A public hearing and informational meeting on the proposed budget will be held at 7 p.m. May 23 in the Dexter Regional High School cafetorium.

Referendums will be held on adoption of the budget in the district communities June 12. Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Town Council chambers in Dexter and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Exeter town office, Garland town office and Ripley School.

“I think the budget will allow us to maintain our present programs as well as provide those educational opportunities for our students in the future, and it will allow us to continue to take care of our facilities,” Superintendent Raymond Poulin Jr. said Thursday.

Two new positions — an English-social studies teacher and a curriculum coordinator — are included in the proposed $7.8 million budget. The spending plan represents an increase of $323,655 over the current year.

The budget includes $125,000 in capital outlay to remove asbestos and replace some tile at the Dexter Primary School, to replace tile at the middle school and to shingle the roof at the Ripley School.

Directors agreed to request $207,992 in local-option funds that are raised locally without state participation. This is the same amount that was raised last year.

“We just felt it was inappropriate to ask locals for any more than what the state is requiring us to match,” Poulin said.

Ripley will face the greatest jump in school costs because the state valuation increased in the town. This year, the town paid $180,238, which represented 8.56 percent of school costs. Next year, the town will pay $210,070, which reflects 9.1 percent of school spending.

In addition, other communities in the district will see the following increases in assessments: $113,389 in Dexter, $30,233 in Exeter, and $26,632 in Garland.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Friday, April 27, 2001 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."