Editor's Note: The original version of this story incorrectly stated the equivalent of nearly 18 positions including five elementary education technicians, two middle school library clerks and the equivalent of almost three high school special education teachers were eliminated from the budget. In fact, The approved budget calls for the elimination of 9.2 positions including one custodian, .5 bus driver, 2.8 high school special education teachers, one elementary school special education teacher, one special education technician, one high school English teacher, .4 career preparation teacher, .5 learning alternatives teacher and one technology integration teacher. The Sentry regrets the error, which has been corrected in this version.

By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
Nearly 1,500 South Portland residents – 9 percent of the city’s registered voters – traveled to the Community Center on May 13 to vote on the $42 million school budget. The budget, which the city council approved on May 5 after weeks of workshops, was narrowly approved by 36 votes.
“I don’t know what would happen if people don’t vote for it,” former school employee Arthur Tordoff said after he cast his vote.
Taxpayers can expect to see slightly less than a 4.18 percent increase in their property tax bills in the upcoming year to provide for a slightly more than $891,000 increase in costs from last year’s budget. Even with the increase and a $550,000 reduction in state subsidy, the school budget remains at the 4.18 tax increase cap imposed on school officials by the city council at the beginning of the process.
South Portland Superintendent Suzanne Godin said not knowing how much the state was going to provide for the upcoming year was the toughest part of putting together the accepted budget.
“We were anticipating up to a $1.1 million reduction,” she said. “I never thought I’d be happy to find out we lost $550,000.”
The budget will provide more than $15 million for regular instruction – around $4.5 million at the South Portland High School alone – for an anticipated total enrollment of 3,059 students, about $7.6 million for special education, roughly $3.5 million for student and staff support, almost $1.5 million for transportation and a little more than $2 million for school administration costs.
The approved budget calls for the elimination of 9.2 positions including one custodian, .5 bus driver, 2.8 high school special education teachers, one elementary school special education teacher, one special education technician, one high school English teacher, .4 career preparation teacher, .5 learning alternatives teacher and one technology integration teacher.
The school was able to cut operating costs by 10 percent. At the same time, the school will add new adult education courses at a cost of $20,000. The funding will enable the school to offer courses for general education diploma, English as a second language and algebra students.
“We’re anticipating about 75 students per course,” Godin said.
Had the budget been voted down in the public referendum school and city officials would have had to create a revised budget to present to the public within 30 days of the vote, per the new school consolidation law.
“We’re cautiously pleased,” Godin said Wednesday morning.
She said during the summer, school officials will be investigating ways to increase public participation in school matters.