning to her classroom in the fall.
“I’m a hot commodity,” she said. “At my new job I’ll be making more money, teaching smaller class sizes and I’ll be at a school that values writing. I can’t afford to pass that up.”
Jones was one of many voices the town council heard concerning a recommendation from the town finance committee – comprised of all town councilors – to impose a 4.6 percent increase cap on the nearly $20 million school budget, roughly a possible $319,000 reduction from a board of education endorsed 6 percent increase in funding.
“You will be losing excellent professionals if you continue cutting and cutting and cutting,” Jones said. “The value of living in Cape is being hacked away at.”
Luc Cary, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School, discouraged councilors from believing above average test scores meant schools did not need additional funding for academic programs.
“Nearly 75 percent of my classmates took private SAT prep courses this year,” he said. “SAT scores do not necessarily reflect the quality of our education system.”
Other students and faculty spoke about the speech and debate team, the achievement center and the arts commission, all programs that would not receive funding under the lower increase.
“We will become a town separated by the haves and the have-nots,” said Lisa Melanson, whose position at the high school achievement center would be eliminated under the 4.6 percent cap.
Several residents said they wanted the council to send the school board’s 6 percent increase directly to the public referendum scheduled for June 10.
“Why can’t we decide for ourselves?” resident Pat Duwaldi asked.
While most who urged the council to support the higher school budget increase said the average cost to individual households would be minimal – “the cost of one takeout pizza a month,” one resident said – former school board member Kevin Sweeney said any increase at all would be financially challenging for residents on limited incomes.
“Anything above 2.4 percent is going to affect me negatively,” he said. “I’m not here to fight for 4.6 or 6 percent, but as somebody who loves democracy, I will ask you to let it go to the voters.”
Councilor Paul McKenney reminded residents that the school budget capped at a 4.6 percent, coupled with a 3.3 percent increase in the municipal budget could result in a 5.4 percent increase in property taxes. Council Chairman Mary Anne Lynch said the new tax rate could add up to $220 to an already $435 median annual property tax bill. The increase would be even higher should the school budget increase by 6 percent.
Resident Mary Townsend spoke in favor of a higher increase and said she feels honored to have her property taxes raised “time and time again,” and the cost to the individual outweighed the benefits of increasing the school budget by 6 percent.
Lynch said a 4.6 increase, combined with a declining enrollment in the school system, results in an above average increase in spending per pupil for the upcoming year.
“In no way does a 4.6 percent budget show a disregard for education in this community,” she said.
The council is scheduled to vote on both the municipal and school budgets on May 27, 13 days before the school budget validation referendum vote June 10.
If voters fail to approve the proposed budget, the school board will have to  propose and submit a new budget to the council . Another public hearing and a second referendum, July 10, would follow.
If the public does not accept a budget by July 1, the last budget to be approved by the school board will go into effect.