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Overcast A final look at Baldwin's May 18 ballot
School and library budgets up, as are two seats on the Board of Education
On May 18, Baldwin residents will go to the polls to cast their votes on the proposed school district and library budgets, and will choose from six school board candidates vying for two seats. An incumbent library trustee is running unopposed.
Baldwin School District
On April 14, the Baldwin Board of Education adopted a $116.52 million spending plan for 2010-11. The proposed budget is a 2.2 percent increase over the current year plan and raises the property tax levy by .85 percent, Baldwin's lowest increases in seven years.
The budget maintains all existing instructional programs and class sizes, and leaves vacancies and/or eliminates some teaching, clerical and custodial positions.
The district has allocated $90.23 million in program costs, a 2 percent hike from the current year. Administrative costs are up 8 percent, totaling $11.64 million next year.
Lastly, the budget calls for $14.63 million in capital expenditure, a 1.54 percent decrease from the current year.
Included in the proposed budget are plans to expand the district's alternative learning program at the Baldwin District Office. The program currently services about 25 students per semester, but district officials hope to double that number by creating more classroom space in an area of the building where there is currently a machine shop. Funding for the project will come from the district's capital reserves, and school officials anticipate saving money on the program once the renovation is complete.
The district is expected to lose at least $1.4 million in state aid next year. But as there is still no state budget, that number can increase or decrease even after the
Baldwin community votes on the district budget on Tuesday.
The state also raised Baldwin's contribution rate for teacher and employee retirement systems, prompting the board to dip into reserve funds to cover the increase. This was done in conjunction with cutting some course sections and leaving currently vacant teaching and clerical positions, which was possible because the district has been seeing decreasing student enrollment over the past several years. Some teachers were eliminated as part of this process.
