By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Cape Elizabeth school and town officials are headed back to the drawing board once again after Tuesday’s school budget validation referendum failed by 44 votes. It was the second referendum in six weeks for the town – on June 10 residents rejected a $19.7 million school budget, an increase of 4.6 percent over last years budget. This time 1,141 voters did not approve a $19.9 million school budget – an increase of 6 percent over last year’s budget. Almost 1,100 residents voted in favor of the 6 percent budget and 603 said they still thought the 6 percent increase was not enough. According to results from an advisory question on the ballot, nearly twice as many voters – 1,158  –  said they thought it was too much for taxpayers to bear. 

The 6 percent increase, as originally prepared by Superintendent Allan Hawkins, would have allocated nearly $621,000 for salaries and benefits of current school employees, approximately $33,000 for classroom furniture, nearly $9,000 for classroom equipment and an athletic budget of more than $24,000. Town Manager Michael McGovern said when combined with the approved $8.8 million municipal budget, the proposed 6 percent school budget would have raised property taxes by roughly 6.6 percent, an increase of $1.08 per $1,000 of assessed value. 

Councilor Sarah Lennon, who has supported a minimum 6 percent increase in the school budget, said if the town continued to increase the budget at that rate it would double in the next ten years, but she saw this school year as a chance to “catch up” from previously under-funded school budgets. 

The 6 percent budget had been subjected to divided votes by the town council, which approved it on June 26 in a 5 to 2 vote with councilors James Rowe and Paul McKenny in the minority. Rowe, who also voted against the 4.6 percent budget, suggested an increase of 5.3 percent for school funding as a compromise. Some councilors, including Council Chairman Mary Anne Lynch, said “in the name of democracy” they voted to send the 6 percent budget to the public even though they personally thought it was too high. 

The school board had unanimously voted to “stand behind” their original proposal of a 6 percent increase after the 4.6 percent budget was defeated 1,891 to 1,250.

Now the school board and town council will once again tackle the chore of figuring out what an appropriate increase in the school budget is. According to results from the advisory question from the June 10 referendum, more than 1,600 residents thought a 4.6 percent increased budget was too low, and according to Tuesday’s vote, 1,158 thought an increase of 6 percent was too high. 

Maine Department of Education Director of Finance and Operations Jim Rier said per the new school consolidation law, another budget must be prepared and approved by the school board and presented to the council no sooner than 10 days following the referendum. Another budget validation referendum must be held within 14 days of the council vote, and the school will continue to operate on the last budget to be approved by the town council until the public accepts a final budget.